Well, it's kind of a good problem, but nonetheless, the growing seedlings in the basement nursery need more room! It's still too chilly to put my baby plants out and they really need to be pricked and separated and given their own pots. For next year, I want to convert shelves in the basement into nursery shelves with lighting over each one. Of course, this leads to yet another experiment; to see what would grow as actual produce down there! Even just getting fresh lettuces would be a bonus.
The seedlings I'm most concerned about right now are the Old Time Blue Stem Collards that were seeded too heavily. I separated them yesterday afternoon and they surely are spindly and tender. I'm hoping they bounce back. And I always wonder about how deep to transplant such seedlings. I think they are supposed to be buried up to the seed leaves, as the stem will develop roots along its length. But if I'm wrong, I've just killed about 100 seedlings. This is where I'd make that Charlie Brown face if I could where his mouth is a zigzag. The next several days will be nail-biting days of looking at the collards several times a day.
This year, I've decided to start more things inside, rather than direct sow them. I prefer getting a jump on the season and will worry about my aching back later. Speaking of which, I've gone into training to get in shape for all the digging, bending, raking, and tilling. I'm doing stretches, lunges, and planks (extremely hard to do!) in hopes of avoiding the need for so many analgesics this season. :) So anyway, the next seeds to sow inside are summer squashes, corn, and beans.
