Seriously? Did I Just Fry My Seeds?

So, this is the part where you laugh and say "What an Idiot!"  It slipped my mind that even though the temperature outside is mild, low 80's, that my cold frame turns into one serious OVEN!  So the truth is.. some of my seedlings fried.  My seeds were definitely mad at me.  When I opened the cold frame lid, it was like the scene from Cocoon, where the little Alien had been sucked of all its healing magic.  They were shriveled up and it looked like the end. 

I propped open the lid immediately and decided I had waited too long and needed to start transplanting.  I watered them immediately and just stared at them in shame.  The good news was I still had some survivors.  The right thing to do would be to expose the little guys to some regular wind and outside elements over a week or so, slowly exposing them just a little each day, but.... drastic times call for drastic measures.  

I decided to transplant a couple plants and evaluate them in the morning...if they make it then I will transplant most everything the following day.  I can't risk another potential heat stroke.


Luckily, the next morning, the two plants I had planted the prior day looked fine so those waiting on the transplant list got the lucky call that they too would be saved.  Only time will

I have some tomato seedlings that are growing fine, but I was told I need to get some of those big coffee cans put around them to help block the wind.  I haven't got any cans so I'm going to prop open my cold frame and keep it propped until I get the cans.  If I tried to put the tomatoes out now, I'm sure the wind would beat them down in just a few hours.  Oklahoma winds are not forgiving...only the strong shall survive.

I also planted some green beans today.  I soaked the seeds 24 hours in a coffee cup of water and then put them in the ground.  I am in need of something for them to grow on so I will have to do some research to see what works best.  

I read on the internet that I should plant petunias between my green beans.  The pests that usually bother green beans will be deterred by the petunias.  

I will have to pick some up at the store next time I'm out.

Marching Into Spring

The seeds are definitely ALIVE!  For whatever reason, the squash seems to be growing at a much faster rate than everything else.  I also noticed that the seeds I placed in the corner of the cold frame did not get as much sunlight as the other flats which has hindered their development slightly.  I have moved the flat over so it's not shadowed so much by the lid the cold frame.  I will continue to monitor their progress.  

It's only mid March here in Oklahoma and the weather is just starting to move into tornado season.  It's probably a good idea to leave these little guys safe in the cold frame for a while.  Temperatures are in the high 70's and low 80's, which is paradise compared to what we will feel in July.

I love seeing all the beautiful green colors!  

Love it! Love it! Love it!

I decided to have a little fun and start some flowers and also these GIANT pumpkin seeds.  I know the marketing ploy totally worked on me but it's for fun.  It was kind of funny because the package only had like 5 seeds in it, but they were the biggest pumpkin seeds I have ever seen.  If they sprout, I will transplant them later.  I have this vision from the movie James and the Giant Peach, but instead it's me and a pumpkin.  The neighbors are going to be speechless.

It was a beautiful day so my husband tilled up the garden again for me, just to mix in the soil we brought in.  We then raked neat rows where we could plant a few things. Decided to break the rules and go ahead and plant some Okra and Corn today.  Package says our area should start in April, but what the heck, I'm a risk taker.

The mounds will settle after a rain or two and again, we are really just giving our best guess at how far apart and how large we should make our rows.  No science to this whatsoever, just one of those deals where we say...yea that looks good enough.  We did space them apart quite a ways just so we would have   plenty of room to move around later.  I'm sure all the experienced gardeners out there reading this blog are finding our inexperience quite humorous.  

I placed some small markers at the end of each row to identify what I planted.  I'm thinking to myself, I'm not going to forget what I planted here, but I know that after I've slept, that will all go out the window.  It is better to mark your rows people!  Don't be the guy or gal scratching your head saying...now what did I plant here?  Guess it will be surprise!

I can't wait to see how things will be looking in a couple weeks.  Oh the anticipation!