Is it Spring yet? Farmville on facebook is getting real old!!!!!!!!

What can I say?! I am a gardener, I love the dirt... I love the watering, I love the earthworms!
But! During our northern winters, planting a garden, unless under lights indoors.. is just plain out of the question! If I am unable to get enough Vitamin D during the winter, those plants certainly can't either.
So, what does any ingenious gardener do? They turn to Farmville (www.Farmville.com) of course : D
Ahhh, tilling soil, planting any number of grains, flowers, trees and raising animals! Just like the real thing, right?!  Well, during the glazed over due to a cold or flu months of December to March, it works pretty well.
Social interaction without going outside, ability to wear warm jammies and look awful while sick, a schedule of what needs to be done and getting things harvested... ahhh, perfect!
Then the Spring Vernal Equinox arrives. The days are now longer, the flu season is almost over, its warming up and you do not have to dress like Nanook of the North to and from work just to stay alive! Ok, maybe that last part was a bit of an exaggeration, but only slightly , honest!

Back to farmville : ) Farmville satisfies all those needs, sew, produce, reap, grow stuff, till in the dirt, plan your layout and have more animals than you probably can where you live! Utopia! Over and over and over again. All was well until the outlying  ranches start tilling REAL fields, REAL animals have lambs , and REAL seeds are shipped to your door!
What was I thinking! As you look through new eyes at the simplistic game that got you past the nasty Winter weather and keep you getting up, getting going and contemplating GARDENING!

With your eyes wide opened again in the warmth of Spring, sadly and I should say enthusiastically in some ways "wean" myself off of the virtual garden and livestock I have been caring for and back to the  REAL garden that now needs to be planned. I will miss Farmville, but know that all my neighbors that I made , all 127 people from around the world are all still there to exchange REAL gardening ideas with as they were all in a very similar stupor all winter awaiting the ground breaking day when they too can get dirty in REAL dirt!

So do not chastise Farmville players, we are serious gardeners asleep at the wheel -- I mean keyboard, awaiting Spring!

So, if late one night you are in need of a Farmville neighbor, send me a note and I will add you in my little group of gardeners awaiting the days when they can get dirt under their nails and REALLY grow what they want!

Take care and Spring is just around the corner, I can feel it!

Gardening Chores for February!! Now that its the 15th!!

February chores...

Start your greens : ) and other cool weather loving plants that you can then transplant when it warms a bit more. Not outside, but in the greenhouse , garage or basement under lights!
Here it what you will need..

1. Seeds ( wow, I know, obvious)
2. heating pad, larger the better or several. Make sure they are safe, no damage to wires, etc.
3. metal, plastic trays, need to be at least 1 inch deep.. think brownie pan depth.
4. fluorescent lights, no need to full spectrum light "bulbs/tubes", unless you have them. lamps w/ fluorescent bulbs are OK, in a pinch.
5. Here is where it becomes tricky... the soil. There is potting mix, there is seed started soil, there is peat, there is top soil. Personally, I use potting soil. It is light, easily purchased and can be found at a discount store. I spend my money on the fertilizer for seedlings. A Miracle gro product for starts. click here to view/buy product.
6. Tabletop space, shelving - however you want to arrange your trays. They can even be cinderblocks w/ wooden planks... the plants are not fussy! Leave enough head space for the florescent lights to hang or rigged to be above the trays.

Here is a video on YouTube that shows the general jist of what I am talking about. His starts are indoors, so he does not use heating pads. If yours are too, do not feel obligated to use them. If in an unheated area, you will need them, on low, under the trays. His trays are VERY deep, this is great, but unnecessary.



After watching the video, collect your materials, and start your greens! The same principle applies to all your seed starts, but it is feasible now to grow cool weather loving greens!

Look on craigslist in your area for containers to transplant your little plants, the black nursery trays you put the pots into (many times free from local Home depot / Lowe's or other gardening centers!) or watch this video on how to make your own pots out of newspaper! Moving paper works also, if its easier to get gobs of. She uses a glass, for safety sake, I recommend something else! Plastic or melamine cup, mug or something you have of the same shape.. Use  your imagination here! :  )



Remember: She mentions NOT to put the newspaper pot + plant into the ground... the paper takes too long to disintegrate to let the roots free! It will stunt the growth of your seedlings or they could die off. Toss it, as she mentions, onto the compost pile!

Here is a video on how to transplant those seed starts into the next phase of their life... transplants. Which is after the 2nd left bud  (2 leaves appear on the seedling) and being put outside.

Here is a video on how to do this!

It is not rocket science, but care needs to be taken. He shows an easy technique and has some tips on how to do it without getting bored! Watch...



Now that your plants are a couple months old, here is the last step in getting them into the garden!!
Smitty, in this video.. must live where it is warmer as he is setting out very small seedlings. If you live in CA or Florida... this is for you! If anywhere else, keep those little plants warm inside on their heating pads!
I recommend, if using peat pots to pinch the bottom so that the roots can grow down into the soil easily. I have tried it both ways and it works much better pinching the bottom of those pots. If using the plastic pots, just slip the plant out! If using the newspaper pots the above video mentions, remove the plant as in tact as possible! Be easy with it and take as many roots with it as possible : )

Here's Smitty, showing how easy it is to transplant your BIG plants into the ground.


That was easy!
Here are the cool weather plants you might try growing for transplanting to your own garden later in the Spring  - or selling for some extra cash!!

What are some of the cool weather crops to plant?

 

1. Radishes, Radishes and more Radishes.
2. Lettuces of every type and don't forget your Spinach.
3. Kale and Collards.
4. Beets, Parsnips and Turnips.
5. Kohlrabi.
6. Peas with edible pods and non-edible pods.
7. Swiss Chard for the taste and beautiful colors, it is hardy , even when very cold.
8. Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbages.
9. Finally Carrots.

 There are more cool weather crops but this is enough to get you started. Ask at your local gardening center / Nursery for recommendations on what grows in YOUR area. Each area of the country has a Zone rating, find yours here , enter your zip code and it will tell you!

Well... Have fun, experiment, use what you can get a hold of in your area and start feeding yourself : )
Any questions? Post them!! I can try and help you locate the answer : )

Take care..