Venus Loci

The heat is starting to get to me.

Until now, I’ve been bearing the heat with a smile and a swimsuit.  I had vowed not to hide indoors and rely on the expensive comfort of central air conditioning.  When the sun tried to turn my garden into a dry and crispy fire hazard, I retaliated with irrigation.  When the sun was too hot to run, I slowed my pace & added some walking segments.  But I’ve got to tell you: I’ve made it this far and I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to take it.  It’s August 17th and I am SO over this excessive heat and drought.

On Saturday I got a brief glimmer of hope that summer is coming to a close during the Seeds to Starts Workshop offered by Green Corn Project.  During two workshops held in August, volunteers and Dig-In leaders prepare seed flats and then return in a few weeks to transplant the most vigorous seedlings to individual 4″ pots.  We do this in August so that in September, when the fall garden Dig-In’s take place, we have some stout plants grown by our own volunteers to plant in a lucky recipient’s freshly dug garden. 

This past Saturday we transplanted seedlings to pots.  We moved all sorts of brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard greens and mustard greens.  Though it was already 90 degrees and 99% humidity at 10am while we transplanted, and though I was already drenched in a pool of my own sweat, I felt an imaginary cool breeze as I recalled visiting Boggy Creek last fall.  I remembered how cool it was outside and how broccoli became an integral part of my diet.  I remembered cooking collards in early spring this year after returning from a volunteer day at Urban Roots that began cold and rainy and ended in the slightest bit of cool sunshine.  I remembered standing in the shower with the water running for a solid 30 minutes after my return, hoping to warm up to a reasonable temperature.  Those days seem so long ago.  But planting the seeds for this year’s broccoli and collards helped to remind me that in just a short period of time, I will no longer have to sweat as I walk to my mailbox after work or peel myself out of my car’s leather seats on a top-down day.  Though they are only in their infancy now, my cold weather brassicas are growing.  And that means cold weather can’t be far behind.

Some interesting facts gleaned from the workshop on Saturday:

1) When planting seeds, plant them in a loose & deep potting soil/compost mixture.  Deeper soil allows the roots to grow more expansively.  Loose soil allows them to be transplanted more easily. 

2) When transplanting, always handle the seedling by it’s leaves, NOT by it’s stem.  It is much easier to damage the vulnerable seedling’s stem than the leaf.  Leaves can grow back – stems will not.

3) Be careful with the roots!  Don’t allow them to be exposed to air for too long, and do not compact them after you’ve transplanted it into the pot (even though it’s very tempting to do this to stabilize the plant).  Also, be sure your soil mixture is somewhat damp.  A dry soil mix will draw water from the plants roots, causing it more undue stress.

4) Always select the best seedlings for transplants.  As Mitch told us on Saturday, “I like Charlotte’s Web just as much as the next person – but in the agriculture world we need to choose wisely”.  Look for well developed leaves, strong stems & general overall health.

If you’re interested in getting involved in Green Corn Project, just sign up on their website!  You don’t need to know anything about gardening to participate, we’ll teach you everything you need to know.  It’s a great way to spend a Saturday morning.  Especially in the fall, when we can all revel in the delight of wearing jeans & long sleeves on the start of a cool morning.