garden log 3 - 05/11/25
May. 11th, 2025 02:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shydeerfinally have some progress to report! but it's not quite as triumphant as i'd have hoped.
basically, my seedlings are either dead or hanging by a thread. in the slight chance i can still save them, i transferred the strongest looking ones to a permanent home, and left the others near the watering can outside to potentially recuperate. see, the problem was the soil had COMPLETELY dried out in the germination tray. i didn't realize this until i started gently repotting them and the dirt, instead of staying in a moist clump, blew away in the wind, leaving naught but the thin hairs of the poor, malnourished root system. i felt absolutely terrible. but i refuse to give up.
even if these poor seedlings are goners, i won't let that heartbreak and guilt stop me from continuing to garden this year. i still have those radish seeds, and there's always storebought seedlings i can raise. one only improves their gardening skill after learning lessons along the way, and expert gardeners always tell me their successful bounty rests on the corpses of a thousand plants that they accidentally killed. it's a grim thought, but it does help me shake off the specter of failure.
this coming week, i'll try and germinate some radish seeds, and see if i can nurse those tomatoes and zucchini back. hopefully by this time next week i'll have news.
basically, my seedlings are either dead or hanging by a thread. in the slight chance i can still save them, i transferred the strongest looking ones to a permanent home, and left the others near the watering can outside to potentially recuperate. see, the problem was the soil had COMPLETELY dried out in the germination tray. i didn't realize this until i started gently repotting them and the dirt, instead of staying in a moist clump, blew away in the wind, leaving naught but the thin hairs of the poor, malnourished root system. i felt absolutely terrible. but i refuse to give up.
even if these poor seedlings are goners, i won't let that heartbreak and guilt stop me from continuing to garden this year. i still have those radish seeds, and there's always storebought seedlings i can raise. one only improves their gardening skill after learning lessons along the way, and expert gardeners always tell me their successful bounty rests on the corpses of a thousand plants that they accidentally killed. it's a grim thought, but it does help me shake off the specter of failure.
this coming week, i'll try and germinate some radish seeds, and see if i can nurse those tomatoes and zucchini back. hopefully by this time next week i'll have news.
Thoughts
Date: 2025-05-11 10:37 pm (UTC)The r-strategy involves planting a LOT of things, but investing little in each individual, in the hopes that the strong will survive.
The K-strategy involves planting very few things and taking great care of each to maximize survival.
Some gardeners lean one way, some another, and many people will spray-and-pray cheap seeds while coddling expensive potted trees. I mix, but I favor r-strategy because I do laissez-faire permaculture. Ideally, I want most of my plants to take care of themselves, so only the smaller sections of flower, herb, and vegetable gardening need extra attention.
Think about your budget, gardening style, and skill level in deciding how to approach things. And yes, gardening is a learning process. I've been doing it for decades and I'm still doing fresh experiments this year.
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-05-12 12:00 pm (UTC)Re: Thoughts
Date: 2025-05-13 08:24 am (UTC)It's worth exploring k-strategy if you find a few potted plants that you feel are worth the extra effort.
Just for comparison, though, I can get a whole bag of wildflower seed for $10-15, or one plant in a medium-size pot. I do buy a few plants that size, but I'd rather get smaller ones or seeds.