What Have You Bought for Yourself Lately?

[magical thyme]

144. actually I put down the hay when I plant

or just ahead of it. Just open a tiny area for the seeds or seedling to poke through. For direct seeding, I just put down a thin layer initially so they can poke right up through. That helps keep the soil surface from drying out and protects them from wind while they're germinating and tiny seedlings. I'm high on a ridge and we can get some pretty strong winds here.

I'm going to try "double-digging" at least part of the garden this year. We'll see how far I get. But it can double your yield (or more) by making it easier for the roots to extend downward, and it lets the plants access minerals in the subsoil. Because of the work involved, this may be something I do in stages -- a section this year, another section next year, and so on. Time will tell. Maybe it will go faster than I'm anticipating, but I figure for planning purposes it's best to be pessimistic when estimating my endurance