January 29: Erin and I score at the thrift store once again and find a long, rectangular container. It's metal, so we glue down plastic on the inside (hopefully the glue does not impart toxic chemicals through the plastic) and fill it with basic indoor/outdoor potting soil. We stuck some spinach lettuce seeds in, watered, and set on a windowsill that doesn't get nearly as much sun as I'd prefer.
Feb 3: A mere five days later, the lettuces have produced the first, tiniest or sprouts (the image currently on the blog page is them). On the 4th, the spinaches sprouted as well.
Feb 9: First sight of first set of true leaves (actually the second set of leaves when a plant starts growing). We water when dry and rotate the container. Today we also ordered our seeds from two Oregon companies: Nichols Garden Nursery, and Territorial Seed Company. Besides what we grow ourselves, I know we'll purchase other seeds and plants along the way, because once you start gardening you develop an obsessive habit to collect as many plants as will fit in your living space.
Feb 17: We had to thin the lettuces a few days ago as they are already too crowded. The first true leaves are getting bigger already and are showing the typical jagged shape of lettuce.
When it's time to really start gardening, it is wise to make plantings of spinach and lettuces every few weeks so that you have a steady stream throughout the season. They don't do well in hot summers, so it's probably a good time for us to start figuring out where they'll go. I'm considering the front yard gardens, which get very little sunlight (shade in Central Oregon is whole degrees cooler than direct sunlight, a concept that my humidity-soaked brain could never have conceived of in Maryland).
1 comment:
Very cool! I hope you keep blogging. We may be moving to the Bend area soon and could really use some gardening info.
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