Just wanted to update pics of the transplant trays. Amazing watching these little guys come to life over the past few weeks. I would say the winter squash will be ready in a week, hopefully just in time for some rain. I learned a lesson from an old farmer : "you need to harden your transplants to within an inch of their life." This simply means that you shouldn't put delicate, spindly transplants directly from a perfect environment in a green house into the ground. They will undergo significant transplant shock and will take longer to recover. If, however, you put transplants in the ground that have been sitting outside and seem withered and slightly yellowed to the brink of survival, they will literally hit the ground running. They will settle into their new home much quicker because the conditions are far better than they used to be. I imagine this is similar to sending your kids off to college. Maybe a certain amount of "hardening off" should occur so they can hit the ground running?
If any of you know a rain dance, start shaking! Its been ten days since any measurable rain, and the forecast does not call for any wet stuff for at least another week. This is peak germination season, and I am afraid my direct seeds I planted this week are going to suffer the consequences of a three week dry spell. So it goes...
I am planting 60 asparagus plants today that Rita grew while in Virginia last year. They have a nice healthy root mass and should perform well with some TLC and compost.
Toodle-do...
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