March 2025 Garden Report


1st week 

  • filled and prepped main troughs, new boxes, and greenstalk bins 
  • removed white crust from virtually all starts (both on the top and in the bottom watering hole). Not sure what it is, since the humidity is set to not exceed 50% in the shed. Best guess is that it’s from the Costco bagged soil.

2nd week  

  • started tomatoes (one full week after initially planned– still ok?)
  • started all peas indoors (had planned to DS) because I realized that they may not get sun at the soil level in the troughs due to the lower sun angle in early spring. How was the sun coverage at time of transplanting?  Since there’s 240 pea seeds to be started, it’d be better to DS if possible!  Just need to make sure the soil is right at the top!
  • started some beets indoors (beets are the only root crop that can handle transplanting.) These will go in the shady west boxes. Still DS’d beets in the troughs.
  • thinned brassicas in solo cups. Couldn’t up-pot because there’s not enough grow light space. Were they root bound at time of transplanting?
  • DS in troughs: carrots, radishes, beets, spinach, and lettuces. Rained and snowed the following two days — how was germination?  (All are cold hardy, so should be fine.)

3rd week

  • starting hardening off brassicas and greens Monday, with the goal of transplanting on third weekend 
  • did not transplant any starts before 3rd week (contrary to schedule — work out okay? If yes, adjust schedule for next year.)  
  • DS trough 5: turnips and arugula 

4th week

  • transplanted out brassicas, boy choy, parsley, cilantro, peas, mustard, onions, dill. Took 4 solid days! Peas especially took a long time. (Was it worth it to start them indoors?)
  • potted up all eggplants, peppers and tomatillos into made mix.
  • tossed tomato starts. They aren’t growing because shed has barely been 50 degrees for the last few weeks.


Things to do differently next year:

  • plant tags need to also list where the plant is going
  • only need one plant tag per variety per section of trough for D.S.  (but one each for S.I.)
  • use waterproof tags and pens so can reuse 
  • use a different plant tag container so that there’s a spot for every week (perhaps dad’s screw & nail holder?)
  • think more about succession planting. With such a short cool season, does it even make sense?
  • make soil mixture for potting up rather than buying bagged stuff.
    Soil Formula: 3 parts compost, 3 parts peet, 2 parts vermiculite    .
  • don’t bother starting tomatoes until first of April, once cool weather crops are moved out. Starting sooner than that is pointless because they need it warmer to grow, but we can’t increase the shed temperature because the cool season plants do best a little colder and they are still in the shed.
  • don’t prep soil then put down mulch to keep the cats off until planting time. That was a pain removing the mulch, especially in area being direct sown. Just shorten the window (planting immediately after amending soil) and use the new cages for protection.


Things to figure out:

  • what is the plan for fall/winter prep of beds in light of not wanting to disturb hibernating pollinators the following spring 
  • where did brassicas do well?  (planted in greenstalk bins, against the house, sitting area, and shady west)
  • how did peas do (since started indoors). Worth it, or better to DS?
  • how did the cabbage moth tests work out–
    • insect netting: covering shady west boxes. Did it work? Did it survive the cats?
    • cabbage moth deterrents: Put them in all the uncovered beds with greens and brassicas. Did they work?