Preparation of New Seedling Beds

Good Afternoon Daylily Friends,

Well I have been in the process of trying to get ready for 2010 by preparing some new gardens beds. I started behind my barn, and used my tractor to loosen and till the soil. I knew that there would be tree roots because I have pine trees and oak trees nearby the beds. Using the tractor was the easy part. I passed over the beds several times, and the tree roots were really diminished. After I used the tractor I had to wait to do additional work because it kept raining so much. Finally, this week, the weather cleared, and I was able to line out the beds. The beds are 28 feet long. Each bed is five (5) feet wide, and the walking rows are three and one-half (3 1/2) feet wide. I am showing a picture of some of the adjacent trees.

I then started to dig out the first walking row. I dug the row down just a little over one foot. In fact, I am showing a picture of the row. As I dig out the row I throw the dirt onto the five foot bed that will be planted. This does two things. The area beneath the soil that has been turned by the tractor is without roots, and the dirt that I move onto the row is also without any tree roots. After the dirt is totally removed and placed into the row to be planted, I then take rotted wood chips and fill the walking row. This is hard work. The rotted wood chips have been deteriorating for two years. In the walkway they will continue to deteriorate. Ultimately they will be moved into the row to be planted. I am showing pictures of the two walking rows that were excavated.

My friend Jeff Glauser has come to visit. I will come back and finish this post later today. News about Jeff's visit: Jeff brought a set of "The Daylily Journal" that has publications dating back to 1953. These were brought to me by Jeff from our Club member, Ira Pegues. Ira is one of our charter members. Jeff also brought to me a "Color Chart" published by "The Royal Horticultural Society." This was also a gift coming from our friend Ira. Thanks Ira for the Journals and for the Color Chart. Our Club will ultimately decide how we should use the Journals. I will simply put the Color Chart to good use. It was a special time that we had with Jeff. I might also add that Jeff is an Art Teaches in Fulton County, he loves daylilies, and he is a tremendous skater. Thanks Jeff for coming to visit!

It has begun to rain. So, it is a good thing that I made the progess that I did on the new beds. Although these will be new beds, they are a long way from being completely finished, and ready for planting. I have checked with my neighbors, Todd and Kris Wooten, and they have agreed to suppy me with plenty of "horse manure." Todd and Kris have eight horses, and so they have plenty of manure. Then, even though I will apply the horse manure, I will also apply 10-10-10 fertilizer, and plenty of lime. Then the beds will be completely tilled. It is important to work during these winter months to get ready to move plants from the Greenhouse, and to be ready to place selected Greenhouse seedlings. I showing two pictures of the beds as they appeared today before it began to rain.

I'm so much looking forward to the New Year!

Bill