first planting of the year

I gave each child a 3x4 foot plot for their own to plant and take care of. We added some starter fertilizer mix I already had and they all planted peas and then various carrots, onions, lettuce, kale, beets and spinach and chard. I hope it grows!! It was cold but we got it done. We also planted tomatoes and peppers indoors on Saturday.

Snow!!

It snowed a lot today and it has been extremely cold. I found out that we are on the 40 degree latitude line and that is the same as Spain and southern Italy and Greece. So our daylength here is great for growing all kinds of veggies year round. My husband said he would build me a greenhouse and I have to find someone to tear out a bunch of scrub oak to make room for it!!

Bed Prep

Today we dug and raked and forked our garden beds to get ready for planting. It was pretty cold so we didn't bother planting anything yet. I think I just have a hard time following instructions. I did when I was first learning to cook. The recipe was just a guide and I made some pretty gross stuff. The advantage to cooking is that you get a new chance to start over everyday. With gardening you don't get a new chance until the next season. I tried doing some fall plantings and such but the summer crops are a one time trial. So if you don't get it right you have to wait til the following year.

So I think I may have reached my number of tries and learned exactly what not to do. I really think I am on the right track now. I think that everytime I added organic matter to the gardens, it was too much and the microbes tied up the nitrogen. Also, I think the garden needs continual applications on nitrogen and it also need to be watered evenly without even a hint of drying out. I have been reading "Gardening When it Counts" by Steve Solomon and that has clearedup a number of things in my mind. Also many of the books are written for different soils and climates than my Utah alkaline mountainous short season.

I also need to follow what my dad does because he gets fabulous results. So my plan is to not add any compost or organic matter this spring except for the grass and leaves that are already on the beds. They can act as a mulch to break down slowly and keep in moisture. Also I'm going to fertilize with fish emulsion regularly-- I have to talk to my dad about how often to fertilize and water. I am also going to spread bloodmeal on the beds before planting as well as a micronutrient mixture such as azomite or kelp meal. I think they have been mineral deficient.

wish me luck!!