Fertilizer, the most important invention in history?

I promise to be back with a detailed update of my seed starting for the spring, for now I want to share a great article for those of us who like to think about where our food comes from.  Jonathan Mingle in Slate writes about the birth of synthetic fertilizer 100 years ago.  The biggest take away from the article is just what a world changing development the invention of artificially produced nitrogen was.  Artificial nitrogen is something most of us do not learn about in school, but half the world's population owe their lives to.  You should read the article for yourself, but one of the mind bending facts raised is that half the nitrogen in our body has been synthetically fixed.  Once this nitrogen has entered the environment it does not simply leave.  There is truly no way to 'organic' your way out of this.  While we as gardeners need to be judicial with the use of all fertilizers organic and otherwise, it is wise to keep the big picture in mind when selecting what is right for us to have enjoyable and bountiful gardens.

Starting Seeds -- A Little Equipment

Starting seeds is both frustrating and rewarding, every year I get a little bit better at it.  Being a better woodworker then a gardener, I decided to build several durable wooden seed flats to start the year off right.  With 20" x 10" interior dimensions it is the perfect tray to bring to the plant swap and pick up a flat of seedlings. Evenly spaced slats allow for draining while woven paracord handles are comfortable even with heavier loads. Constructed of Aspen, zinc plated fasteners and food safe wood glue I am confident that the tray will last me for years to come.  I decided to go with lesser known aspen instead of the obvious choice of cedar.  Aspen is a replenishable timber that weathers very well, becoming silvery-grey and resistant to rotting and warping, and has traditionally been used for rural construction in the northwestern regions of Russia.  The cedar available here in New Jersey is often warped and expensive I think this will make a hansom substitute.  While fairly easy to construct with a little patience, for those of you who do not have a warm indoor wood shop I am offering these handy trays on Etsy.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/124231981/aspen-garden-seedling-tray

In my next post we will look at just how we get those seeds going.

My Seeds for 2013

Here is my ambitious seed order for 2013.  My preferred seed provider is Jung's  they have great customer service, fair prices and a wonderful selection.  I know there are other excellent seed catalogs our there but I have been happy with Jung's the last few years.  I have also used a few other sources this year and will note them where applicable.  I'll go into greater detail about some of my favorite varieties in future posts.

Walla Walla Onion (Dixondale Farms)
Big Daddy Onion (Dixondale Farms)
Space Hybrid Spinach
Multi-leaf Lettuce (Pelletized)
Fanfare Cucumber
Guardsman Bunching Onions
Magic Mountain Tomatoes
Early Girl Hybrid Tomato
Cascadia Snap Pea
Gold Easy Pick Hybrid Zucchini
Sage
Confetti Cilantro
Orange Blaze Hybrid Pepper
Jersey Giants Asparagus Crowns
Brandy Boy Tomato (Burpee Seeds)
Trivoli Hybrid Spagetti Squash (Burpee Seeds)

Of course there will probably some other random things I am going to impulsively buy as I walk through the garden center.

Welcome to my Garden Blog

The web is filled with amazing blogs and forums about gardening.  I am neither a good enough gardener or writer to make any meaningful contribution to the field, but I am getting better.   I started this blog as a chronicle of my garden, personal notes of my successes and failures in real time.   Learn from me at your own risk, my garden is not organic.  While I strive to limit my chemical usage, I'd rather spread some Iron Phosphate then loose a month's worth or seedlings to slugs.  I believe you can have a safe bountiful garden and still have time to keep your full time job.  Let's get dirty!

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