Irresponsible

Maybe I spent too much attention on the last post because I slept an untroubled sleep while the grow light burned through the night. Half the basil and some lettuces that were living directly below were crispy in the morning. I transplanted the remaining basil in 2" peat pots and set the lettuce aside to...recover?

I sprayed the col crops with BT again this evening, and will continue to do so on a weekly basis. They are growing very slowly and I have to remember that the super seedlings of broccoli and cauliflower at Allandale Farm were grown in greenhouses, and not get discouraged.

I found it hard to be working away from home from 9-5 today. Raising vegetables requires more attention than I can give most days. Just keeping the seeded trays moist is an impossibility. At this point, I do want to use the two cold frames in the yard for more seed starting. Right now the grass is growing too tall around the seed trays. I will fill them with soil and compost- or maybe even potting soil, and rely on that much more. The light has been great, but at this point after over a month of use, there are too many different stages going on underneath.

Tomorrow, Charlotte and I will transplant the many tomato seedlings up to their next size container, 4" pots. I probably should have done that last week, as I would like to set them out in mid-May.

Spinach and red leaf lettuce rows that Vanessa and I direct seeded are poking through now. I transplanted other lettuce seedlings in between the broccoli and brussel sprouts, too. So hopefully we will have our first lettuce in a few weeks time.

Reluctantly, we leave for Brooklyn tomorrow for the weekend. There will be plenty to do next week when we return.