Season Begins

Last week's snowman is still partially standing in the front yard but the bright sun and temps in the 40's (maybe even 50 tomorrow!) tells me that spring is just around the corner.  Every year around this time I begin preparations for gardening season.  Earlier last week I set out a plastic bin full of frozen compost I shoveled from the bottom of the compost bin.  An old storm window laid over the top has gradually warmed the nutriet rich soil after a couple of days in the intense sunshine.  Yesterday, I filled five 128 cell planting trays with the heated compost and brought them inside.  My son Owen helped me assemble a 3-shelf indoor greenhouse and In the past two days I've started:

128 Calabrese Broccoli
128 Walla Walla Onion
128 White Bunching Onion
128 Yellow Globe Onion
32 Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage
32 Bok Choy Cabbage
32 Copenhagen Cabbage
32 Golden Acre Cabbage

Last year I utilized a common medical heating pad set to low temperature to gently and evenly heat the starting trays.  The problem was that it also increased evaporation and it was difficult to keep them consistently moist.  I think the greenhouse will solve that problem but time will tell.

I stopped by the Farm (Jim's house) to pickup all the seeds left over from last year and then spent a hour this afternoon sorting through them.  Even though they are 1-2 years old I expect the germination rate to be alright.  Actually, I have so many seeds left from last year that buying more this year doesn't seem necessary.  But where's the fun in that?  I love variety.  With all the gardening activity going on in Oberlin this year I won't have any problem giving away unused seeds.  I went a little over board last year so maybe this year I'll try to practice some restraint.