Over half of our seedlings fell victim to a juvenile plant disease known as damping off. This disease begins its attack in humid, stale air. When Deb and I started our miniature incubator greenhouses in the living room, we didn't realize that we were creating the perfect home for not only young plants, but this parasitic micro fungus as well. With the commercial seed starting medium we chose, we believed we had sterile spore free soil. That's what we get for making assumptions.
Once the first few seedlings went limp and rotted off at the ground line, it was too late. Each morning we checked the tray and found 10 or so more dying or dead seedlings. In a late attempt at recovery, I removed the top of the tray, and moved it under the grow light 24 hours a day. I sprinkled the soil surface with cinnamon, which is said to be a natural anti-fungal agent. I also made a concentrated garlic spray from 6 cloves and about 20 oz of water. It didn't matter. Many of the resources I read said that prevention is the best way to avoid infant plant death from damping off.
This morning, Deb and I took the remaining 40% of the seedlings and planted them in the ground, in the greenhouse at the big garden. We figured they would have a better chance at fighting off a light frost than the damping off. With soil blocks as small as we used, it was very difficult to properly manage the moisture. If they became too dry, they would die from drought. If they were too wet, the soil surface would remain moist, inviting the fungi to stay for a visit. "Fungi is not such a fun guy" says Debbie.
At the greenhouse, we decided to roll the dice and plant all spring seeds. Included in the sowing was lettuce, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, turnips, radishes, endive, miner's lettuce, celery, basil, fennel, dill, carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, collards, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and artichoke. Planted last week was several strawberry transplants that overwintered. The strawberries have already started making fresh green leaves in the greenhouse.
A bit later, while Debbie turned the steaming compost pile over, I cut the top off a plastic 50 gallon drum that was previously used for a rotating composter. It will be used this year to house sweet potatoes. In the fall we will turn the container over, and have easy access to 50 to 100 pounds of sweet potatoes. One trip to the local bulk nursery will fill that container up. A truckload of compost/soil mixture costs about $30 bucks and that would fill up this 50 gallon drum several times over. The rest will be used to top off the new raised bed we plan on building at the home garden.
Later I fired up the Troy Built rotor tiller. Debbie spread out the kelp meal while I worked the dirt. The soil is now loose and broken up down to about 10 inches. Earlier in the week, I scattered several pounds of a chicken-based organic fertilizer on top of the soil, so that was worked in today as well. The moisture of the dirt today was perfect for the tilling, so the clods were to a minimum and the work came easy. When I went to the deepest setting on the Troy Built, I did have the machine try to run away from me a few times, but that is always to be expected when digging 10 inches below ground. When I finished up tilling the soil to satisfactory for planting, Deb and I covered up the entire garden in cardboard and plastic sheeting. This will keep the weed recovery to a minimum, help the sun heat the soil temperature, and make sure that any precipitation won't erode and leach the nutrients that we left in the soil. About 30 days from now, we will uncover the dirt, rake rows, and plant!
Deb and I started two low tunnels this week next to the greenhouse. Before covering the rows, we raked dirt out of walkways, piled into loose tall rows. They are like raised beds, but without the wooden frames. The hoops are slightly flimsy, and the 50mph wind tested them significantly. The goal is to warm up the soil under the covers, using the greenhouse effect. We planted some of the cool weather crops underneath, pretty much all the brassicas. We also planted some herbs (fennel, celery, dill, parsley, and basil). The perennial herbs are at our house, not the big garden. We hope to be uncovering the low tunnels in a matter of weeks. The hoops will remain, and row cover material may be used after the plastic to shut out the bugs. Deb looked at the new low tunnels and said "The greenhouse had babies". 
This self bottom watering system got me thinking. Could I do it on a larger scale? I have found websites where people have connected 10 or more 5 gallon bucket containers that are self watering. Deb and I decided that we would like to play with this idea since we have about a dozen or so buckets that aren't being used. It won't be "self" watering, but it will be easy watering. The system is going to use the rain barrel at the big garden/greenhouse. When the flow valve is opened from the barrel, the water will flow by gravitational pressure to a hose entering the lower bucket of a 2 bucket system. As that water chamber fills, the water will flow into another water chamber in another 2 bucket system.. and so on until all the chambers on each bucket system are filled. The key to this working is a wicking system for the soil. Many folks use a dirt-filled funnel inserted into a hole in the top bucket. My system is going to use a cheaper material: red plastic cups. They are tapered, and they are cheap. A few holes punched into them should be all thats needed for the water to wick up the soil to the plant's root system. I was going to try and build the system today, but the flu got me and I'm stuck in bed. 
At the greenhouse, we decided to roll the dice and plant all spring seeds. Included in the sowing was lettuce, kale, kohlrabi, cabbage, turnips, radishes, endive, miner's lettuce, celery, basil, fennel, dill, carrots, potatoes, leeks, onions, garlic, collards, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and artichoke. Planted last week was several strawberry transplants that overwintered. The strawberries have already started making fresh green leaves in the greenhouse.
