Category: Gardening

  • 2026 – April Garden Log

    01

    • Blooming
      • Strawberries
      • White Iris in bottom vegetable garden.
      • Back corner of the house azalea is COVERED in blooms. Beautiful. Research and try to repeat.
        • New growth? Old growth? Variety? Shade or Sun?
    • Grass is 50-75% green.

  • 2026 – March Garden Log

    March

    Yard

    20

    • Cut grass
      • Rear tires spin a lot. Consider more aggressive tread and possibly narrower tires

    Front Garden

    13

    • Added 5 yards of soil for the initial fill of the raised beds.
      • Used Best Start from Head Lee Landscape Supply at $54 / yd.

    16

    • Added 15 yards of mulch to the entire garden.

    20

    • Added 1 yard of soil to fill all the beds to max.
    • Added 1 yard of mulch to bank next to driveway.

    24

    • Bent 1/2″ EMT into loops to create low tunnels.
    • Put 1.2oz AgFabric Row Cover over lettuce/cabbage/spinach/arugula bed (#7) and over front middle tomato bed (#5). These greenhouse clamps worked great to hold the fabric on the EMT.
    • Planted bed #7 with the following:
      • Lettuce: Little Gem, Burpee Bibb, Black Seeded Simpson, Red Salad Bowl & Buttercrunch
        • Planted 4 per square
        • Most of the Burpee Bibb were tiny so we direct seeded 1 of the 3 squares.
      • Cabbage: Salad Delight & Red Dragon
        • Planted 1 per square
        • Only had 1 seedling, direct seeded the remaining squares.
      • Spinach: Bloomsdale
        • Planted 9 per square.
        • Direct seeded most squares. Only had 3 tiny seedlings.
      • Arugula: Rocket
        • Planted 9 per square
        • Direct seeded all squares.

    30

    • Direct planted Arugula, Spinach & Cabbage have come up.
      • These look like they’ll do better direct planted instead of started inside. If there’s a good 1-2 week weather window, start these directly outside next year.

    Seedlings

    21

    • Brought lettuce trays outside for 2 hours to start hardening off. Placed on rack in shade of back porch.

  • Gardening Links

    Seed Starting

  • 2026 Seed Trays

    Lessons Learned:

    • Use 6 cell packs instead of 72 cell packs
      • Allows for easier re-arranging later if plants need different requirements.
    • Do a better job placing like items together. i.e. light required for germination, heat mat temperatures, etc…
    • Place cell packs in a tray with holes so the entire tray can be soaked in a tray with no holes for watering.

    Notes:

    • Room temp was 50-60 for the first 2 days. Added room heater and kept at 60-75 for the remainder of grow out.

    Potting Mix:

    • 4 cups Black Kow
    • 4 cups Seed Starter
    • 1/2 cup Worm Castings

    Tray 1
    Cell Pack: 72
    Heat Mat Temp: 77 (struggled to get that high, so remained closer to 70-72 for the first 2 days until I added the room heater)(Prefer 75-85)
    Light Required: No
    Light Duration: 9:05am – 1:05am (16 hrs)

    RowTypeVarietyStarted
    Date    		Germination
    Date    		Germination
    Days    		Germination
    %    		Transplant
    Date
    1TomatoCherokee Purple02/23/202602/28/20265
    2TomatoBlack Krim02/23/202602/28/20265
    3TomatoMr. Stripey02/23/202602/27/20264
    4Tomato (Cherry)Sweetie02/23/202602/28/20265
    5Tomato (Cherry)Yellow Pear02/23/202602/28/20265
    6Tomato (Cherry)Black Cherry02/23/202602/27/20264
    7Pepper (Bell)Bull Nosed Large02/23/2026
    8Pepper (Bell)California Wonder02/23/2026
    9ChamomileGerman02/23/202602/26/20263
    10MarjoramSweet02/23/202602/27/20264
    11OreganoGreek02/23/202602/28/20265
    12Lemon BalmLemon Balm02/23/202602/28/20265

    Tray 2
    Cell Pack: 72
    Heat Mat Temp: None (Prefer 60-70)
    Light Required: Yes
    Light Duration: 9:05am – 1:05am (16 hrs)

    RowTypeVarietyStarted
    Date    		Germination
    Date    		Germination
    Days    		Germination
    %    		Transplant
    Date
    1LettuceLittle Gem02/23/202602/26/20263
    2LettuceLittle Gem02/23/202602/26/20263
    3LettuceBurpee Bibb02/23/202602/28/20265
    4LettuceBurpee Bibb02/23/202602/26/20263
    5LettuceBlack Seeded Simpson02/23/202602/26/20263
    6LettuceBlack Seeded Simpson02/23/202602/26/20263
    7LettuceRed Salad Bowl02/23/202602/26/20263
    8LettuceRed Salad Bowl02/23/202602/26/20263
    9LettuceButtercrunch02/23/202602/26/20263
    10LettuceButtercrunch02/23/202602/26/20263
    11CabbageSalad Delight02/23/202603/01/20266
    12Napa CabbageRed Dragon Hybrid02/23/202602/26/20263

    Tray 3
    Cell Pack: 72
    Heat Mat Temp: None (Prefer 60-75)
    Light Required: Yes
    Light Duration: 9:05am – 1:05am (16 hrs)

    RowTypeVarietyStarted
    Date    		Germination
    Date    		Germination
    Days    		Germination
    %    		Transplant
    Date
    1MarigoldHappy Days02/23/202602/27/20264
    2MarigoldHappy Days02/23/202602/27/20264
    3MarigoldHappy Days02/23/202602/27/20264
    4MarigoldMission Giant Yellow02/23/202602/27/20264
    5MarigoldMission Giant Yellow02/23/202602/28/20265
    6MarigoldMission Giant Yellow02/23/202602/28/20265
    7Sweet MarigoldLicorice02/23/202602/28/20265
    8Sweet MarigoldLicorice02/23/202602/27/20264
    9Sweet MarigoldLicorice02/23/202602/28/20265
    10MarigoldSunset Giants02/23/202602/27/20264
    11MarigoldSunset Giants02/23/202602/27/20264
    12MarigoldSunset Giants02/23/202602/27/20264

    Notes:

    • Sweet Marigold should be treated like an herb and planted with them next year. They are more for eating and don’t provide the same companion planting benefits as the regular marigolds do.
    • The giant marigolds are showy for the flower bed, but probably too large for companion planting purposes. Plant more of the shorter varieties like Happy Days for companion planting.
    • French Marigolds (shorter varieties) are better at repelling pests, especially nematodes.

    Tray 4
    Cell Pack: 72
    Heat Mat Temp: None for 3 days, then 75 (Prefer 72-76)
    Light Required: Yes
    Light Duration: 9:05am – 1:05am (16 hrs)

    RowTypeVarietyStarted
    Date    		Germination
    Date    		Germination
    Days    		Germination
    %    		Transplant
    Date
    1PetuniaSupercascade White Hybrid02/23/2026
    2PetuniaSupercascade White Hybrid02/23/2026
    3PetuniaSupercascade White Hybrid02/23/2026
    4PetuniaSupercascade White Hybrid02/23/2026
    5PetuniaSupercascade Blue Hybrid02/23/2026
    6PetuniaSupercascade Blue Hybrid02/23/2026
    7PetuniaSupercascade Blue Hybrid02/23/2026
    8PetuniaSupercascade Blue Hybrid02/23/2026
    9PetuniaSupercascade Red Hybrid02/23/2026
    10PetuniaSupercascade Red Hybrid02/23/2026
    11PetuniaSupercascade Red Hybrid02/23/2026
    12PetuniaSupercascade Red Hybrid02/23/2026

    Tray 5
    Cell Pack: 72
    Heat Mat Temp: 70 (Prefer 60-70)
    Light Required: Yes
    Light Duration: 9:05am – 1:05am (16 hrs)

    RowTypeVarietyStarted
    Date    		Germination
    Date    		Germination
    Days    		Germination
    %    		Transplant
    Date
    1SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    2SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    3SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    4SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    5SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    6SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    7SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    8SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    9SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    10SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    11SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026
    12SnapdragonTopper Hybrid02/24/2026