The first seed planting of the year always makes me happy

I got the rototiller started. This spring has been very rainy which is a wonderful thing in California but not good for early planting. The garden is still too wet and there is more rain expected in the next few days, but as I knocked the ground cover down and broke up the soil, I found a couple of spots dry enough to dig up and plant. So I soaked some pea seeds. I want to have peas ready to eat when the grandkids come this summer so I need to get them in. The first time I planted peas some 40 years ago and ate them fresh out of the garden, I couldn't believe what a sweet nutricious snack they were. I never bothered to cook them unless I canned them for winter, but just added them to salads or just ate handfulls in the garden. Now of course they have the super sweet varieties, the Sugar Snap peas.

Soaking the seeds is an iffy prospect because it you soak them and then the weather turns cool and wet, they will sometimes rot. It is also dangerous to plant them when the ground cover has just been tilled under because that encourages rot also. So I'm taking a chance, but it seems worth it to amaze the grandkids.

With peas, beans, onion, and carrots, I plant double rows about four inches apart and work in organic composted chicken manure. This works because the roots systems of these plants don't spread widely. It also easier to weed the two rows at the same time, and I leave enough space between the next rows wide enough to get the tiller through easily. I'm using last year's Territorial Super Sugar Snap Peas. I have about a half a packet left and I"ll innoculate them with Fix-N-Grow Inoculant, also left over from last year. When I soaked the seeds, they plumped right up and look great as you can see from the top photo. Here I have added the inoculant and they're ready to go.

I'm going to try to get the seeds in before the rains starts. I'll let you know if the weather cooperates and the seeds sprout and take off.

At Fix -N- Grow Granular Legume Inoculant - Safe & Natural

April 30, 2010

The first seed planting of the year always makes me happy