Waiting
Posted: January 24, 2021 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Automatic Gardening, Gulf Coast gardening, seeds, Southern Gardening, Spring 17 Comments
In this climate we plant our spring seeds in the fall and winter and I have been waiting for every leaf to fall from this tree.
In order to plant the seeds, I need to remove all the leaves to get to the soil. Unfortunately, because I have many plants that grow during the winter, I have to pick out all the leaves by hand. No raking here.
I have come up for an inventive way to keep leaves off seedlings in smaller spaces with picnic tents that are normally used to keep bugs from food. Cleaning the bed by hand takes a little more work, but many of these plants are not available in nurseries and only do well with direct sowing.
This winter nurturing of spring/perennial seeds keeps us on our gardening toes!
We have been having drizzly rain for several days and the seedlings are loving it.
That’s a really creative solution. My first thought was that removing leaves by hand would be tedious, and then I remembered what I do for a living. Sanding wood can seem tedious when seen from the outside, but there something soothing about it, too.
Removing the leaves is a balancing act as I try not to step on plants already growing. As long as I focus on a small part at a time, it really isn’t so bad. I can also weed for a long time. My biggest trick is to listen to podcasts while I work.
Nice idea! And the rain can seep through gently too. Must remember that. 😃
I have also used them to cover pots to keep squirrels from digging in them.
Good for you getting those seeds on their way. Plenty of weeding needed here.
I started some weeding here and next I need to cut back last year’s growth. We are warming up.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I gotta have my plants.
Clever idea! Any time spent in the garden is a good time. 🙂
Yes it is.
This is why we do not plant agaves under messy trees! Whatever falls into an agave stays there!
Looks like you have a nice bed of seedlings . Those little tents are cute .😀
The tents also help to keep rabbits out.
Wonder if it would work on deer?…. the deer have eaten my day lilies to the ground and the other lilies I planted foxglove around them hoping that it will deter them from eating the young leaves as they push through the ground
I don’t know about deer, but so far they have not removed the tents. I have them anchored with “U” shaped pins I made from wire hangers.