Starting some Seeds

It doesn't feel like it, but this is really only the second season that I'm vegetable gardening in earnest.  Clearly I am still learning, and there are many firsts that I'll go through. For example, starting seeds.

Inside.

In March.

We are about 10 weeks before being frost free. I know for others, down south USA or in Britain for example, spring has sprung. But today, it was snowing here.  At  least I can start some seeds, or try to anyway. The microgreens didn't turn out so well, so I'm not completely confident in my success. But for the price of a single plant, I can start multiple plants. I like that.

All winter I've been reading different gardening books, and one that did a good job of showing how to start seeds with not a great deal of effort is The New Victory Garden book by Bob Thomson. While he uses 4" pots, I'm going to recycle some plastic tubs from cottage cheese and yogurt. The idea to split them is my wife's. So she gets the credit for that.

Here we are with the tubs. They were thoroughly washed.

Measure down 2.5 "

Cut while connecting the dots.

One tub + one lid = two potting buckets

Drill holes to allow drainage (and wicking)

10 pots done

Fill with seed starter.

I've got tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, peppers, celery.

Planted and sitting in a bath - we'll see if it wicks up by morning.

Once moist they go on a heating pad until they germinate.

So we shoud have spouts in a bit of time, then they'll move into the sunny south window.  Follow along, it should be educational.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Defeated by tiny little greens, microgreens in fact

I don't like to admit failure but there comes a time when it is just not worth keeping up the fight. The microgreens just didn't do what a) I expected them to, or b) do it fast enough. I've had enough expereince growing things, these suckers were just too slow. They had moisture and light, but never seemed to get going.

In the end they smelled bad. I don't want to eat that!

I take full responsibility, they didn't fail, I failed them. I'm pretty disappointed but then again, a meal did not depend on them, they were going to be a pretty garnish for goodness sake.

I'll try again sometime, or just focus on the coming spring.  Failure is OK as long as you learn from it.

Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

 The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener

Food prices at record levels? Plant a garden!

Today Reuters ran a story about food prices being at record levels and the likelihood that they will remain this way for months to come. With that in mind I strongly encourage you to do something about it.

Plant vegetables.

Any little bit will help. Growing your own food is an important step towards reducing the impact of market prices on your pocketbook. It is good for you in more ways than just controlling what you eat, there is physical exercise, increased well being just from being outdoors, and the emotional lift when you eat what you grew. For those with children it is also an excellent teaching tool. Putting seed to soil, and reaping the harvest is, in my opinion, part of personal responsibility.

I feel we owe it to ourselves to become more self reliant, to reconnect with the earth, and to in some small way throw off the shackles of eating food we have no connection with. Over the last year I've had a change of heart about most of these issues. If you follow this blog, you've been able to watch the installation of a food plot, followed the progress of the summer growth, and shared in wonderful produce harvests. Over at my food blog, I've cooked it up fresh, as well as put some up for later use. My family and I are enjoying the fruits of that hard yet enjoyable toil through these cold winter months. 

Years ago families grew food because they had to, and some people still do for the same reason. But I am aware from following other blogs, and some interesting pages on Facebook, that more and more folks are growing food not because they need to, but rather because they want to. They feel, as I do, that it is the right thing to do, for health, for monetary savings, for a small sense of control in this increasingly uncertain time.

You don't need a large yard to get started, excellent results can be had using 5 gallon buckets as planters. A sunny balcony, a flat roof top, even a driveway can be utilized for personal food production.

You can do it! I will keep sharing my journey, the successes and lessons learned, techniques and tips. Many of you will share yours too. I look forward to it.


Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!

The Gastronomic Gardener
Garden blog http://amidwestgarden.blogspot.com/
Cooking blog http://ihopeyouarehungry.blogspot.com/
Twitter - www.twitter.com/DavidPOffutt
http://www.facebook.com/TheGastronomicGardener