Wednesday, February 8, 2012

early garden indoor planting

Here is a little update on the indoor planting we did on Jan 28th. Well, first is another photo of Mt. Ranier. Tuesday night was supposed the be the last nice day for a little while, so I got a few photos of the pink sunset on the mountain. I still think it's nice living close to the beauty of a mountain.


Back on track now, here is the heat mat with the grow light. I learned (the hard way as usual) that if you have the grow light too high (I had it about 18") the plants get long a spindly. You can see I lowered it to 4-6". The damage is done, but they should bounce back (or fill out). 
The broccoli has sprouted up and is off the races. I may have to move them into the cold frame if they fill out the 2" dirt square early. The opposite is the asparagus seeds. They all seem to be thinking that life is real; life is earnest, but not earnest enough to show sprout up and take a look around. Should I just buy asparagus crowns and forget the whole "I've known you when you were a mere speck in yer mother's eye" business?


Broccoli

Early Lettuce and spinach for the cold frame. Some are a bit top heavy though. 
The asparagus have all gone on strike.

I must have dropped a seed in the tray, but it started growing anyway.

And, last of all we bought a few more primroses. Do you think you can have too many primroses? I do wonder at times, when I'm trying to decide where to put them, but I sure like them as they add some color into the dull grey of almost spring.


So, you can tell all is quiet on the western front for now. I'm am ready, and willing, and impatiently waiting for spring beginnings and beauty.


A Prayer in Spring by Robert Frost
OH, give us pleasure in the flowers today;
And give us not to think so far away
As the uncertain harvest; keep us here
All simply in the springing of the year.


Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,
Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;
And make us happy in the happy bees,
The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.



And make us happy in the darting bird
That suddenly above the bees is heard,
The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,
And off a blossom in mid air stands still.



For this is love and nothing else is love,
To which it is reserved for God above
To sanctify to what far ends he will,
But which it only needs that we fulfill.

1 comment:

  1. Beautiful picture of Mt. Rainier. It is so nice to live near that mountain.

    Don't over water now that they have germinated. You could end up with damping off, which is a fungus that attacks the seedlings at the base of the plant at soil level. They look lovely. It is recommended to put a fan or run you and across the seedlings to stress them a little. This thickens the stem, especially in tomatoes. If you think about it, they get the wind when they are outside.

    Asparagus takes 10 to 14 days, in optimal conditions,to germinate. I believe the seeds need 65 degree temp at night and 75 to 80 degrees at night. I wouldn't despair just yet. You could always carefully pull a cell apart to see what is happening.

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