First Day of Spring, 2013! Hooray!
Get Out Your pH Meter
Happy Spring to all! You can see how excited I am about the coming of Spring just by the number of exclamation marks I'm using! I've SURVIVED another winter! It is a bit of a disappointment that it's a windy and cold day with snow expected late this afternoon. Sunny, calm and 72 degrees would seem much more fitting for the first day of spring.
It was a rather odd winter here in the City of Lancaster which has different climate conditions than those out in the farmlands, small towns and boroughs of Lancaster County. Our city's first measurable snow fell on March 18, 2013. I believe there was a snowfall in Lancaster last October but that was in autumn which just makes it a freak of nature. I'm certainly not unhappy about the lack of snow, but it's very unusual.
And a big "hello" welcome to Alice C! Thanks for stopping by and for your kind reply to my blog, including your tip to use string lines to clearly identify exactly where seeds are planted in a garden patch.
Some years ago, Lois bought a garden soil pH meter and it's been helpful in checking our soils. Using a scale from 3.5 (acid) to 9 (alkaline) the meter determines whether the soil needs adjustment to meet the needs of what's being grown. Most gardens will want to be at a 7 - which is on the alkaline (sweet) side. Some plants, like raspberries, blackberries, potatoes, and roses will favor a more acid environment. To increase soil acidity, add lots of coffee grounds, oak leaves, and/or saw dust. Others, like cherries, lilac, sunflowers and sage prefer a very sweet soil. To sweeten soil, add garden lime. Your soil can also be tested for a fee by your local county "farm extension" office. In Lancaster, "Lancaster County Farm and Home Center" provides this service.
The indoor garden lettuce patch is coming along nicely! Fresh salad greens are in our near future.
And here are some of the other seed starts that are just beginning to sprout (with the exception of the "cat greens" in the upper left...they will be going down to the kitchen today with the approval of Mica and Jingle.
Thanks for stopping by. Your comments are always appreciated! I'll see you again soon, hopefully on a more spring-like day.
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