Running a Muddy Trail

That's right. Dirt.

Its getting on towards seed-starting time of the year once again, and in a monstrous attempt to start much stronger and better plants than I did last year, I'm trying a few new things. One of those things: sterilized soil. I use compost & garden soil to fill my starting flats. I just can't bring myself to purchase potting soil from the store. But I have heard, and it makes sense that garden soil is less ideal because it can harbor harmful bugs, molds and fungi. Of course, it can also harbor helpful organisms, but it seems that at the point of germination, harmful things cause more harm than helpful things cause good.

Or that's the theory at least. And I thought I'd try it out.

So yesterday, I baked up three big pans of soil. About 45 minutes (or a touch longer when I got involved in working and forgot to pull them out of the oven) at 200 degrees is what I did. Then I'll mix that baked soil with some amendments - bonemeal, kelp meal (if i can find it), lime, etc.

The new-to-us woodstove will provide some additional heat this year, to supplement the heating pad and I'm hoping to get a second flourescent light. My office, which had taken up residence in the sunniest part of the house, has been re-located to the coziest part of the house, upstairs, leaving the sunny living room, empty and ready for lots of potential garden crops.

The FedCo order arrived yesterday, so all we need now is a convenient weekend at home ... hmm, is n't today Friday??!