Finally gotbthe beds done and filled with topsoil, a wee bit clay for water retention, peatmoss and ashes from the woodstove. The beds are simply 2x8 planks that have basic corner joinery and then burned with a tiger torch to slow weathering and rot. p.s. don't mind the mess, im a packrat and i save EVERYTHING...

We got two rows of Norland red potatoes in next to 2 rows of kenebecs. The eyes were trimmed to about 8 inches and laid the way they were as a spacing guide.

these are getting sorted, trimmed and chipped (cut up) for planting...

When it comes to starting your plants, there are a number of things you can use. From peat pellets to reusable starter pots and potting soils, the list is long. The problem is that these all cost money. With the rising costs of just about everything, plant starting materials are also getting spendy. We usually start at least several dozen of each different plant. We do this to ensure that we have enough healthy plants ready for the garden once everything thaws out and warms up enough. To significantly reduce our seasonal garden startup costs, we do two things: First, in the fall, when we've cleared the garden of all the crops, we take a couple 5 gallon buckets, and we fill them with garden soil. This gets stored in our cold room over the winter and becomes next season's "potting soil". This saves us from purchasing expensive potting soil over and over. Second, over the winter, we save ALL our toilet paper and paper towel tubes. We save these because they are made from a light, unbleached heavy paper. They make great compostable "pots" for seedlings. We simply fill them with our saved garden soil, drop our seeds in them and let the seeds do their thing. When the seedlings are ready for the garden, we just plant the whole tube, and we're done. When everything is said and done, we've just saved anywhere from $60 to $100 on plant starting materials. The tubes pictured below are ready for seeds. Just debating what we want to plant this year.

With March upon us, gardening season will be starting for many. Around here, mid-March is usually when we start thinking about which plants we need to start. This list usually includes things like our Brassicas, such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. We don't do "exotics" like kale or kohlrabi because they aren't things we eat here. Our tomato plants are also usually on this list of pre-starts. We do this so we have time to harden them off before temperatures get stable enough before they can go into the ground. During this time, we also prepare our soil amendments, like our calcium by powdering our winter eggshells, and our nitrogen booster that we make from our saved coffee grounds. What's your March gardening to-do list look like? Drop your plans in the comments below. I'm curious to see who is doing what 😁