Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

I'm afraid this is the "ramp-up". We've noticed the garden centers here
have almost doubled prices for a their starter vegetable plants and some
other items like garden tools. I suspect their suppliers have raised
wholesale prices. Energy costs that go into production and transport are
going up. Cost of doing business?

Seeing the prices this spring, starting our own seedlings would be a timely
subject here. I've had some trouble with direct seeding but no problems yet
with seeding 4" pots in the greenhouse. Wind and frosty nights have
conspired against my earliest direct seeding so transplants are coming
online just in time. Some places are selling soil block devices, something
recommended by Eliot Coleman. I see a nursery in Abq selling the broad fork
for $140. I won't be using one of those. Jeavons recommended the broad fork
or similar device for double digging and loosening the top foot, but
frankly the no-till option looks better and better.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net


*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 4/20/2007 at 10:08 AM E. E. Mitchamore Jr wrote:

>Last Fall I put up a 28' x 36' steel tubing Hoop House from Grower's
>Supply (currently covered with poly).  It went up well enough and should
>last.  This week I received a notice that their steel and plastic costs
>have been increased 20% in the last few months.  Is the ramp-up beginning?
>
>E. E. "Mitch" Mitchamore
>www.hillcountrynatives.biz
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
>  From: TradingPostPaul 
>  To: emitch@att.net ; livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org 
>  Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 12:19 AM
>  Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] succession planting - advice and
benefits!
>
>
>
>  Sounds like a plan ;-) and oughta work. It's gotten too complicated for
>me
>  this time with dozens of beds, some unfinished and others pushing the
>time
>  frames out of whack. The tomato greenhouse isn't done but the seedlings
>are
>  growing fast, lots of transplanting is waiting, and my knee is acting up
>  too much. We took part in a one-day hoop house raising at a nearby farm,
>by
>  a guy from NMSU at Alcalde and about 20 others, but it looked to me like
>a
>  disaster. I have to do better, but my old method of all wood framing
>isn't
>  good enough for a 15 x 50 greenhouse. 
>
>  paul tradingpost@lobo.net