back from camping ...

... to discover that the melons and squashes I planted have sprouted.  I was afraid I was going to have to replant the entire patch -- but most seem to have some growth going (though one sprout was detached from its root -- how and why I don't know....)

Now the little guys just have to grow to fill in the trellis I made for them.

I wanted them to go up rather than out so I made a structure out of premade cedar trellising and steel fence stakes.  As a young woman I used to make fence for the Forest Service (among other things when we weren't fighting fires.)  It was a real pleasure to get one of those fence pounders back into my hands...

internal saturday

Funny how things have been chugging along so steadily that finishing my bamboo bed plantings and removing yard waste counted as a slow day.  All told though, I spent too much of my day in my head.  I have been trying new things with too little information and second guessing my warm season planting plans. 

The kids and I tried sprouting seeds as if completing a seed germination test this past week (diggin food has nice pictures and video here.)  Since the basil sprouted (their tails weren't nearly as long as the ones in Willi's picture), we potted them up.  I am not sure this will work.  We left them with little bits of paper towel attached.  Not a big deal because I have heard the sprout roots can go right through the towel -- but I don't know if the leaves can go right through and I didn't know which end of the sprout was up at planting (it is easy to lose track with three helpers under the age of 6.)  I wish I had kept track of what was going on so I could learn from our effort.

And in the second-guessing department, I am sure my melons will be unsuccessful if I plant them as planned .  Only two of my four varieties mature in 85 days or less (important in the Pacific NW) -- and even these might need more heat than the east-facing wall I intended to plant them under will provide.  So now I am thinking about moving the melons to a location with more afternoon sun.  But where?  My best bets are in the front yard.  And the best of the best locations is in the spot I was going to make a sunflower castle for the kids.  So what to do...?

For now I will shoot for a good night sleep (unlikely, we have a sick sleeper who has already been up several times) and will try more action and less worry tomorrow.

sprouting contest winner ...

Tigger melons.  Although I am sure that the watermelons, peppers, and basil will catch up soon, I only took the melon sprouts out from under the dome.  Who wants to encourage fuzz?!

But then I had to figure out what to do with them.  I was wondering if the great distance between my lamp and my sprouts hindered the growth of my last sprouting effort -- and since I really want these to be lush transplants in May and June, I decided to improvise a bit.  I am now using a cardboard box to lift my sprouts to the light.  I can cut the box down to give them space as they grow.  My solution won't be as earth-friendly as using (and reusing) a chain to raise and lower the lights appropriately -- but at least I am repurposing a box.

Seed sprouting station modified

So today I cobbled together a lighting system for my seed starter kits.  Not exactly good interior design -- but I figure it will get my seeds the start they need for the time being. 

When I checked in on the morning sprouts this afternoon, I noticed that some of the cabbage sprouts were looking a bit fuzzy.  I am pretty sure that fuzzy isn't good.  So I pulled them, a few marigolds, and a spinach out and set them on a cookie tray for further (less humid) growing.  The seed starter kit packaging said the sprouts would be ready to plant when their roots begin to bust through the pellets.  Let's hope I have dirt in my planter by then!  At the rate they are growing, I might not....

We have sprouts!

I am absolutely amazed.  We only set the seeds in the starter kits on Tuesday afternoon.  I was sure I did most everything wrong:  I didn't cover the seeds.  I only had one heat mat (2 kits fit on it, but I had 4 kits.)  My light system wasn't installed (though I finally purchased one a the store yesterday.)  I haven't watered yet.  In fact, worries about underwatering are what got me peering closely into the kits this morning.

And there they were: cabbage sprouts were coming up.

And on even closer inspection, I could see the beginning of downward rooting on the marigold seeds too.

I think I have to remove the covers after the seeds germinate -- so later today I might move the sprouted pellets to a cookie tray.  But I am worried that I am moving too quick -- maybe I should wait for true leaves first.  I will have to read up on the process during naptime (the kids' naptime) and make a decision soon.