Wow! The new plant light that Stan put up for my seedlings is a wonder! 240 watts, and it is cool enough to be very close to the seedlings to deliver bright light. Their cotlydons are really large after just a few days under the light. I added a heating pad on high or medium underneath the pan with the rock wool cubes in it a few days ago, since I added new cubes and celery seeds. I keep water in it, as it evaporates rapidly. Not only are the cotlydons growing, but the first true leaves are rapidly enlarging. The broccoli raab has a purple cast to them, the cabbage is plain green. In a couple of weeks I will start the seeds for the summer raab. It is a new variety bred to grow during the summer. I got it from Thompson & Morgan. Anyways, having a good light set up for seedlings is worth the effort, if you're serious about starting your own plants. It really makes a huge difference.
I got the box of potatoes from Ronniger's yesterday, and I got the box from Territorial. The Asian hand hoe is really cool, and it sure digs and turns the soil well! But it is hand-forged in China, and it is quite cruder in reality than what the catalogues show. But it is interesting.
I bought a package of magnet paper, and printed out all kinds of photos of produce and my garden plants from last summer. I sized them for the fidge, and now it is covered in veggies! You just cut them out with regular scissors.
I bought the book "Melons For The Passionate Grower" by Amy Goldman, from Amazon. It shipped today, so I am looking forward to getting it early next week. The photos in that book, plus her Squash book, are fantastic. Food Art. Victor Shrager did the photos at her NY farm from her crops. Hundreds of varieties.
