The first step on Saturday was to spread some organic fertilizer, as our soil test results showed some nutrient deficiencies. Next, we raked the beds to incorporate the fertilizer and flatten out a few ridges in the soil. Once the beds were flat, we measured out our row spacing and put down string to mark straight lines. Following the string markers, we pushed our handy new precision seeder down the beds to seed carrots and beets. Finally, we covered the freshly seeded beets and carrots with row cover, which involves unfurling a giant white cloth over the beds and burying the edges with soil in order to keep it in place. Fortunately, it wasn't a very windy day, otherwise the row cover would have acted like a giant sail! While row cover is a lot of work to use, it is well worth it early in the season, as it warms the soil a few degrees to ensure speedier germination. It also helps to protect the new seedbeds from the abundant wildlife, especially the deer.
