Friday, March 9, 2012

Best Laid Plans

This week I transplanted out a couple of hundred beautiful snap pea seedlings that I had started inside a few weeks ago. I planted them in one bed in one of the greenhouses. I've learned from experience not to direct seed at this time of the year for two reasons; one, often when it is cold and wet like it is now the seeds can rot before germinating, and two, the rats dig up the seeds and eat them!

Well, yesterday I went to check on the seedlings to discover that the rats (yes, I know it was rats because they left behind some telltale signs - poop!) had dug up every single plant. yes every single one. There they were, all the plants lying neatly in a row not touched, with just the remains of the seed pod eaten! I was quite impressed by how orderly it all looked, if I had had my camera with me I would have taken a photo.

There is always something new to contend with when farming that you hadn't expected, always. There has never been a year yet when something new hasn't thrown my plans for a loop. So I'm now a little later than I planned in getting my peas going, but no worries, there is lots of time yet. But I so wanted early peas!

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