This week was the week of getting great things for the farm! First off, an organic liquid fertilizer arrived that I can spray right on their leaves to give the seedlings a boost, along with a pack of spray bottles and a hi-low thermometer so I can get a better idea of the temperature range in the greenhouse before I start moving seedlings in there (which I hope to do next week). A few days after that, I used up all my potting soil so, instead of ordering more, I bought some nearby and it turned out the soil was made right near where we went on our honeymoon! Also, it does make some good soil blocks that release cleanly, and has fewer rocks than the other kind I was using.
Then yesterday, there was a seed swap in Pine Plains hosted by Turtle Tree Seed, where I got a bunch of cool seeds, including some for black tomatoes, popcorn, and the most gorgeous blue seeds I've ever seen, which apparently grow into some kind of cabbage - but I wouldn't be too surprised if I found out they were actually beads and not seeds at all! I can't wait to try and find room for everything.
This morning, I was also able to pickup some used mesh flats from Hardman Farm in Red Hook, which are just perfect for soil blocks and great for me, as I've been running low.
However, I've saved the best for last. My mother-in-law bought some praying mantis eggs and passed them along to me (she bought them for her grandchildren, but then found out that the babies will eat each other, so it's best if the kids don't have to see that). I'm incredibly excited about this, I'll be raising them inside and releasing them at the farm whenever I have an insect problem - or just have too many to keep inside. Mantids will pretty much eat any insect, which makes them a great garden pest control, except you do have to keep them well-fed or they might start seeing one another (and any unsuspecting bees and butterflies) as food.
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| temporary enclosures until I can pick up a real aquarium |
Enjoy!
Amber
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