Everything about this spring and the preparations I have been making will be a little bigger and and a little different than my past spring posts and updates. This year I have a staff to help me get the job done, and then some when the work load gets even bigger.
I won't be washing pots and flats in my basement wash tub and lining them up to dry on the basement floor. In fact, I probably won't have much to do with it at all. Considering that I did this job for 19 plus years before I left for my last job, it is not like I didn't do my time. Now I have to decide when and what gets done.
It is a lot more fun doing it with a great group of workers than it is alone. I am going to take this to a different level than past years in that I want to maximize the greenhouse space with rotations of plants to the out-of-doors during the late spring time to harden some things off and get a little more bench space to expand our crop offerings. I do not have a crystal ball to predict the weather, so it is a bit of a guessing game and a gamble all at once.
We are propagating on a much larger level than I did in my basement greenhouse as well. We experimented with perlite over heat cables and found that although it was good, heat mats with flats of media are better. We also tried some different rooting hormone. The powder was good, but the gel was better. The staff has been working and researching different methods and it is paying off in better results.
The workforce has taken a change and we now have the men out-numbering the women this time around. It reminds me of the times when I first got into this industry and I was often the only female on staff. I remember working for a large insurance company on the ground maintenance staff and saw only one other female on the other side of operations with 75 men in between. I got so used to being solo that now I often don't notice the numbers of male vs female. I do notice how much younger they all look now...
The days are getting longer and we are looking forward to a promising spring. It will not be without its problems, as it never is when you are dealing with living things. We have over 200,000 plants that have to find their place in the greenhouse so they can grow their best. I am so excited to be heading into spring with a plan and people that are going to get through it with me.
It is a cold, snowy morning. The sun isn't even close to coming up. For the first time this season the Christmas lights are shining off of snow. It is the perfect day to look over seed catalogs.
You would think by now I would have had my fill of plant catalogs. I had a very able assistant who lined up most of our annual orders and took care of setting up our deliveries. Still, this past couple weeks has found me knee-deep in confirmations, delivery dates, order adjustments and additions to our present level of service to include some hot house vegetable crops. This has not dimmed my desire to open up my own catalogs and seed box to start planning MY GARDEN!
I am excited about the prospect of having a much larger space to use this year. Neglect and repeated sowing of weed seeds are going to make this space a challenge. I am sure that I will not be whizzing through my beds like I was at home in my tidy 4x8 raised beds.
I will be able to grow some of those crops that I didn't have the room for. I will be able to put in some squash and pumpkins in hopes of harvesting from my own plot. I will also be able to rotate my crops to their best advantage, provided the soil doesn't already harbor some of the nasty diseases I am hoping to avoid.
I am also excited to open up my seed box and take inventory. I know that I will have some new items to choose from even before opening a catalog. Our summer trip to Decorah, Iowa and Seed Savers Exchange put more seeds in my box in mid-summer than I would normally consider adding. First, Seed Savers participated in the Nordic Fest parade in Decorah and handed out packages of their 2014 seeds. Not a problem as most seeds have viability for several years when stored in a cool, dry environment. After the fest, we went to visit their facility where I loaded up on some of their 2015 seeds. These are all heirloom varieties with stories from whence they came. I highly recommend a trip to Seed Savers when you find yourself in northeast Iowa. It is beautiful farm country with rolling hills.
I also have my hold overs from my usual crops. It will take a bit of inventory to decide what still needs to be added to the mix. I left my herb garden behind with few exceptions, so I guess that is one place to start.
My new garden has another consideration in its design. I know that I will have to deal with woodchucks, rabbit, rodents, and deer (we have a few still inside our deer-exclusion fence). There will have to be a lower fence dug in to keep out the small critters and a higher blockade for the larger critters.
I will have to work the soil as it is very hard. The trailer full of composted cow manure barely made a dent in the area that I needed to cover with some organic matter. My plan is to rake up raised beds from the ground. This way I can still square foot garden without putting in a wood-sided raised beds. This is a temporary place for me after all. I will save the time and money for a place we can call our own again. I will mulch the paths heavily to try and keep some of the weeds at bay. Hopefully, I can plant dense enough to help shade out some of those noxious weeds. I do plan on putting in a cover crop to add some green manure to soil as well.
So with hopeful heart and seed catalog dreams, I will plan the perfect garden. If wishing only kept out the weeds.
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