Sweet Potato Slips and Early Garden Prep

We’re nearing full-on spring garden prep work at the little homestead. In a few weeks, the garden soil will be tilled, and our own compost and coffee grounds will be put down. All winter long, whenever I hit Starbucks, I grab a big bag or two (or three) of the coffee grounds they offer to gardeners (snaps to Starbucks!). It makes a great, free addition to our garden soil. We’ve been eating fruits and veggies like mad all winter, and the compost pile is heaping. All natural, veganic soil supplementation is the way to go.

Meanwhile, indoors, I’m increasing the amounts of water-soluble nutrition I give the plants. The seasonal growth spurt begins now. Going back outdoors after a long winter inside is almost as much a shock to plants as coming indoors after a beautiful summer outside. I strengthen them as much as I can before either transition.

The big pot of Italian parsley seeds I started more than a month ago is doing great, so it looks like we’ll have fresh potted parsley earlier than ever before in the season. I’ll put it outside in a month, and start clipping mature parsley for green smoothies in May. Fresh, organic Italian parsley is a great internal cleanser.

Over the weekend, I started the sweet potato slips. The local health food store had an organic purple variety of sweet potato called Okinawa, and the classic orange Coventry. All of them were sliced in half and placed in long trays with about two inches of water, and placed under the grow lights. 

This week, I’m going to buy a propagation mat to increase bottom heat. The sweet potatoes will need a good amount of garden space. A few friends have requested slips, so I did a few extra. I love knowing that a food plant birthed in our care is feeding another family, in another food garden somewhere.

Just 12 days until spring, Bodhicittas. You read it here first.

Live in peace.