Children's Farm Garden

Wednesday, March 28, 2018

Asparagus re-do

Last fall a wonderful group of collage students dug out the old asparagus bed as a service project. This spring Bill, Jessie, and I finished the digging, ready for a truckload of soil before planting. The old bed was so infested with weeds, especially with a tough perennial grass. We decided the only way to remedy the situation was to start again. We have some of the old asparagus crowns in the fridge, and will buy some new.

Seedlings!

First SAGE seedlings up under grow lights in people barn at farm. Bill and Amy planted these 3/13.

SAGE seedlings are happy in their new greenhouse.

Complete with a small heater. Temperature 57!

And a few more trays of seedlings for the farm garden

getting started in my backyard (very humble "greenhouses.).

Seed viability

To test the viability of last year's seeds, I put 10 of each seed in a tray with wet paper towels. The number that sprout is the percentage of viability. Less than 40% I throw out. 50, 60, 70% I plant twice as many seeds. 90 and 100% I consider good as new. The number on the paper towel following the name of the seed company is the year they were first bought. The 2011 basil did fine!