Coming Up Radishes

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that these little beauties are from the December 1st soil blocking session. Don't ask me who's who but these are Easter Egg II and Breakfast Petit Dejeuner radishes.

So much for taking better notes in '09. I have the capacity to note what seeds I sow however once it goes in the ground so does my good intentions and note taking ability. All would be fine if I didn't have several seed varieties.

How do you properly note what's growing in your garden?

Worlds Are Colliding

And you thought your vegetables were vegan all along. I came across Vegan Mix while I was flipping through one of my many seed catalogs. The box reads "Great for people who do not want any animal by-products in their growing medium." Um, yuk and I don't know any people that do unless you're Monsanto.

I sow cover crops and feed my veggies Sea Magic Organic Seaweed Growth Activator so I don't really have a need for Vegan Mix. Yet I am tempted to order it but discouraged by the additional shipping cost. Actually I'm discouraged to order from seed sites that base their shipping rates on the purchase amount. I can easily spend $100.00 on seeds, seriously, I've done it. So if I spend a $100.00 on seeds why must I pay $18.29 on shipping? A better rate should be offered to those that spend insane amounts of money on seeds!

If you're Long Beach, CA (or surrounding areas) folk and find this locally please let me know!

Soil Blocking 101: A Pictorial

It happens every time. Me: “I’m going to peak in on the backyard; I’ll only be a few minutes.” Six hours later and this is what I did… Tada...

Get out your gardening gloves and let’s get blocking! First thing needed is soil. I use what Martha uses to start her seeds, Vermont Compost Company Fort Vee Potting Soil.

My husband bought me four 60 quart bags for my birthday. I’m down to two bags and I’m a little concerned.

Vermont Compost products can be found on several sites online or you can use your favorite seed starting mix.

Next, my weapon of choice is the 2" by 2" soil block maker. It produces 4 perfect little squares.

I own two other sizes: a 3/4" by 3/4" soil blocker that is suitable for small seeds like lettuce or oregano. I also own a behemoth 4” soil blocker(another birthday present). This big guy comes in handy when your seedling has outgrown its 2” block and you wish to raise stronger seedlings. Simply transplant the 2” block into the larger block’s divot.

Get your trays ready because you’re about to start blocking and rolling! I soil block directly onto standard size 11” by 21” leak-proof trays but you can use whatever size tray is best suited for your needs.
Dump your seed starting mix into a bucket. I recycled an old plastic drawer that was formerly used as college furniture.

Thoroughly moisten the soil by adding water and mixing with your hands. Continue to do this until a lump of soil can be squeezed and it’s able to hold its form.



Place your bucket on a sturdy surface and dunk the soil block into the bucket. This step requires a lot of elbow grease.







For uniform blocking scrape the soil blocker on the bottom of the bucket. This will pack the soil into the blocker.

Place the blocker directly on the tray, push down on the handle, and lift.





Y voila! Repeat about a thousand times or however many times it takes to fill your tray of choice.




The standard trays I use hold 40 blocks and enough room is allowed for proper air circulation and watering ease.

Time to reach into your seed vault. The last time I counted I had 112 vegetable seed packets. Since then I have added to my sick seed obsession. I store my seeds in a convenient tray in the fridge.

Let the seed sowing begin! Drop in a couple of seeds in each block. One seed per block is acceptable. I sow two per block because I like my seeds to have back up and I’m just crazy that way.


Repeat, repeat, repeat. When you’re sick of blocking it’s time to tuck in your trays. Keep them warm; a windowsill, any sunny spot in your home or in a hobby greenhouse. Some trays may be purchased with plastic lids which act as mini-greenhouses. Saran wrap can also achieve this effect. Keep your babies moist and wait patiently for your reward.

Leisurely Reading

The seed catalogs are pouring in. These sit on my nightstand and I flip through the pages over and over again. I have a seed stash that totals 117 packets; 12 of lettuce alone. And if the lure of colorful seed catalogs wasn’t enough, I also get my seed fix at Henry’s. Last week I picked up 5 more seed packets.

Interdietary Bliss

I can’t remember which new age-y spiritual guru once said, “You have no right to interfere in someone else’s learning process.” That statement confirmed that I could continue to promote my vegan beliefs without imposing them on anyone, even my omnivore husband.

However with that said not only has H drastically reduced his consumption of animal products but he has also expanded his palette to include many vegan options. That makes him more rad!

Onto the eats. In his younger years the husband worked at a pizza parlor. Now I benefit from his pizza making abilities. Two very different pizzas sit side by side in harmony. The right side (touché)is vegan.

Sitting atop homemade pizza dough is Veganaise (the secret to creamy pizza according to the Whole Foods pizza lady), Follow Your Heart mozzarella cheese alternative, mustard greens sautéed with shallots, onions Rossa Lunga di Firenze, and homemade spicy Italian vegetarian sausages.

Mustard greens and onions are from my garden and speaking of garden veggies, the green zebra tomato bounty of ’08 continues to be enjoyed. Lettuce and mesclun pictured also from my garden; salad perfection.

Out of the oven and ready to be devoured.

The mustard greens tasted a lot like kale chips. I see a lot of crispy chippy mustard greens™ in my future. I think I’ll add this recipe to my Vegan Victory Garden Cookbook. ™

A Real Camera

The fat man left me a lump of coal for Xmas but the husband gave me a camera. Yay!

Leafy Greens Galore

I've had a difficult time keeping up with the lettuce. My entire crisper, one huge drawer, is full of lettuce, mesclun, and mustard greens. I've been on a pizza (vegan of course) kick lately and just haven't gotten around to eating salad.

Check out my onions. I can't begin to describe the wonderfully pungent aroma emitted and they taste even better. Thus far they have been my favorite vegetable to grow.

Look what's growing, Summer Squash Sunny Delight. I sowed these seeds on October 26 as part of my "if it's sold at the farmer's market I should be growing it" experiment. My squash is so punk that the rain and cold can't stop it!