Seedlings and Garden Planning

I've been anxious to post photos of our seedlings - this first photo is in our kitchen window (photo taken at night). There's a closer photo of the tomatoes on the top left below. Top right has tomato seedlings started 3 weeks ago as well as some herbs and the tall cool looking plant is nasturtium which is an edible flower. Bottom left has onions started from seed (which I honestly don't recommend, I think I'll stick with onion starts in the future) and Brussels sprouts. There's another photo of the tray on the bottom right below as well.
This tray has mostly herbs and flowers - I can't recall exactly what everything is (we've started soooo many plants!) I do know that there are red poppies, broccoli, calendula, bachelor buttons, and basil... surely I'm missing something. These tomatoes were started about 3 weeks ago. I've transplanted a lot of 2" soil blocks into 3.5" recycled plastic pots because Cam was away in Georgia when the time came to transplant them and I had no idea how to build a 4" blocker. My solution was to buy these pots and trays and they're working out really well.

Here are a variety of tomato plants started from seed about 5 weeks ago. These plants are on the top left in the photo above.So these plants are just the beginning. We have two more shelving units in the dining room with four shelves on each occupied by seedlings. It's quite an endeavor.

Now I do have to mention that the garden planning process has been a challenging one as well. I've mostly used an excel file to create a grid (and this works well since we're doing square foot gardening) but being the visual creature that I am I've really enjoyed a website that my friend Kari introduced me to. It's www.growveg.com The site costs I think $25 per year but you can try it out for 30 days for free without giving any billing information (I'm currently taking advantage of the free trial).

Things I like:

• The web based application that focuses on organic gardening techniques allows you to easily design your garden and has fun icons to represent the plants you choose to grow including a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. It's a drag and drop system which makes it easy for anyone to use.
  
• Each icon has an option to look at more detailed information about the plant including plant family, soil type, sowing and planting time, frost tolerance, feeding, notes, harvesting, and companion plants.
• The design tool includes a plant list of those you have selected to be in your garden with a chart including when to sow indoors, sow outdoors and harvest as well as helpful spacing information.
• The site includes grow guides such as: crop rotation, starting a new vegetable plot, companion planting, gardening with children, natural pest control, growing from seed, growing in small spaces, permaculture and so much more!
• The founder of the site also keeps an interesting blog with helpful articles.

What I don't like:

• not much, it's a pretty cool site but there is just one thing: I wish that I could modify the information for each vegetable to include the specific variety I'm using. I can't currently do that, though could possibly be an upgrade that the site may consider if I ask nicely. After all, I am growing more than a dozen varieties of tomatoes and if I'm planning my garden with this tool I want to be able to plan it quite specifically.

So if you are planning a garden this year, I highly recommend checking out the site. It make garden planning a lot of fun.

A New Love

Chickens. Not to eat. I don't like to eat chickens at all, though I will eat unfertilized eggs. And to raise chickens... the concept has become somewhat of a small obsession ever since we visited the Farm and Home store (Orscheln) on Sunday afternoon. They had adorable little baby chicks for sale. They were Cornish hens which cost something like $1.58 each, I don't remember the actual cost but I was certainly tempted. Adi was so gentle with them and I have no doubt that she would also adore some family raised chickens.

With a new Iowa City ordinance allowing up to 5 chickens per household (update: I later learned that the ordinance had not yet passed but we're working on it), the idea is gaining more and more attention in my brain. So I've been doing a little research online, and it seems there are plenty of urban folks raising chickens and they are more than happy to share their experience with others.



This one is cool but probably too tall for our sloped back yard. I'd be concerned that it might tip over. I've been searching all over the web for the best designs and I've grown really fond of the portable ark designs.

The Eglu is super cool but also pretty expensive coming in at $495 plus $170 for shipping. That's a hefty price and would take years to recoup the cost. Besides, with a handy hubby like Cam, why not make one of our own and spend the extra cash on some fruit trees/bushes, a rain garden or more raised beds.
I like the idea of a portable chicken coop because of their many benefits. The run (open area) keeps chickens safe from predators (our rascaly dog Ihry and wild raptors), moving the ark every couple of days will minimize or even eliminate odor issues and we won't have to worry about adventurous escapees while we're not in the yard with them. I imagine that we would let them out while we are present to roam the yard freely but they still need fresh air and sunshine to be healthy. I found this image on flickr and it has all the features I'm looking for: raised hen house with open area below for shade, open run for sunshine and fresh air and light weight compact design for easy moving. The only thing I might add is a set of wheels on one end so one person could move it on their own.

One final design that I fell in love with and would imagine having something similar to house hens in the winter months is The Garden Coop designed by a couple in Portland, OR (one of my favorite places to be). I love this simple and beautiful design. I love the clear roof for protection from the elements and allowing sunshine. For a more permanent design I think this one is a winner.Now we're still in the dreaming and researching phase of raising some hens of our own. Next step, talk to the neighbors and make sure they'd be OK with a few hens clucking around next door. Maybe we can bribe them with some eggs :)