December 23, 2015

Good morning, it is hard to believe that this Saturday is the last Saturday of the year. Even with one garden pest after the other all year, I can easily say this has been my best garden year ever. It produced enough for weekly email sales. There also was enough for a steady stream at the market along with enough to put veggies by for our own personal use through the winter. During the peak months I even had some to give away. The drip system really paid off. I look forward to next year

This winter is predicted to be like last winter: cool, cloudy and wet. Because of this prediction I have delayed starting my early tomato plants. Last year I had some difficulty especially with a cool growing room. This year I have a plant heat mat that will deliver warmth to the root zone. I have used a heating pad to germinate seeds and have had reasonable success with this. The heat mat should be a more even heat and since it is 20 inches by 48 inches I can use it to grow the seedlings too. I am curious to see how this works. In years past I have suffered losses due to coolness and dampening off of seedlings. The key is to have the soil 60 and above, 59 and below is the dampening off zone (especially at or below 55). Seedlings historically for me have grown somewhat slow and for toms the usual 4 to 8 weeks to out plant have been 8 to 12. and my peppers have been historically 12 to 16 as opposed to 8 to 12. This will be interesting.

I have ordered a remote sensing thermometer with three regular probes and one soil probe. I am really wanting to track the temperatures in the temporary greenhouses. The soil probe will be used to track any net gain in soil warming. This past week we had some cool days in the mid to lower 50's . At this temperature I would like to see if by uncovering the film would cause the greenhouses to over heat. These thermometers will let me know.

Two winters ago I noticed that the greenhouse bed was warmer than the bed covered with two layers of 19, there was no freeze splitting of the chard stems. This has remained true this year too. I did get some splitting but this was before I put the film on.

I always consider when I start my tomato seedlings that it is the beginning of the new garden year and I plan to start them Christmas day, which I feel is fitting.

No two years have ever been the same and I expect this year to be different from all the preceding years too. One thing for sure it will be interesting!

Merry Christmas to all and if I don't see you at Market this Saturday, I hope to see you in the New Year!!! Happy Gardening!!!