Let The Sun Shine In – The Seeds Are On Their Way

Seed-starting

Today was a really productive day. I got my fibre mats and my tomato seeds. I cut the fibre mats in half and placed one variety on each half. One with tomatillo seeds, one with physalis, one with Heinz tomatoes and one with a large orange tomato variety. I also did the same with the flowers. I got a free bag of calendula seeds from the seed shop, so I started those as well. Now it’s just a waiting game. They all have water and the germinated ones have grow lights facing their way.

The garden

I got two perennial vegetable/allium plants at the garden fair this year, and I have now planted them outside in one of the larger, round containers. I also planted – or sprinkled – beet seeds, kale and black kale seeds, carrot seeds, two varieties of spinach and black radish seeds outside in the containers before covering them back up. I took my seed potatoes inside (from cold storage) and they were great. I decided to chit a few of them and I did so today. In a week or two at most, I will plant them in containers so that I can harvest a good amount of potatoes for Midsummer.

The pantry

I went out to the cold storage pantry and I moved the kimchi jars back inside. I used some of the kimchi in a large stew with potatoes, onions, black beans, tomatoes and a few homemade sauces. The rest I froze in a large container so that I can enjoy kimchi in a month or two as well. I poured the leftover kimchi paste into jars the last time I made kimchi. Today I emptied one of them in the large kimchi container and the other one I will use when I make pizza buns next week.

My canner broke last year and I couldn’t get a new one because the company stopped selling them and stopped selling to Europe in general. I still haven’t found a good supplier, but I intend to find one and drop ship it with my logo in my shop. After I’ve tried it out for myself, of course.

I am so glad that I canned so much food back while the canner was working. I still have a moving box full of spicy tomato sauce, mango chutney, plum sauce, mustard, jam, marmalade and more. Most of it is from 2022. I am meticulous with hygiene and canning regulations and that is why now, two years later, the jars and bottles are still well sealed and the food I’ve canned is still safe to eat and tastes amazing.

I have already planned out the layout of the cold storage pantry that I’ll build when I get my piece of land, and I can’t wait. I long to be able to have at least two years worth of canned food, ferments and dry goods in cold storage, and be able to walk around and access everything easily. I am most grateful for the set up that I have now, but it isn’t an ideal long-term solution and it was never meant to be.

The ongoing vinegar is still fermenting well out there and soon it’s time to use it and feed it.

Fertiliser and compost

I made sure to make a good amount of compost last year, and in double garbage bags (large ones) I layered my very fertile soil with the compost. So I have a fantastic organic soil prepared for all of my annuals this year. The bokashi compost that fermented over winter is ready as well, so I will choose which containers I want to plant the 4 sisters in, and place the compost at the bottom of them and fill them up with soil. Then when it is time to move the plants outside, the containers will be ready for them.

I get my fertiliser from the bokashi tea. I have a ceramic fermentation vessel that I empty the bokashi tea into. I filled it last fall and it has been fermenting ever since. So I have more than enough fertiliser for the season, and the bokashi will keep producing more. For some plants, I water with golden water as well, but with my current setup, that isn’t something that I collect and let sit. I simply mix enough of it when it is time to fertilise and that’s that.

Conclusion

It is only April, but it is already the part of the year when my food expenses begin to decrease as I start to get more and more of my food from nature and my garden. The microgreens give me a fair amount of food indoor, and soon I’ll have my hydroponic set up going as well. I will eat well this year too.

DO you make your own compost?

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