Live and Learn

....or, in this case, garden and learn. In this, my first year as a gardening aficionado, I'm making many newbie mistakes. Here are my latest:

I've lost nearly all of my tomato, brussel sprout, swiss chard and kale seedlings. Since I've never grown brussel sprouts or kale, I figured they were just wimpy little things. Tomatoes however, I've grown before. I was stumped!

Now I'm reading about seed starting in my 672 page Reader's Digest Guide to Gardening. Here is what the book says: "When the same soil is used repeatedly in the greenhouse, cold frame or even with potted plants, eventually it is almost certain to become infested with nematodes, fungi, and other soil-born pests and diseases. They can be destroyed by sterilizing the soil with heat or by using chemical soil fumigants."

There was my problem. I was trying to recycle potting soil. I was also trying to stretch the potting soil I bought by adding my own garden dirt. Apparently that's a "no-no". Gladly, I can sterilize the dirt myself by saturating it with several applications of boiling hot water. Sounds messy, but a heck of a lot better than using fumigants.

The next mistake is not yet a definite. I sowed new seeds just after the average last spring frost date (see March 2nd). Thinking they'd be safe from frost, I left them outside overnight. I'm pretty sure it was too cold for them, though. They should have sprouted by now and most haven't. Ho-hum :(

Anyway...I'll give you the lowdown on what I've sown and planted next entry. Adios!