((Serious Gardening))

I love gardening too! Cant wait to get my hands back into the dirt. (Right now it is still covered with 2 foot of snow.) Going to be awhile. I have gone through my seeds  and made my list of things I"m going to plant. Of course, as I see different seeds I always end up adding other things. I tested some of my saved bean seed to see how they are going to sprout. 10 of 10 sprouted out of the 3 varieties so that was promising. I also want to plant to supplement my chickens, and the wild birds. Darned things are eating me out of house and home . I spend lots more on the wild birds than the chickens. Sure fun to watch though. Last year we made a grow tunnel and started some things early . We hooped over some cattle panels  then covered with heavy plastic. Worked really nice. We're making plans for a little green house. In the past I have just started things in our living room window which works fine except when you want to carry things in and out as the weather gets nicer. Good Luck and happy planting.

I'm not doing hydroponics, but this year I have the BEST compost I think I have ever, ever had.  Did I mention, like, EVER?  Just started keeping chooks last year, so it must be all the chicken manure that made it so much better this year or something, I dunno.  It is just the best compost.  We had thrown some old potatoes into the compost heap to break down, but instead they sprouted & when we went to dig out compost to put into the garden, there were these big green vines... darn it, I thought, now we got weeds growing in the compost pile, that's just dandy!  Went to pull them out, the roots and everything came up... I looked closely at the orbs that appeared to be, to say the least, misshapen eggs scattered throughout.  Lo and behold, BABY POTATOES!  I accidentally grew potatoes in my compost heap and didn't even know it.

Hubby worked some of the compost into one of the raised beds for me, and I planted spinach, arugula, and lettuce in that bed.  I kid you not, those seeds (which were last year's seeds, no less) sprouted in only 4 days. 

I never thought I would get so tickled and so excited over something so small and so very simple.

I've tried hydroponics, but I just don't like it as much as regular soil.  It is usually more expensive, and it is harder to find organic fertilizers that won't clog up the works.  For potting soil, I like to mix compost, coir, vermicompost, and an organic fertilizer like Dr. Earth.  Outside I mix steer manure and/or compost into the soil with the organic fertilizer. 

I'm working on finishing the winter pruning for our roses...I think I have one left.  We put in a bed of kale, collards, salad greens, spinach, and chives the other day.  I started roma tomatoes, scarlet runner beans, bok choy, and more chives in a flat.  We're making two new beds this year, and I plan on doing a three sisters garden with sweet corn, beans, and sugar pie pumpkins.  If I time it right, we should be able to get two harvests since we're zone 9.

Last year I got way too excited and had cucumbers blooming in the basement in april (we can't plant till mid may).  This year I am taking a break and buying my plants.  Basement is all tore up from plumbing issues and we have 2 silkies down there till we get the other coop built.  I have started picking up my direct plant seeds--greens and carrots.  My favorite ingredient is horse or cow poo,  this will be my first year with chicken poo.  We are moving the raised beds  and are going to try trellising some of the climbers.  Yes I am excited and cannot wait for this season.  But with the comming thaw comes the worst job of the year-------------------picking up water logged dog poo.

I'm an old hippie.  Have not had to start plants in the closet in 30 plus years.  I do miss it.

Well, I don't count as a serious gardener according to your above qualifications -- I'm neither old, nor a hippy, nor growing fifty or more acres and I'm not on the hydroponics trend band wagon either -- but I am itching for the growing season. 

No secret soil secrets here.   Ample compost, plenty of water, regular inspection for arising problems -- and quick dealing with those problems when they do -- seems to work fine here so I keep it simple.  I prefer jiffy pellets for seed starting.  I start in decent quantity and they're quick, easy and convenient to both use and keep neat and organized.

We won't be planting much for another few weeks though.  Our last frost date isn't until mid-May.