Garden dug

Here it is, the garden that took so long and so much effort to dig. I overestimated its size; according to the tape measure I used yesterday, it's only 4' x 14'. I was a foot off in both directions! But I actually made a conscious effort yesterday to make it no wider than my digging board, which is only four feet across. (Guys always overestimate size; that's why the motto of carpenters and Rabbis alike is "Measure twice, cut once!") I still have room to expand the garden to the east, towards the house, and maybe I'll do that this Fall.

I have to confess: I got tired - or maybe just lazy - and didn't double-dig this garden, may John Jeavons forgive me. I just used my U-bar to loosen the top ten inches of soil. Next year I can do a double-dig, now that I have the sod layer removed. I should have plenty of good compost to incorporate by then.

Maybe it was too early to seed the garden. I don't know. Just for the hell of it, I planted sunflower seeds all along the northern edge yesterday (the nearer long side) and broadcast radishes and carrots onto the far side - which, it turns out, will be in the shed's shadow in the last hours of the afternoon. (Even if all of them die or get eaten, I still have plenty of seeds left.) The tomatoes will get everything else when I set them out in a few weeks. I also plan to give away my extra plants.

Some of my leggy tomato seedlings didn't survive, and many others didn't germinate yet. I transplanted six or seven of the healthiest-looking seedlings into deeper pots with only a little bit of the stem above the organic potting mix and set them on a sunny windowsill. I also added more seeds to the seed starter. I'm hoping some of these tomatoes survive!

Meanwhile, my grapevines were practically leafing out by the second. I've removed all of the Black Rot mummies from the vines and the ground. Soon I should give the vines their first dose of antifungal spray. I want grapes, lots of grapes!