Bad Luck Blooms

Greenhouse Twister...

I got up early and went outside to check the weather, it was beautiful out today and is supposed to be beautiful out the entire weekend. It's going to be in the 70's for the first time this spring. So I put my greenhouses outside. I put the larger strawberry and lettuce house on the glass yard table and the other one on the top of a short ladder. I made sure to secure the second, or so I thought, and went back inside. 

I came back out to do some watering because the day was so sunny and warm and possibly open the greenhouse lids to let some air in. When I got outside I started looking for the second greenhouse. I thought someone had moved it to keep it safe from falling. No such luck. It had fallen backwards off the ladder. The seed tape radish testers were in the spinach pre-germ transplants, the soaked radish germination's were in the watermelon pots, and dirt was just tossed all around inside the greenhouse. I was devastated. I pick everything up and tried replanting everything and watering as I went. I doubt the things that were uprooted will make it but they haven't died yet. At least, the watermelon seeds went almost undisturbed. They had some radish germs. on top but there soil hadn't broken or spread. Because everything had toppled I got an early look at the seeds I planted. The soaked seeds and the seed tape radish seeds had started to germinate. They actually seemed to have germinated to the same point, at the same rate in 2 days. I may not get anymore info out of those two tests because of the mishap but I was happy to see that putting seeds on seed tape primes the seeds a bit. I have proven that soaking seeds makes them germinate more quickly then dry seeds so following that logic putting the seeds on a flour water paste primes them to some degree. They did seem to be germinating at the same rate. My guess is that the flour water paste moistens them and makes them awaken a bit. 

After replanting almost everything I watered put the spinach tests outside and went back in thinking well at least it wasn't the strawberry house and the watermelon pots weren't ruined. I also got things back in order, OK. I talked myself into not being so devastated. I hadn't lost that much all of the things I lost were tests that weren't going to flower and produce and I didn't get the data I was looking for so all in all the mishap wasn't disastrous. 

Mishap #2...

After all the pep talking to myself I figured the worst was done. I'd never be so stupid again. Boy was I wrong. I came out after taking a nap to fine my spinach tests gone. The tray was at the door but it was empty. I guess the nice, beautiful, and warm day had turned windy and toppled those tests. I found the tray at the door and the soil and seedlings in the lawn. I attempted replanting a few of those but I don't think they'll make it either. There is nothing I can do to help the wind and the mishaps they were bound to come, things had been going too well. So the way I see it the mishaps gave me yet another test and data to be collected. 

Test: are seedlings as sensitive as the books, articles, and websites make them out to be? Can they survive an uprooting and replanting? I guess we'll see. 

Finally some good news...

In the midst of all the bad news and mishaps I did get some good news. The organization AFAC Plot Against Hunger does need volunteers and accepted my help, or will be. They said that I could work on the Central Library vegetable gardens. I was excited to hear that I would be able to help maintain a large scale veggie garden and get help on how to do so from some Master Gardeners. The first event of the month is tomorrow. What the AFAC calls a work party; a group maintenance event held for big jobs. We'll be building trellises, planting peas, leafy greens, and double digging the ground plots. One of the coolest things about the Central library gardens is that they have all types. They have veggie raised beds, ground plots, and self sufficient 5-gallon bucket containers. They maximized the space they were allotted and did it in a very Patch sort of way. What I mean is that they try everything... I am really excited to be working with the people from the Org., helping, and to have my mom along for the ride! I'll take pictures of the event tomorrow and post them. 

If anyone lives in the Arlington area and wants to help out they have several gardens that may be closer to you than the Central Library. If you can't help at a location and grow at home, DONATE!

The images below are of last years Central Library gardens; raised bed, containers, & ground plots. I also picture the seed tape progress as of when they were dumped out.