October 01, 2018
Yesterday was the first time I didn't go down to the garden after dinner all summer long. It was raining. I seem to always treat the first rains like the Wicked Witch of the west. "Oh no! I can't get wet. I'll get cold. I might die". After the season wears on I start layering up and by mid Winter I'll only feel the rain when I look up..
I don't like brushing up against wet plants and they recommend staying out of a wet garden. I can't stay out for long because I'm curious as to what changes occurred. As I poke around I find things that need doing and before I know it I'm gardening again. Having the pathways mulched keeps the mud off my shoes, which is another thing that bugs me. Having knee pads let's me kneel whenever and wherever I want without having to think about it..
October 02, 2018
I used the last of the fish emulsion yesterday and realized I won't need more until I start my six packs in January. I was taught that seeds have enough nutrients in them to germinate and grow for awhile, so they don't need fertilizer. I found that setting the six packs in a tray of half strength fish emulsion, until it wicks up of the surface of the seed starting mix, gives the sprouts enough nutrients that they don't stretch up to the light on the cloudy January days and get leggy as much..
This might be because they don't panic and think they need more sunlight for energy. Nature provides the seedlings with a rich abundance of food for them to germinate in by having decomposed fruit or veggies as their environment, so why should we have them start out in sterile seed starting mix?..
October 03, 2018
These overcast days are a welcome relief from the blazing hot sun of the summer. It's nice to be able to garden along without thinking how hot it is, and having to move the shade cloth around. All the ground is moist from the rain and nothing is wilting in the afternoon. It's a good time to get caught up on the weeding before the winter rains make the soil soggy..
I've prioritized my weeding by making the planting areas number one, the wild weed patches are last, and the pathways are ranked from easiest to maintain to ignore. The ignore pathways may get a dose of Round up this winter if I don't have the energy or motivation to weed them, because they are solid weeds. The weed eater kept them down all summer but, ground cover or not, they are annoying..
