It’s a hard world for little things.
The green you see is garlic flanking the row
Do you see my brassica family seedlings in this row? Neither do I. After a week of not showing up (normally they’re enthusiastic sprouters) I realized I had some problems with my greenhouse-seeding plans. The problems? Slugs and pillbugs.
Sigh. Plan B (planting them indoors) does not mean I will be a week or two behind. Nah. It just means I am annoyed. Planting in the greenhouse between existing garlic rows and then further transplanting the seedlings to their final destinations (outdoors or into other people’s gardens) is generally the easiest way for me to do things. And I am all about “easy,” especially in springtime. But with warm spring weather comes warm evenings inside the greenhouses: prime munching time for the resident mollusks and armadillidiiae.
My lesson for you here? Do not think “I can’t plant things in greenhouses as they’ll get munched,” instead “I need to watch to see when its okay to plant seeds in my greenhouse (or outside, or wherever).” Had I planted them a month earlier, they’d have been fine; a month later, I could’ve planted them outside. In other words, there are windows of opportunity wherever you plant. The greenhouse offers a lot more windows…but occasionally it doesn’t.
So I will plant all the brassicas someplace bug-free and warm. Someplace, therefore, where these small things can experience a softer world.
Glad you came to visit!
Got something to say? Email me at fastweedpuller at gmail dot com.
fast grow the weeds 
I am so anxious to get to outdoor seeding. I’m home with a sick, elderly dog (this is not a normal house), so I’m getting gardening chores done. I know I’m way too early, but I think I’m planting a few patches this weekend.
That was such a clever sentence about the greenhouse offering more windows.
Good points. And things vary year to year–you might have planted the same day last year and had different outcomes.
I find I often have a “plan B” in mind when I try out something new in the garden (a new technique or a new variety), or if I’m taking a risk with an early planting. There are windows, it’s not as if you have to plant everything at the perfect time, or if you fail that’s it. That’s why we do consecutive plantings, besides extending harvests, it also hedges bets, maybe one batch won’t do well, but others will.
You realize, as soon as you plant replacements, that a few of those cabbages will sprout, don’t you? 😉
Pamela, my theory is you can always plant again if something happens. I am so sorry to hear about your pooch! Ours is never a normal household either so I do know what you mean, though. And yeah, it is hard NOT to plant everything! Spring fever.
Sara, indeed. You have to kind of really know what’s happening. Not that that’s hard, or actually even really valuable considering how things change so quickly in spring. And it’s funny: I do the same thing you do, but frankly I think almost all of my gardening includes Plan B, C and D! A girl can always change her mind, you know. Oh: and the darned cabbages are still no-shows. But, they’ve sprouted well indoors so it was the derned bugs dern it.