If planting was only about the plants…

I have been true to my word and have spent the past two days planting and will sped the next two also–I hope. This job always takes so much longer than I plan because its about more than the plants. It means-

• Getting out the troybilt tiller, checking the oil and the tires. I have an old troy that is a gem. Starts on the first pull and I take all steps to be sure he will live as long as I am gardening. They do not make them like this anymore.
• Finding a bucket to put the fertilizer in that isn’t a cut flower harvest bucket –always a challenge and a couple laps around the building and yard. We have learned to not use our harvest buckets for anything but harvesting, that is why it is s easy to keep them clean.
• Grab the irrigation supplies that includes the big roll of t-tape tubing that needs a pipe to roll on and 2 cinder blocks- (uck–heavy!), the supply box full of fittings
• Check the planting plan- do not rely on memory! It can be a serious problem later!
• Gather trays of plants- currently it takes 3 trays of plants of 240 plants each to plant the beds I’m  planting.
• Oh yeah- I better gather my row covering stuff before I plant and my plants are literally melting down in this heat and sun after being newly planted. This means-gather 20 or so football size rocks to hold down the cover- wear me out! Find the row cover that fits that bed and if I am going to hoop the bed gather up the flexible pex pipe I use for the supports.

After all of this, here is what I do to what is described in one small misleading word! Plant:

• Put down fertilizer according to directions
• Till
• Put down irrigation
• Plant–finally!
• Turn on irrigation and make sure no leaks and all plants are being watered before covering.
• Put in pex hoops, row cover, lug rocks
• Done! and I am pooped!
• One bed down 11 more to do and all of the above plus more still need to be mulched and netted!

Happy Gardening!

Lisa Z

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