Today’s agenda: transplanting braising lettuce seedlings (Taken with instagram)
We returned to the site of our after-hours operation this afternoon - to assess the situation - and are happy to report that all species are well and thriving!
All the plants seem to be adjusting well to being outdoors. Over the course of 2.5 days all have managed to show some tremendous growth stats. The lettuce is literally overflowing from its tray, so they will definitely be transplanted this Saturday. The brussel sprouts, which had a bout of thrips, are shooting up faster than ever before. Event the touchstone beets are showing more progress than they have seen in the past 4 weeks.
In other exciting news, while turning the water on I saw that these gorgeous flowers had bloomed since Tuesday (yes! that was only two days go!). Also, the spinach in the greenhouse sprouted overnight! We did not move that tray outdoors because it was literally just a tray of dirt, but only 2 days of great weather really helped these little guys along.
If you were here you would see this proud mamabear beaming from ear to ear.
[icannotwaittosowmoreseedsthisweekendackkk]
After Hours Operation
A super stealth operation occurred last night, under the cool March moon. Due to impending weather conditions we had to evacuate all sprouted plants in the greenhouse, to avoid complete and total annihilation of living plant species.
[1] My sidekick helped to quickly whisk the plants from indoors to place them on the northside of the structure. This will prevent overexposure to the sun.
[2] I used 2 gallons of water + 2 caps of seaweed extract to provide proper hydration + nutrition for the unseasonably hot weather conditions today.
[3] In a final attempt to prepare these bad boys for their first-ever mission into the wild, I simulated wind as much as I could.
Our operation is risky as the victims are now exposed to the elements and wildlife. Having never been released into the world they are going to have to fight for their lives. They could sustain wind damage or, even worse, be killed by a ravenous rabbit.
Stay tuned…
It’s such a treat to go to the farm every Saturday to see how the seedlings are doing!
Growing veggies is akin to raising a puppy - you do all you can to give it as much TLC as possible, and hope that you raise a strong, healthy adult that is ready to brace the world. (I have been simulating wind on the sprouts every week, so that when they are transplanted they will not wilt away from Chicago’s notorious weather conditions.)
UPPER LEFT: RED BEETS Surprise! These little sprouts are growing at a 45-degree angle towards the sun. Science is so cool, right?! I absolutely love the ruby red color of the stems. It will be a while until they are transplanted, but with the way the weather is looking these days I am hopeful that they hit a growth spurt soon!
UPPER RIGHT: FRENCH BREAKFAST RADISHES These babies are growing nicely, though it looked as if they had a bout of thrips and aphids. Oh, joy. They had to be sprayed with organic insecticidal soap, which is made of a chrysanthemum powder.
BOTTOM: MESCLUN GREENS My pride and joy - nothing else has grown so nicely, with zero pest problems. Though, these greens gave me a fright this week. When I walked into the greenhouse on Saturday the plants were pretty sorry-lookin’ because they were exposed to direct sunlight for the entire week, with no watering! Thankfully, within a couple of hours after watering, they started to look vibrant again. Oh, the power of water. These babies are growing so quickly that I think I will have to transplant them next week. I learned how to prepare a plant bed by “double digging” - thanks, John Jeavons.
We have a 77 degree day coming up this week - hopefully I will be able to make it up to Northside to help ventilate these plants. I am told that if it is 70s outside, the greenhouse temps can reach 100+ because the heat has nowhere to escape. Here’s to hoping nothing bad happens!
The mesclun seeds are already sprouting!!
This picture was taken on January 7, 2012 - only ONE WEEK after I planted the mesclun greens seeds. Mind you, this growth happened despite lack of proper insulation and during one of the heaviest snow days Chicago has had this winter.
The keys to this extraordinary growth:
1. above freezing temperatures in a green house environment
2. additional warmth and nutrition provided by a top layer of compost
3. watering weekly with a seaweed extract and water solution; 1 cap-full of extract for every 1 gallon of water
Those three steps produce some pretty magical results. In addition to mesclun greens I am also planting brussel sprouts (a personal favorite) and swiss chard. Not sure when I will start seeing real results with the brussel sprouts, but I definitely think they should be ready for next winter.
Getting back to the land and making things grow is a truly gratifying experience and I can’t wait to do more!
