Coming from you live – from my couch…with our newly installed Wi-fi! Shew…super fast speeds..no more typing on my damn phone…or doing it on my lunch at work…no more being half way through a post and having my internet fail…this should be interesting!

It was a beautiful day today, I couldn’t help but go out to the milk house after I got off work. I didn’t put on my gear, or grab a pair of gloves – it was only going to be one tray…that’s all…I wouldn’t get that dirty…or would I?! Thankfully I did put on my farm shoes and flannel shirt. It ended up being 4 trays filled with soil, that I don’t even need right now. It looks like it will be another two weeks before I start anything in the trays – the sweet peas need to be in four inch pots – or do they?

The wind knocked down my light, and pushed the rest of another window out, so its a bit chillier in the milk house now, but it will be okay, I’m not doing a ton out there as of yet. My trays are in the laundry room for now, under some light and on some heat mats. I have four trays filled now, 288 seeds. I went back and did an entire tray of Asters, I just couldn’t live with only 36 Asters….6 different colors…so I did 12 more of each one, so I have 18 of each color now, which really isn’t that many, but let’s refresh our memories – it’s 163 seedlings per row…just in Asters, that’s 72 spots taken up…if they all make it…. They are starting to pop up from Sunday-so they took three days to pop up. Pretty good really!

Thankfully, I have my records from last year to be consulting when putting seeds in soil. I felt like I was so behind, so many people have started so much, last year I had over 400 seeds in soil, what was wrong with me? Of course I started a ton of things that I didn’t need…and… I am not doing those things this year, so why would I have the same amount this year – and I’m buying plugs, so why would I have more or the same amount?

However, the sweet peas I started on Friday night are not popping up yet. I’m not impressed with this soil. I know it’s new to me and I need to give it time, but it’s frustrating to me that it dries out so quickly. The sweet peas are sprouting, but not coming up yet. I’ve never had to soak my sweet peas before, but apparently with this soil, I guess I need to? Then the question I have…if the soil I was using before was so successful, why did I change? I switched because there was chunks of wood in the other stuff and I frequently got splinters, so when I heard about Sunshine mix- and all the hype about how good it was from the other flower people, I decided to give it a try. I’m not used to the moisture issue, and I’m not impressed that I had things growing in it before I even put in seed. I called the company and they said it was normal…well, I never had it happen with my other stuff. And….after reading the side of the bag, I have to start fertilizing the stuff now….after three waterings….? Things weren’t even popping up by the time I watered three times. Soil does indeed make a difference, now that I’m typing this, I’m wondering if I should be turning off the heat mats at night also….I’m guessing so, since the heat is probably drying out the soil faster. Ugg….Don’t mess with something that is working…maybe the splinters weren’t that bad? I have three bales of dirt – 7 cubic feet of dirt – guess this year I will need to figure out how to deal with it! I’m super happy that my first year was so successful, and I didn’t have these issues – but let’s be honest…I had issues…there were things that didn’t work, there were difficulties – it’s like having a baby – we forget how bad things were – we only remember the good stuff….

Before it got too dark tonight, I dropped in a few (at least 400) Poppy seeds in the raised beds also. I’m so looking forward to those this year. There are a million different ideas on when and where to put these darn seeds, the back of the package says as soon as soil can be worked – and last year it was March 1st in the tulip patch and I did get a good deal amount of Poppies….so….I put them out. We will see how they go!

Next seeds in soil are Yarrow on the 1st, I will also do another round of Bells of Ireland – which I usually have great success with, but this year, it’s not looking super great so far….I might have to break down and go get some other soil?

Thanks for stopping by AGAIN today, I’m sure now that the internet is a bit faster there might be more posts….or not…? Until next time my friends…hugs to you!