Spring Has Sprung

We planted out something alive! Yes, seeds that had germinated - so it must be official - Spring has sprung. Planted out 144 2-week old spinach seedlings (4 per square foot) on Friday into the hoop house.


Soil was about 44'F after being under red plastic mulch for 2 weeks. It was a nice day - about 45 F outside, 70 F inside at 4 feet aboveground. Nice and warm for our little friends.

Then March reared its ugly head again. The next day it poured a bit over an inch and sheetflow into the hoophouse watered the mulch for us! Luckily, the worst of it washed away mulch in the shadow of the hoophouse endwall. Today it is below freezing again and the wind is howling. Good thing we anchored the roll-up sides tightly before the wind came :D

In other March news, mud season has got us down - "we've only just begun,... to sliiiiiide". Weeks to go, snow possible, but I think it will be a mild spring, but wet. We'll see.

The girls are super excited that spring is coming - "is it spring yet, Daddy?" "When is Mommy's birthday?" (that's our version of the beginning of spring as the spring peepers come out right around her b-day). "Not yet, honey."