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Where to start!!  We got so much done last night and today…

Anchored two posts at the back edge of one row and stretched 10 feet of 50" high square fencing between them.  Planted two rows of snow peas about 1" spacing on either side of the fence.  Then, in space in front of the fence, we planted red and white onion sets on 5" spacing.  There were about 5-6 per row for the entire 10 feet of length.

We have finally perfected the mini-greenhouse arrangement for the 4′ x 6′ raised beds.  I bought 10 ten foot lengths of conduit at $1.97 each and paid an awning company $25 to roll form them into arches with 4′ wide sides.  We drive 3 arches into the ground about 18" deep on the end & middle of the bed.  These are covered with 3-6 mil plastic which is stapled to the wood bed frame on the two long ends.  Makes a perfect environment which really gets warm, doesn’t blow away (30 MPH winds today!!), allows easy access via the un-tethered sides, sheds water and snow, and so on.  After the plastic comes off, the bird netting will go over the hoops to keep the deer and other nibbling critters out of the beds of tender veggies.  The conduit corners also support light rabbit fencing which we enclose beds during the early and tender phase (the time most critters most prefer).

Last year I purchased a used mulcher/grinder at Habitat for Humanity ReStore for $75.  I had blown a huge pile of fall leaves into one big pile near the garden which is now matted down and very dense.  I ground these up and made a very fine leaf mulch which we are using all over the garden.  Takes water nicely, stays unpacked, cool, no weeds, etc.  Well worth the time spent mulching.

Lots of bed preparation, amended with rich compost from the middle of the 2 year old heap–black gold.  Planted all of the spring vegetables, salads and lettuces, spinach, etc. 

We moved the cold frame from the broccoli and cabbage plants which are doing wonderfully.  Next, we moved it and created a nursery bed in the cold frame by putting 2" of potting soil in half of the space.  In that side, we planted about 10 seeds each of all of the summer veggies–cucumber, pole beans, squash, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, zucchini, etc.  These will be ready to transplant into permanent spots by the frost free date (15 – 30 May), and will have quite a jump on the season.

We placed a loop of fencing laid on end (like a tube) around the blackberries, blueberries, and currants.  The deer and rabbits got more than we did last year.  We’ll drape the bird netting over them when ripening occurs.

I think I’ve concluded that early planting in cold, wet soil–even of spring seeds like beets, lettuce, and spinach–is iffy unless we cover the beds to dry out the soil somewhat.  Otherwise, working it too wet causes it to crust over when it does finally begin drying out, and the seed germination rate suffers.