I know you were all consumed with curiosity about how the lettuce is doing. No? Well, you're about to find out anyway.
The lettuce is going to take over the world. As always, I planted too many seeds. In my defense, however, lettuce seeds are tiny and it's almost impossible to drop them singly in an evenly spaced manner.
That said, I think about 100 lettuce plants may be excessive. A., however, won't let me discard a single one of the infant lettuces, and so he's been busily building sunken cold frames for them to be transplanted into.
Using scrap wood and old windows and doors left behind by previous owners in the shed. Our motto: Have junk, will farm.
I used the very first one he made last week to plant out the lettuces still remaining in their original seeding container--the very fancy disposable roasting pan with holes punched in the bottom. They were getting too big for it and I didn't have any more pots.
I am very mean to seedlings. I didn't harden them off or anything, I just filled the cold frame bed with soil and composted manure and planted them right in there. They were a little shocked at being so abruptly cut off from their tropical indoor paradise, but they survived.
Sorry, lettuces. I got no time for plant coddling.
We had several very warm days, and even some nights when it didn't freeze, but it's going to get very cold again so I'm leaving the rest of the potted seedlings inside for now.
In their very classy busted laundry basket.
Those grow lights, incidentally, are the hated fluorescent lights I banished from my kitchen. They hang perfectly across the sides of the laundry basket, though, so the basket doesn't need to be under a window. Thanks for leaving us your crappy lights, Dale! And your crappy windows and doors and old particle board.
Junk-Farmer Salad, here I come.
5 comments:
I have no doubt you will also be very pleased when you harvest all of the lettuce !
Good job.
Love your motto! This is my favorite blog!
Linda
Sounds like future food to share, if you can't eat it all. The locals have been so generous to your family the past few months. Not all tiny towns are so welcoming to 'outsiders' the first 10-20 years or so!
I always keep every single seedling too. Just don't have the heart to toss any in case of future crop failure. Figure losing 50% of 100 is a lot better than 50% of 10 when we need supper. Here I don't have bunny problems, I have wild tortoise problems. They are huge. I love them so don't fuss but they eat a ton. I always have to plant extra to share with them.
I'm a scrappy gardener, too, in my own way. Raised bed made from repurposed wood, scavenged buckets, and any other container. Poor husband of mine, I don't let him throw away anything that might become a planter. However, it was record-setting cold temperatures last week in my hometown - not a chance of anything growing outside!
Starting earliest garden plants is on the list for this week. I need to come up with some crappy lights. Low-E windows don't make for strong transplants. At least, that's my new working theory on wimpy plant production.
Karen.
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