I started a steep learning process.
Within a week the wind ripped out two thirds of the paper signs telling me which seeds were which. Instead of companion planting I would have to opt for speed-date planting.
Two days later torrential rainfall inundated all the recycled water bottles I was using as plant pots. YES, I forgot to drive holes into the bottoms of the pots. They were completely waterlogged and the corks at the bottom of the pots that I was using as soak-away had floated to the top of the pots. I spent a long afternoon in the bathroom punching holes in all the bottles and picking the corks off the surface. I soon learned to bring my seed trays in if rain was imminent. (Did I tell you it rains a lot on the Basque coast?). I later found covers for the trays, held down by bricks in tempestuous times.
The survival rate of the first batch was about 40%, though some of the seeds were a couple of years old so that might have accounted for some of the failures.
I did not foresee that having nursery beds and a kitten might pose some management problems. My kitten prefers my nursery beds to his litter tray, so the first time I planted out herb seedlings I found them scratched up, pissed on and shat on. The second time I tried covering them with a wooden tray. 'Great' thought Laptop (my kitten): 'a covered toilet'. I have since covered them with chicken wire, but don't plan growing anything edible in them until I change the soil.
Moving on.. In March I received an assignment of heritage seeds from Caroline Miguel. I acquired two proper seeding trays and kept a eye out for the weather every night. I built an excel spread sheet telling me which lines of seeds were which. The majority of those seeds are now germinating so I am moving to stage two: building a cat proof nursery bed: recycled, large, plastic drinks containers. They are too small for Laptop to be scratching in and I have some chicken wire to protect them.
One of my friends In Hendaye said I could try barbed wire or electric fencing. I hope he was joking.
No comments:
Post a Comment