Poised to Spring

The weather in New England is New Englanding extra hard this month. We had a spate of perfect maple sugaring weather (warm days, light freeze at night), then some down right toasty days in the mid 60’s (Fahrenheit), then yesterday we had an ice storm. That is just how it goes here. March 19 was the first day of spring on the calendar, but the weather and the calendar do not always coincide here in the northeastern USA. I am getting ready for the 2024 growing season. Here is what we are working on at Food It Yourself HQ.

Our compost bin has seen better days. Thankfully, a local business always has extra pallets available for the taking. I have collected three to rebuild the bin as soon as the ground around it thaws. A good tip if you like making things from pallets: know what the markings on the sides mean. The three pallets I have are marked “HT”, which means they have been heat treated, but not treated with chemicals. Be careful with pallets marked “MB”. These have been treated with methyl bromide, a toxic compound. You do not want that in your compost.

Some of our raised beds are showing their age, also. Last fall, Mr. Food It Yourself and I collected some composite decking from neighbors who took down an above-ground pool. With the help of my dad, I have been cutting and piecing lengths together to replace the most worn boxes. We are quite proud of how we are recycling this material.

I am still in the early planning stages of the Food It Yourself garden. I have not bought any seeds yet this year. I know- I am also shocked. I have plenty of seeds left from last year, and I was gifted a large volume of seeds from a friend who manages an independently owned and operated hardware store. I started some seeds today using a new technique. The short version is that you start a lot of seeds close together, then space them out in individual pots later, then plant them in their final destination. We need plants for out garden, and also for the community garden at church. The possibility of high-volume seedling production was enticing.

First, I gathered all the things I needed: seed starting soil, a watering can, a spray bottle, the seeds, and the growing vessel. Again, I decided to recycle and plant in cleaned containers from some take-out food Mr. Food It Yourself enjoyed a few days ago.

I filled the aluminum pans with potting mix and added water from the watering can. This took a little time to absorb into the soil.

Next, I checked the seed packets. According to the seed company, leek seeds need to be planted 1/2 inch deep. I sprinkled the seeds on the moist potting mix. I topped them with 1/2 inch of potting mix and used the spray bottle to moisten. I repeated the process with some Roma variety tomato seeds, except these needed to be planted 1/4 inch deep.

Finally, I added the clear plastic tops of the take-out containers. This is creates miniature greenhouses for the seeds in the earliest growth stages. In just a few minutes I could see the evaporation in the containers. The leek and tomato seeds were placed under the grow lights Mr. Food It Yourself uses the keep his aquarium plants alive. I had to re-position his ginger plant and angel wing begonia, but he was okay with that.

Yes, our helpful chicken Hennifer Aniston is still admitted to Kitchen Heneral Hospital. We are quite confident she will integrate back into the flock soon, though. She has been increasing her stamina as we give her more and more time outside (she helped me start seeds today as you see). She is putting on weight and is acting much less like a sick bird.

I took a tour of the yard and there are clear signs of the growing season everywhere.

My daffodils are popping up one by one. The rhubarb is unfurling a little more each day. The fruit trees are full of buds. There is so much to look forward to in the 2024 growing season!

The biggest pest for New England gardeners is the weather. We fight it every year. Through “good” years and “bad” years, we persevere. We do not know when spring will come for sure. Maybe we will skip right to summer. We can be sure it will not be boring.

What exciting things are happening in your garden? Share in the comments.