The beginner gardening workshop series came to a close last week, and the best thing I gained from it was learning the importance of soil. It's all about the soil as master gardener Mark Rice explained. All of the activity that happens underground affects directly how your plants will mature and thrive.  The healthier life under there, including worms, and vital nutrients, the better. So, as I amended my patch of soil where last summer's tomato plants stood, I decided to transplant my cucumber seedlings there.  I have heard so much about the fragile nature of cucumbers, how difficult it can be to grow them.  They need soil to gain a certain warmth to get started. Then they need to be tended so as not to get rotted or eaten by pests. Without getting too caught up with the fear of failure I just remembered what Mark said: So much of gardening is experiment, you have to be willing to fail and start again over and over. That is the nature (and fun) of the gardening process, rather than reality of outcomes. Slowly,  I turned my peet pots upside down and started transplanting  my healthy green seedlings into mother earth. I realized this most ethereal, fresh, sweet fragrance coming from the roots(or sprouts). Better than any perfume I've ever tasted. As if those vibrant leaves were fed by the roots concentrated with cucumber essence. If only I could bottle that!  I put down about 8 plants in the patch. Crossing my fingers they will take off. But I will have to remember that Buddhist principle of "non-attachment" to get through this season of planting...

 

Transplants and Transformations

Master Gardener Mark Rice inspires every time, with his deep knowledge and enthusiasm for gardening. We had another lovely class yesterday. We learned how to transplant a small seedling into larger plastic 6-pack cells.  What was cool is everyone from little kids to first time adults got to do this hands-on.  I loved seeing the miniature seed starting trays with each cell growing one seed. There were tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers. Even kale.  We learned how to lift out individual seedlings, separating the delicate roots a little bit to let them breathe as they entered a new environment. We each took a tray home.  The real work comes when they get big enough to transplant into the ground, given the quality of soil and environment you have in your home garden.

One tomato seedling has potential to produce 30 pounds of fruit.   Wow!!

 

 

 

 

 

Class in Session!

It's no surprise,  gardening is really its own universe. There is a vast, vast, infinite amount of knowledge you just can't acquire in one lifetime. You are filled with excitement when you find what works. But you realize you've only scraped the surface. Most of the time, you are left to experiment over and over, realizing the multifactorial truth behind a successful vegetable garden.  And so I decided to take a spring gardening class with UC Victory gardening workshop (Through the University of California Cooperative Extension), to help push along my novice efforts. Yesterday was the first of a 4-class series.  Learned some basic good info on soil, how important it is, and how to test it for composition using alum powder. 

Also, I think I  figured out why my new little tomato seedlings (see previous post) didn't take. It was way too early. I didn't wait for the first true leaves to grow and hurriedly transplanted them down to the raised bed. But that did not work!  They died :(  Mark, our gardening master teacher, showed us an awesome, healthy tomato seedling already growing its first true leaves. He pinched off the lowest couple leaves, which are supposed to grow some amazingly strong roots when transplanted. Very cool-  I'm looking forward to the next class!