A Nursery Bed

I had a frustrating time with seeds already this season.  There is a limited time when I can use my greenhouse (which doesn’t have all the frills such as fans, automated watering and window-opening) because the weather here becomes warm very quickly.  I planted six flats of six six-packs each of various seeds.  Many were coming up when a mouse tunneled underneath and not only ate all the larger seeds but dug into most of the rest of the cups, tossing or burying the small seed.  I tried again, but the little guy found another way in.  It is difficult to plant seeds around the property due to not having overhead watering, and having such a healthy insect habitat.  So instead I’ve turned one of my raised beds into a nursery bed.  I planted 26 types of veggies in good garden soil.  They’ll come up and grow good tap roots, then be ready to transplant out to wherever I want them.  Some will stay in this bed, and some will be given to friends because, after all, there are only so many tomato plants I can have.

The bed in front of the nursery bed is the one where I scattered mixed seeds a while back, and now have a healthy crop of collards, broccoli rabe, celery, parsnips, carrots, kale, garlic, leeks, lettuce, arugula, peas and others. Mixing seeds helps confuse predators and keeps the plants healthier.