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Monday, December 31, 2007

Planting a New Year

Some of your seed packages tell you that you should start seeds inside 8 weeks before last frost. And that is exactly what we did this weekend.

sifting dirt

My husband sifted together the peat moss, chicken litter and soil. Even getting the boys to help out.
work can be fun


Once completed we prepped the grow box.

prepping the seedling box

The soil mixture was then placed into one of my good stew pots {he thought he was being sneaking, but it does wash out}mud and then used a broken ice cream scoop to place the dirt into the egg cartons.
Daddy's little helper

We planted onions and brandywine, celery, climbing tomatoes,

1st day seeds

and Good Neighbor Peas.
Good Neighbor Peas

Once these sprout they will be moved to the nursery while a new batch of seedlings are placed in the box.

Have you started yours yet?

On a side note; thank you to whomever sent my the gift certificate to the photo studio. We haven't had a proffesional photo done in almost 10 years. Thank you thank you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Have a good new year!

Caroline said...

Our traditional planting day in New Hampshire is Memorial weekend, end of May, so I still have a while before I even start plants indoors. I never thought of using egg cartons, though! Also, what are "Good Neighbor Peas"?

Howling Hill said...

This looks wonderful! I wish we were in a position to start seeds now, but, alas, we're not.

Phelan said...

Alrescate, did I thank you for the bookmark? If not thank you! I love it!

Caroline, We start sowing outdoors in early March, we are a little a head, but we need to start staggering things to insure enough growth. Good Neighbor Peas were given to me by a neighbor {because of the thefts I have been refering to him as the good neighbor) they are heritage cow peas. They have been in his family for something like 100+ years. If gave me half of his stash, all that is left of this kind of cow pea.

Howling hill, thank you. Hopefully you will be soon.

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you liked your bookmark!

BoysMom said...

I am also starting seeds! But not because we are anything like eight weeks from last frost.
The growing season's just too short (60 days if we're lucky) so I'm starting for the solar greenhouse (I hope, this is our first year with one) if it warms up enough. Otherwise we'll have seven foot tomatos in the living room again. I don't think we actually have a traditional planting date here: people give me really weird looks when I say I have a garden.
I am using egg cartons, too. And I thought I'd come up with it myself! It is sooo cool to know that someone else does. I mean, if you do it, then it must work, right?
I'm growing Prudens Purple tomatos again (Johnny's sells the seeds) and one we got from another grower called Chico that we've never grown before. And lots of other stuff. If you haven't tried the Prudens, we highly recommend them. I love them on cheese sandwiches.

lisa said...

I'll be starting some stuff indoors soon, but not just yet. Looks like you have an "egg-cellent" system! ;-)

Wendy said...

Haven't started anything, yet :). We were just blanketed with another 6" of snow, and planting my garden is (but shouldn't be) the last thing on my mind. Here in Maine, our traditional planting day is the same as Caroline in NH - Memorial Day weekend. While everyone else is at the beach or barbeque, we're turning beds ;).

Happy planting to you, and Happy New Year!

P~ said...

I wish I could start... But lucky for me our traditional planting is Mothers Day, (Mid to Late May). Lucky because we are nowhere near ready to plant anything. I like your grow box, Any chance of more detailed pics and explain what your doing with it... I haven't seen somehting like that before? Thanks and Happy NEw Year.
P~

Anita said...

Our last average freeze date isn't until towards the end of April... I don't know if we will have the space ready for a garden this year, while we are still trying to make the house liveable after the tornado so we can move out of this FEMA trailer... Nothing from seed this year, anyway... *sigh* And the tornado took our garden in May so we didn't have one this year, either!

Happy New Year!

Dave said...

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for taking the time to offer your condolences and giving me the encouragement that I needed at this time. I hope you have a Happy New Year! :-)

Jennlala said...

I am not sure how soon to start seeds here but since we are in central Virginia it should be pretty soon. My question is, what kind/type of grow box have you constructed and of what materials and where do you keep it as you are starting your seedings?
I am pretty new to your blog and I do love it. You may have given out this information before and if you have could you direct me to the entry?
Thanks-for the great blog!

Phelan said...

Boysmom, 60 days! That must be so difficult. Let us know how your solar greenhouse works out for you.
I am using egg cartons, too. And I thought I'd come up with it myself! It is sooo cool to know that someone else does. I mean, if you do it, then it must work, right? hahaha! don't know if that means it is right.

I haven't grown Prudens, but I will see if I can find some seeds and check them out. thank you.

Lisa, giggle.

Wendy, we just went through about a foot of snow. Traditional outside planting here starts around St. Patrick's day for our cooler veggies.

P~ I will post about the box tomorrow.

Anita, that freeze date is the tradition, but around St. Patrick's day is when your cooler weather (potatoes, onions, cabbage) need to be placed outside. If you need later season seeds, just let me know. My husband and I can bring them out to you this spring.

Dave, hope you have a good New Year as well.

Jennifer, welcome to my litle world! Glad you are liking it. As for your frost date, I would call your local extention office tommorrow and ask them. It should give you an idea. For your cooler items (potatoes, cabbage, onions} they should be planted as soon as your ground is workable. As for the grow box, as I said to P~, I wil do a detailed post on it tommorrow for you guys. It is rather simple and made out of items we have laying around.

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