Today I dug three trenches 12 inches wide and 12 inches deep then threw soil back in to make a 6-inch mound. I fanned out the roots of two year-old Martha Washington asparagus on top of each mound then filled the trench with soil to two inches above the asparagus. I will continue to fill in the trench as shoots grow being careful to not bury the green shoots completely. It was quite a workout to say the least, but we'll be able to harvest our first tender spears early next spring when they are three years old.
It's time to get the peas planted so, to speed their germination, I am presprouting them by layering them on a moistened paper towel and covering the plate with an elasticized reusable plastic bowl cover to create a mini greenhouse. You can see the condensation that has formed on the plastic. As my bread baked today, I placed the dish near the oven's vent on top of the range to warm the seeds.
When most of the seeds have swelled and sent out their first tiny root, they are ready to plant in the garden. The sprouted seeds should poke a shoot through the soil in a few days compared to a few weeks if you'd planted the seeds directly in your garden without presprouting them.
May 2, 2009
Today's mileage: 2-mile walk
Total mileage for May: 4 miles
Bible reading? Yes.
Whiteley Creek Homestead 
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