seed starting – ROAD TRIP

This weekend was the first community garden workday of the 2024 season. Things are officially kicking off!

Community garden work

We got some massive yardage of compost delivered to the garden and worked delivering it to each plot via wheelbarrow. This is typical every year, and is included in the garden fees. It’s a great trigger to start working in the dirt and get going in plot cleanup and prep for the summer.

We also have some water storage tanks that we can use until the water gets turned on for the season, and our local fire station graciously drove their truck over and emptied out their water tank to help us refill them.

This year I’ve learned that many of my plot neighbors are new to the garden! They all seem really nice, and I’m excited to see what they grow!

We’re also sponsored my one of my favorite restaurants this season, and they catered our first work day with burritos and spuds and pancakes (oh my!).

My plot

I’m in the same plot this year, planning to lay it out similarly, with a few modifications.

New low tunnel

I upgraded my low tunnel to be a little more substantial, and taller so I can work inside it easier. I’ve also moved my path so I can get into the tunnel from both sides. I built it from pex and pvc, with some hardware and round clips to hold the cover. So far my design is going ok, but I had major sway when 3 pvc pipes are placed on top (when the curtains are ope ), so I’ve improvised som internal bracing “cables”. We’ll see how it holds up. I’m trying to test it before I get plants in there.

Layout plan

Basically the plan this year is three N-S running rows/sections, and still have tall trellises along the north edge. I rearranged the paths and leveled things out. Feeling fairly organized for now.

What survived the winter?

Echinacea! I put two of these plants in from seed last year. They grew but never bloomed. I hoped but didn’t not expect them to come back- and they made it!
Tulips and crocuses- I tried out bulbs last fall, watered them once or twice, tucked them in with a blanket of mulch / leaves, and I was delighted then decided to pop up this spring. Tulips appeared to be delicious to bunnies, but they were resilient enough to persist.
Garlic- my friend had 6 extra garlic cloves in the fall. I stuck them in when I did the tulips and crocuses, tucked them in, and every last one of them made it. I have 6 hard-neck garlic plants thriving in the corner of my plot. I’ll get to try garlic scales for the first time hopefully.
Aspara”Gus” – small but loyal bunch of asparagus.
Rhu”Barbara” – RIP Barb. My rhubarb that suffered last season didn’t even pop up this year.
Miscellaneous seedlings. I have an army of baby dill plants reporting for duty, and several bachelor buttons and larkspur that re-seeded from my neighbors.

Season prep so far

Seed starting is underway! So far I’ve started:

Tomatoes (currant, cherry, pink ping pong, sun gold, San marzano Roma)
Peppers (poblano, biquinho, some others)
Flowers (calendula, white marigolds, zinnias)
Eggplant (got free seeds, giving it a try)
Herbs (basil, parsley)
Luffa (one seed germinated, everyone pray for the baby plant)
Sweet potato slips
Leeks
Green onions
Shallots

That’s it for now. I’m going to be unable to do much for a few weeks so I’m pausing my operations. Up next is starting some squash, and getting root veg and snap peas in the ground.