Remember those soil blocks and the seeds I sowed over the weekend?  

Here we are just a few days later and many, I might even go so far as to say most, of the seeds have sprouted!  Fall garden is in progress...

Life is a blur.  Every single day just flies by.  Thank goodness for the falling leaves to serve as a reminder that it is time to get ready for fall.  Otherwise, it would all just pass me by. 

Having been gently reminded by Mother Nature herself, I have begun to prep (finally!) for the changing season.  However, I have a tendency to lean a little type-A.  I will let this photo speak for itself:

Yes, I love graph paper.  And rulers. 

(In case it's not clear, these are plans for two of my garden beds.)

Now that I know what I am going to plant and how many of each, it's time to get crazy with my soil block maker and start some seeds.  Oh yea!  Love this thing.  Here's what I love about it-  all you need is good soil.  Well, and the actual soil block maker and some trays.  But, once you invest in those initial supplies, you're set.  No more plugs or pots or fiddling with newspapers.  You just press, twist, depress, sow.  Done. 

Above, you see my soil block maker and blocking mix.  Now, the mix is key.  I have been using a recipe I found in Eliot Coleman's book, The New Organic Grower.  This mix works well every single time.  Here's the recipe:  (Use a standard 10 quart bucket and one cup measuring cup.  This is a very large recipe so I suggest either sharing with a fellow gardening buddy or be sure you have a place to store the extra.  It will store well if you let it dry out before storing and then keep it in a bin or a trash can with a lid.)

• 3 buckets of brown peat
• 1/2 cup of lime

Mix the ingredients thoroughly.
Add:

• 2 buckets of sparse sand or perlite
• 3 cups of base fertilizer.  (Base fertilizer is equal parts blood meal, bone meal and greensand.)

Mix these ingredients well.
Add:

• 1 bucket soil
• 2 buckets compost (I actually use 3 buckets of Farmer D's compost and call it a day.  That stuff is soooo purty.)

Mix all these ingredients thoroughly and add water until the mix can hold its shape when squeezed into a ball, but is not soggy.  Think of a snowball.  You don't want so much water that the snowball melts away when you try to squeeze it together and you don't want it so dry that it won't hold together at all.  To be completely honest, I usually make this the night before and then give it a good watering and a good mixing.  The next day, after sitting all night, it (miraculously) has the perfect texture for blocking.  Then, you just get busy!

Soil blocks ready for sowing.  The block maker creates a dimple in the middle of the block for you to drop your seed in.  Once I have all my seeds in place, I just go back with a little extra mix to cover the dimple.  I then give everything a good watering with a mister. 

Once you get the hang of this, you can knock out a tray of soil blocks in no time.  Being a planner, I knew how many seeds I was going to start of each variety, so I built all the blocks first and then brought them over to the table and just sat there dropping seeds in while the kids played water gun wars on the driveway.

At the end of the day, I had all 250+ seeds started in flats. 

Closer image of one flat with the seeds sown and the dimple filled in with a little more mix. 

Ahhh.  Now that I have slowed down just long enough to get this done, I will return to living life at what feels like warp speed.

Grow Your Own: Supermarket

(http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2011/01/16/food-deserts-in-the-u-s/)

Recently, a friend asked me why I had decided to become a Georgia Master Gardener. After hearing my goals (thank goodness I didn't fall off my soapbox during my explanation! It's slippery up there!), she sent me the above image. I think that summarizes my reasons better than hopping back up on my soap box right now. Really, I had a tough workout this morning that included a 6 minute wall sit and so my gams are a little (read: LOT) too unreliable this afternoon to withstand any time on a slippery box. Having just healed from a fractured kneecap, I see no reason to risk further injury.

At any rate, this post is for anyone who would like to grow something this season but doesn't think they have the time/energy/equipment/know-how/resources/etc. Maybe you have visions of plucking a fresh tomato off your vine, slicing it and putting it, still warm from the sun, right onto some bread slathered with mayo. Or, you can think of few things better than biting into a crisp, cooling cucumber on a hot summer day. You could grow beans or peas or some fresh, leafy greens. Or, all of the above. And, the best part? You don't need a traditional garden, lots of space or all your spare time and money. But, you could use this:
These come in a variety of sizes and are not terribly expensive. To give you an idea, a 5 gallon Smart Pot, which would give you plenty of room to grow a tomato plant, is under $6. They are lightweight and space-saving. I could easily see these on a balcony. This website/store also has some excellent soil selections. And, even better, right now, you can buy a voucher valued at $100 for only $50 at Half Off Depot. Click here for the deal!

I bought the deal because I am planning to grow in a few of these this season. And, I am planning to start some seeds and want a prettier light fixture than what I could find at Home Depot or Walmart. I know, I know. But, in my own defense, it is not THAT much more and it will be in plain sight, not hiding out in the basement or laundry room. And, I just have a thing for that crisp, clean white. I am also going to build this, but that is an entry for a different day...

Here's the store's website --> FloraHydroponics

And here's the store's new Atlanta location:

1239 Fowler St. NW

Atlanta, Ga

Phone 404-532-0001