Thinning the crop... a lesson learned.

To thin or not to thin...

Thinning seedlings is a very important part of the gardening process. Thinning removes the smaller, weaker starts, allowing for the others to grow stronger, no longer competing for water, food, and sun. I thinned my plants yesterday. And although it was a heartbreaking process (how can I possibly choose one seedling over another?!), it was a rewarding one because my seed starts have entered their next phase of life and are on there way to getting even stronger for transplanting into the garden.

Now, comes the part where I tell you not to thin... Always read the seed packets before thinning!! I didn't do this. I left the peas for last because they were looking so bountiful, I had the hardest time seeing some of them go. But from all the reading I've done I figured, it was best for them, right? Wrong! After finishing I went to write in my journal to document the date of thinning and I took a peek at the peas seed packet. Yes, you guessed it, it said "do not thin"... I am so disappointed right now, but I still have hope. Although peas can be sown directly into the ground, we didn't do that this year since we are still building the garden beds. Thus, the seed starts are still growing within a couple inches of each other, even after being thinned. I'm hoping that this will be close enough for them to still use each other as support to continue to grow. I am getting a little nervous about getting them in the ground sooner than later as some of them are already a 10-12" and desperately need to get started on a trellis. Soon, my little peas, soon...

On a brighter note, my lettuce problem ended up not being a problem! It just looks like that! (Thanks for the consultation Heidi!) I didn't thin the lettuce yet, because I'm waiting for it to get a little stronger. The pumpkins are looking amazing too! Here's one of my favorite photos of one of the seedlings still holding on to the seed casing.

This afternoon is one of our last planting sessions... rhubarb, squash, beans, and carrots! After that we'll just have corn, and sunflowers! Where am I going to put all these trays?! Even more importantly, how are they all going to fit in my garden?


Enjoy your Sunday everyone, and happy planting! 

Bogs and Skinny Jeans

Spring has sprung! 
With all the rain, thunder, lightening, and gloominess covering our house the past few days, today's clear skies were a welcome reprieve! I planted a bunch of bulbs in the front yard last fall for the first time... a variety of tulips and some others that I can't remember the name of, but are pictured below! Its a pleasant surprise to find them popping out in early March, ready to announce the beginning of spring. Our entire family spent the afternoon today in the yard , working on garden beds, trimming ferns, and just plain enjoying some fresh air.

Callen enjoyed his afternoon nap strapped to my back in the Ergo, while I trimmed all the ferns in the front yard... adding another 20 lbs to your body is a great workout, and helps me fit into my skinny jeans! Now that's multi-tasking!

Joel is getting started on the second garden bed, and now that we have a system down, we are hoping to have it completed by the end of the week. (or at least that's my idea!) My peas are out growing their pots and are going to be ready to plant as soon as we can get the soil and compost in the beds.

What a difference a day makes... or two, or three...
I shouldn't have been so worried about my onions and pumpkins. The day after my last post I saw sprouts! Today, the pumpkins are popping like crazy. There is something satisfying about seeing a large seedling like pumpkins pop through the soil. I'm so excited to watch them grow!


Troubleshooting Topic #1: 
With all the successes we've seen so far, we have also come across our first concern/challenge with the lettuce. It seems to be leggier than normal, and leaning a lot towards the light, which is a sign that its not getting enough light. My make-shift plant lights (a collection of random desk lights) don't seem to be enough so we are going to have to come up with something more appropriate. Here is a link to one of my favorite online resources: Organic Gardening. They have some great tips that I'm going to try, including putting rope lights underneath the seed trays as a warming blanket. I'm going to see what I can find, unless you have any suggestions?? I'll keep you posted on my solutions. =)

All my little seedlings...

My little seedlings are growing so fast! 

The peas are about seven inches long, the kale is getting its second set of leaves, the tomatoes are looking strong, and my son has his third tooth! All the kiddos are growing so fast. =)

Last week, we sowed lettuce, arugula, red and green onion, and pumpkin. The greens have sprouted, but the others are still below the surface so I'm getting a little nervous. I'm trying to find the perfect balance of water, in fear of rotting seeds, and making sure they are getting plenty of light since we've had a couple gloomy, sunless days in this neck of the woods. Today is day seven, and the onions can take up to 12 to germinate, so I'll stand back patiently and wait for my new arrivals.

Next on our list will be the beans, squash, rhubarb, and carrots. I'm quite certain we aren't going to have enough room in our garden beds for all these vegetables, so containers are going to have to work for some. I've heard that tomatoes and squash do really well in containers. And the pumpkin and rhubarb will be moved to a different spot in the yard where they can sprawl as they wish. As spring draws near, I'm getting really excited for our first planting session.

The garden beds are coming along nicely! We have one completed so far, and are getting ready to start on the other. They will be approximately five by ten, and facing north to south along our property line. My husband and I chose to use these cement landscaping bricks instead of wood because they will last much longer. Also, it was easier to level the garden bed area using the bricks. Our next step is to line them with cardbooard as a natural weed blocker, and then fill them with organic topsoil from a local vendor.

Also new to our back yard is a compost bin. I decided to go the easy route and purchased a pre-made bin that just needed some quick (or not so quick) assembly. As far as I'm concerned, the easier the composting process, the better, at least while there is so much to learn this first season. Its great to be able to reuse our kitchen scraps for food for the garden. Grass clippings, maple leaves, and garden trimmings are all going to add vital nutrients to our compost. So, here's to some happy healthy compost.

And sow it begins...

This is it! 

My first blog post... 

I never thought I'd become a blogger, I don't like writing, and am not sure anyone will benefit from this, but me! However, I decided to start a blog this year about my new adventure in acquiring a green thumb. I'm doing everything I can to learn as much as there is to know about growing my very own organic vegetable garden. It will be a challenge, but this blog is serving as my accountability! If I sow a seed and blog about it, it will grow right?!

I'm quickly finding out that growing a vegetable garden is very similar to my new adventure in motherhood, with the same process of reading all the books, preparing the best environment, feeding the best food... not to mention the many successes, and many failures to learn from! My son Callen is 8 months old, and I'm so excited for him to be able to enjoy this garden as much as I already do! It may be wishful thinking, but maybe this is the key to getting my son to enjoy eating his vegetables! 

My best friend Heidi is the main inspiration for starting this garden (she actually has a green thumb!), and my husband Joel is the much appreciated hired help in building the garden beds. But my true partner in crime with this endeavor is my sister (in-law, but I don't like that term!) Elisa. Neither of us know much now, but we will soon!! =)

Last week, Elisa and I started our first round of seed starts in my kitchen. Our first 182  peat pots have been sown with sugar snap peas, kale, and three types of tomatoes. I'd give you the specific varieties, but at this point in my education, I'm not sure the difference yet, so I'll keep you posted on their varied successes. We are pretty proud of the fact that by day 7, four of the five varieties we planted are sprouting! And I'm sure the tomatoes are just waiting for the right opportunity to join their friends.  

Before I leave you, I must share some of my favorite partners in research. My weekly visits to our public library have discovered You Grow Girl, by Gayla Trail. She also wrote Grow Great Grub, which is currently on my books to buy list. She is an amazing gardener that keeps it simple, and proves that organic gardening can happen anywhere from a 1-acre plot, to a garbage can in an urban neighborhood. Another favorite is a book that my husband added to my personal library over Christmas, called The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food, by Tanya L.K. Denckla. So far I've used that more than any other, and highly recommend it to anyone growing an organic garden. There have been many others as well, which I'll share with you later once we hit the specifics of each stage of gardening. 

Thanks for following, and I hope you enjoy this as much as I do~