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Thursday, March 3, 2022

Wednesday Gardening Day

Hi friends, 
I intended to write this yesterday, but something went wrong with my head as I was finishing up with garden stuff, and I had a bad dizzy spell. I spent the rest of the afternoon and evening motionless and without electronics. I woke up feeling better today. So, hopefully this was a one-off thing. I do get dizzy easily from movement, so there's that. Not to worry.


Anyway, back to gardening.
March may signify the beginning of spring, but it's been cool and wet this week. Nevertheless, I did get some gardening stuff done. 

First, I got out my gardening journal (my pink spiral notebook that doubles as my "motivational journal") and listed what seeds I have already begun for this season (tomato, kale, beets, celery, onions, and Brussel sprouts). I began these seeds two weeks ago in flats under lights indoors.

Next, I pulled out all of my seeds, even old ones. I discarded really old packets -- more than 10 years old was my guideline. Then, I sorted the seeds according to when and where I'd start them. Would I start them outdoors in the ground or indoors in flats? Would I start them in March or April or May? Once sorted, I labeled several boxes (when and where starting) and plunked seeds into each's appropriate box. I now have a firm plan and some organization for starting all of this year's seeds. The beauty of sorting into boxes is that after I begin particular seeds, if I want to succession sow (plant some more later in the season), I can plop the packets of seeds into a second box after starting in an earlier month. Ex, I plant lettuce several times during the season, so after starting lettuce this week, I'll put the packets into a box labeled "late May" for a mid to late-summer harvest. And again for veggies like kale that do well in both spring and fall here, I'll have a box for starting seeds in June.

After this organizational exercise, it was time to start some more seeds in flats under lights. This week I began turnips, a different kind of beets, several types of lettuce, Swiss chard, nasturtiums, and red, white, and "blue" (really a deep purple) petunias. I also soaked parsley seeds in water overnight to start today (Thursday) in Wednesday's tray. And since I love to make lists, I entered the types and quantities (how many cells or pots) of seeds that I began this week into my "gardening journal." I gave my flat of seeds some water and have them under lights for a little heat while they germinate. And now I wait.


If you're on the fence about planting a vegetable garden for this upcoming season, I think it's worthwhile if you have the sunny space and time. From what I've been hearing, we can expect even more food inflation later in 2022, due to increased transportation costs, higher prices on crop fertilizers, and water restrictions for farmers in key growing states like California. There's always something that doesn't grow as well as I'd planned or has some sort of pest problem, but I've never had a garden that didn't give me my money's worth.

12 comments:

  1. Lili, my kids would say that I'm getting "all OT" on you ... but I wonder if you have episodes of BPPV. Here's information: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/vertigo/symptoms-causes/syc-20370055#:~:text=Benign%20paroxysmal%20positional%20vertigo%20(BPPV)%20is%20one%20of%20the%20most,changes%20in%20your%20head's%20position.

    This is commonly treated by something called the Epley Maneuver. Here is a YouTube video which clearly explains how you can do it on yourself at home. You can go to a medical professional for this maneuver, but I think it's worthwhile trying at home if you carefully follow the instructions (unless you have a neck injury and then it's best to go to a professional). Many PTs are trained in this, as well as ENT doctors. I've had a few experiences with BPPV and it's not pleasant!!! The at-home Epley maneuver worked well for me. Feel free to email me if you have questions. I hope you feel better!

    I agree with you that gardening is a good idea, especially with the current state of our country and the world. Thankfully my husband does the work, but I'd be trying it myself this year if I didn't have him doing it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kris,
      Thank you for this. I'll check it out and see if I can perform this on myself. My reaction to movement while working does sound like BPPV. I tend to skip doing things that I know will make me dizzy, like amusement park rides. One bout of dizziness can last an entire day and ruin the rest of my experiences. But if I could quickly fix it, I might be willing to try certain roller coasters with my kids.
      Thanks for this information.

      Delete
  2. I had one of those dizzy spells a couple of months ago, but it only last a day or so. All of my sister's have had vertigo that has lasted weeks or more and I was worried. Luckily, that didn't happen to me. I, too, get dizzy easily but it mostly stems from low blood pressure and change in position.

    Your gardening organization sound great. I love growing things and organizing, so it was inspiring.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Live and Learn,
      oh my goodness, dizziness for weeks sounds so miserable. I'm glad for you that your experience wasn't like those of your sisters.

      For me, if a task feels a bit overwhelming (like trying to grow all of our summer and fall vegetables), getting it organized and breaking it down into steps really helps get me over those this-sounds-too-complicated thoughts. I'm also trying to get ahead of a situation like going to plant zucchini seeds and finding I used all of them last year. (I did find that I had used all of the zucchini seeds, but fortunately discovered this long before planting time. Still, I had to make a special stop at the store just for those seeds.)

      Have a great day, Live and Learn!

      Delete
  3. I've had two vertigo spells in my life and nothing worked except time. They are awful. Hope you feel better today.

    Gardening...I've been thinking about this and we have a very shady lot so nowhere to put a garden. I do have a stone patio so we bought a Greenstalk vertical planter last year and the plants did well but were so heavy that it tipped over and broke the plant supporters. This year we're doing mostly herbs in there and we'll use buckets and pots to place around the stone patio.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Alice,
      Thank you. Fortunately I woke up the next morning feeling normal. Next time this happens, I plan on checking out Kris's suggestion for a remedy.

      Oh, that's such a shame your vertical planter didn't work out. It's difficult when you don't have adequate sunny spots to actually grow vegetables. Perhaps a mushroom patch? Just kidding, of course.

      Have a great day, Alice!

      Delete
  4. I really like your method of sorting your "to start" seeds out. So simple, yet I'd never thought of it. I'm actually getting ready to start my peppers this week. Tomatoes are already up and most of the cool weather stuff is in the ground as of this week. Still have a tray of cabbages and about 1/6 of my onion sets yet to get out there over the next couple of days. Soon, it will be time to start some sweet potato slips for plants to put out in June! Headed backpacking for a couple weeks mid-month so trying to get everything out or ready before I leave.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cat,
      Your season is several weeks ahead of mine -- I should just use your reports as my "plan." My tomato seeds just sprouted indoors this past week. I'm always a little anxious about the tomato seeds because a delay by a couple of weeks can mean the difference between a paltry harvest and lots of tomatoes in my cool summers. I suppose you have something similar in that if you don't get seeds started early enough, the heat will get the plants before you can harvest much. Good luck with the sweet potatoes! I'd love top be able to grow those, but I don't think we have a long enough warm season.

      Have a great time backpacking! that sounds like fun.

      Delete
  5. I appreciate this post so much. I've always wanted to know when people start their gardening journey every year and that's exactly what you've shared! Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Farhana,
      Thank you for saying that. A big part of the reason I keep this blog is that I'm interested in how other people live, so I assume others feel the same way, wanting to know what it's like in someone else's shoes.
      I've read a lot of gardening books, but I've never found one that really breaks down gardening into the tiny steps that we take when getting our garden started each spring. I hope my blog does that.

      Thank you for commenting, Farhana. It helps me feel like I'm "on target" with my blog. Have a wonderful day!

      Delete
  6. I am sorry you were not feeling well. I often get dizzy when getting up from a squatting position. I think it is just the change in blood pressure. Make sure you are getting enough calories and water.
    May i ask where your got your stand for growing your seeds indoors?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Tiffany,
      Thank you for your advice. I'll do that going forward.

      I ordered the plant stand through Gardener's Supply Co -- gardeners.com
      It wasn't cheap, but I had good dealings with this company in the past for another light stand. About 10 years ago, I ordered their table top model, holds 1 large flat of plants. That one sits on top of my clothes dryer. Anyway, it has worked perfectly for us all of these years, and I'm still using it. I just needed more space than what that model offered. I've ordered a variety of garden supplies from this company and always have been satisfied with the quality and with the customer service. On 2 occasions, I had to call to get a missing part. But they were very quick to send out what was missing and treated me with kindness and respect. I buy replacement light wands through Amazon, as they're generic fluorescent grow lights, lasting about 4 or 5 years each (2 at a time). Good luck while you shop around for what you need.

      Delete

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