It was war.  As of this afternoon, we have a 2 foot fence of poultry wire around each garden bed.  Though the bunnies can jump, there is enough other vegetation around that I don’t think they’ll be interested in the extra effort.  Now, I might have a chance for some peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, lettuce and tomatoes.  The one thing that successfully has survived all attacks is my herb plot.  With tarragon, oregano, cilantro, basil, parsley, chives, sage, rosemary, thyme and dill, the bed is absolutely flourishing.  In fact, I need to spread some additional cilantro seeds down to ensure that I have leaves later in the season.  Though Dale has the gene that leaves you feeling like you drank a bottle of dish detergent, I’ve started to really enjoy the verdant taste of cilantro.

Technorati Tags: Gardening, Herbs, Pests, Rabbits, Raised Bed, Vegetables

I start out with APS seed-starting systems from Gardener’s Supply Co.  I’ve been using these kits for over 7 years with great success.  They come in a wide variety of sizes.  I’m using the 24-cell version today.  They go from 6-cell to 40-cell.  Features include:

• Water reservoir tray
• Capillary mat (this mat wicks water from the water reservoir to the bottom of your soil and gently moistens the soil.
• Styrofoam cell tray (I know, not the most green item.  However, these kits are reusable.  The one pictured is new.  I’m still using kits from my original purchase 7 years ago!)
• Clear lid (great for creating a greenhouse to keep the soil warm for germination)

I’m fond of using an organic seed-starting mix.  If we’re going to eat the food grown in our garden, it might as well as be natural and free of unwanted chemicals. There will surely be enough chemicals that will make their way into the soil through wind and rain (We live in the Milwaukee area…not exactly the freshest air around…but certainly not as bad as smog-ridden Los Angeles)  I don’t want to add any additional chemicals to our home-grown produce. The mix I use also comes from Gardener’s Supply.  In the Winter, I prefer to order things online and have them come to my house.  Just my lazy way of dealing with the cold!

Mix a little water into the mix before using to ensure proper moisture content and understand how much the mix will compact in your cells.  If you use dry, the mix will shrink severely in the cells and not have enough content to support the root system for several weeks.  You can always transplant, as I will need to with the peppers, but need a good root system formed to survive the move.

After moistening the mix, I start spooning the mix into each cell.  This is a tedious process that I have little patience for.  The reward clearly outweighs the boredom, so I try to smile while trudging through the process!!  I’m happy today because I’m only filling cells in one kit.  If I had much more, I’d enlist Dale’s help.

The only tip I have here is don’t pack too hard.  You want a well packed mix to ensure proper contact with the capillary mat below the cells.  However, you need to leave the mix loose enough to encourage proper root growth without making the plant struggle to root itself.  I’ve experienced both situations in the past.  If the mix is not packed enough, you’ll be misting and watering from the top until the mix packs itself down.  (You don’t want to dry out your new seedling and mix!)  If the mix is too packed, your seedling will start life out all stressed out.  Happy plants produce a lot of food for you.  Stressed out plants act like a human getting stressed out….not so productive!!!

Now that my cells are filled (phew!), it’s time to drop the seeds in.  I’m starting out one kind of parsley and two kinds of pepper.

Parsley – Dark Green Hybrid -Italian flat-leaf variety that will be more fragrant and peppery than its curly counterpart.

Bell Pepper – Rainbow Hybrid -I’ve used these in the past.  We won’t know what colors we have until the peppers ripen. Surprise!

Jalapeno Pepper – Early Jalapeno – This variety has a shorter fruiting timeline.  Can’t wait too long for good homemade salsa!

Seeds are in their new home and I’ll wait (as patiently as I can) for the seedlings to sprout up.  Here are the references for the companies that I’ve used with good success.

Gardener’s Supply Co

www.gardeners.com

Jung Garden Centers

www.jungseed.com

Technorati Tags: Gardening, Herbs, Vegetables

I stopped on the Gardener’s Supply website as I needed to purchase some replacement parts for my seed starting systems.  I’ve found that the capillary mats used to maintain a constant level of moisture usually get woven up with long roots.  I like to keep my seed-starting as sterile as possible…so I replace the mats each year.  The site has a great raised bed gardening section.  The section gives some great ideas on what to plant in your garden and when to do it.  I have four 3′x6′ raised beds in my yard.  Using some of their ideas, I put together my vegetable and herb garden plans this morning.  Being the planner, I’ve also identified when and where I need to start in order to be up and running by Memorial Day.  Unfortunately, here in Wisconsin, we’re at a delayed last frost.  I had to replace tomatoes, peppers, and basil three times last year!!!  I’ll be using netting and protecting my crops this time around.

Shown below is my plan for this year.  I’ve divided the beds into 18 1′x1′ squares.  Each square is numbered and identified with a planting below.  My bed and planting positions are made with care.  I’ve learned to rotate peppers, tomatoes, and cruciferous vegetables each year to avoid diseases.  I’m a huge fan of basil and love to make a large amount of pesto at the end of the growing season.  We also love spring peas for soups and salads.  I’ve substituted a few cilantro plants for peas.  Cilantro isn’t our favorite…but a necessity in certain salsas.  If you’re one of those “cilantro tastes like soap” people, we understand your situation.  Dale has that affliction and I have to be very careful in my cilantro usage.  I, on the other hand, do like the fresh taste. Note:  “Location” below is where to start the seeds/plants.

Technorati Tags: Gardening, Herbs, Raised Bed, Vegetables