Straight Poop on the Garden Project

We got through the cold snap with only one known casualty - the lone pepper seedling in a flat I started much too early. When I raked through the soil in the two pepper flats I found nothing but ungerminated seed, some with fur coats on, so I trashed the entire thing and started over.

This time I seeded one flat of mixed hot peppers, about 50% cayenne, and another mixed 50/50 Orange Sun and California Wonder sweet peppers. Since most of my pepper seed has gotten pretty old, I seeded thick in the hope that even with lower germination rates I'll get at least a few viable plants out of it.

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We went out of town yesterday and didn't get home until almost midnight, so the side of the cold frame with our tomatoes in it got left open. It was relatively warm last night, so temperature wasn't an issue, but...

Before going any further, let me first say this: I really do like cats. I do. Despite an acute allergy to their furry little bodies, I have always liked cats and always kept a few outside wherever I've lived.

We have cats - a lot of cats. At this point they have become a bit inbred and have devolved into beasts that in some cases can't be bothered to walk more than a few steps even to defecate. They literally crap everywhere - we've even seen piles on top of the wood shed where some of them like to lie in the sun.

A few of them are still relatively intelligent though; sometimes catching mice or squirrels, so we tolerate the less mentally adept members of the pride in deference to the smart kitties. That policy ends today.

Last night, some unknown feline decided that my flat of cherry tomato seedlings in the open cold frame looked like an excellent place to leave a steaming pile of poop. Not only did the individual in question crap all over my plants, but it also dug about half of them up. I think it's time to thin the herd.

Luckily I planted more than I would need, so it's not a lost cause, but who wants to spend a pretty Sunday afternoon digging cat manure out of a seed flat. Ugh! and Ick!

Okay, enough of my shitty cat problems.



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Once the unpleasant business was handled I made my rounds of the garden, weeding here and there as needed. I found one kohlrabi and two cabbage seedlings up and reaching for the sky, as well as a number of carrots sprouted. The turnip patch is moving ahead nicely with many now sporting their first true leaves. Our lettuce beds are looking lush and we might even get a fresh salad in the next two weeks from the over wintered crop.

I decided to take a few more planting risks, as our last frost date is still officially two weeks out, and planted several mixed hills of butternut squash and nasturtium, a bed of mixed nasturtium, marigold, and portulaca along the edge of the newer garden area, and a mixed row of marigolds, tarragon, sage, and basil along the edge of what will later be the primary tomato bed.

I had also intended to plant a few hills of yard long beans, but since I just pulled that packet out of my pocket it would appear I'll have to do that later. In fact, there's still plenty of day left, maybe I'll go do that now. In fact, nice seems like as good a time as any.