Time to Start Ordering Your Veggie Seeds

With the temps about to drop again, it's time to purchase your veggie seeds
and start them.  Make sure you have the proper light and don't over water.

We hear plant direct into the soil as we found that makes for a better plant.
We don't have to deal with plants being to leggy or those pesky insects inside.

We won't be emptying out the greenhouses until we feel it's safe for the tropicals
to come out.  We usually wait until we have 40 to 50 degrees weather at night for a solid
two weeks.  In the mean time we open up the doors on hotter days so there is plenty of
extra air flow.   We also will be stripping the leaves off as we have learned that leaves
grown inside are totally different from the leaves grown outside.  One also does this before
putting the plants in the greenhouses, less insects being taken inside.  Then there is the spraying
of insects to get those that were missed.   Greenhouses will also be untarped when we finally
get warmer temps.   We tarp them to keep the warmer air inside and run heaters beside having
a rainbarrel in there encase a loss of heat happens.  It is a life saver and a lesson learned in the past when we have lost electrical due to storms.  Some folks will use added bubble wrap but we found
this doesn't work as well as the rainbarrel. 

After the greenhouses are empty it's time to clean them our and get them ready for fall. 

Currently we have moved out the potted clematis as they were starting to grow!   We have placed
them on the driveway where it's warmer and protected. 

We have put the first dose of lime on the garden beds to sweeten up the soils and started the pulling
of weeds.   We are in shock of all the weeds we have this year but know where they are coming from.  Our yard is walked once a week just for weed control these days as our neighbors allow their weeds to grow. 

If you treat your lawns for weeds, it's to early!   One should be treating for moss only!   Weed killer
needs heat to kill the weeds in the lawn, so wait a bit longer.   Being the Stormwater activists I am
let me tell you I have yet to see reports that fertilizer is doing damage to stormwater.  The stormwater fee that is collected is not being utilized correctly!   Where is the stenciling of the stormwater catch basins on our local streets?  I know the Felida area hasn't had them done since I was the President of the neighborhood.   A group of neighbors and county staff partnered and made sure all the catch basins were stenciled back in the early 1990s.   If you have one stormwater basin near your property,
you should make sure that the leaves do not cover them as the water needs to flow!! 

When you use fertilizer, only do what the directions state!  NO more than what it states as you can burn your lawn and cause you to have to mow more.   Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence??    To be honest, just drive around and check out the lawns in your area.  You can tell if they are getting the proper care.   These are the folks that understand what a good lawn should look like!

Still to early to garden even if the calendar states it's spring!  Mother nature will teach you when it's time if only you listen.