Hello, dear gardeners! Sorry for my longer absence from the blog — the past two weeks have been really intense, and I kept forgetting to share my gardening adventures with you. Time to catch up!

At last, that wonderful time of year has arrived — the moment when we can start planting the first spring crops. Last week, daytime temperatures finally climbed above 10°C, which meant one thing: time for a trip to the garden center, and the first sowings and seedlings! The iceberg lettuce and beets are already growing nicely, and I’ve started sowing carrots and parsley in pots, as well as spinach and pak choi in the greenhouse tunnel. These crops handle cool nights very well, so it’s the perfect time to kick off the new season.

But that’s not all! Yesterday, for International Women’s Day, my beloved wife decided she wanted more raised beds and planters. That, of course, meant saying goodbye to a part of our lawn and getting busy building new garden beds — and as you can imagine, more pots! The work is still in progress, but I’m pretty proud of what I managed to accomplish in just one day.

Today we went back to the garden center together. The weather keeps getting warmer, so we decided to expand our collection a bit more. In our basket ended up seedlings of leek, oregano, leaf parsley, thyme, dill, and also small onion bulbs and horseradish roots. The leeks went into the tunnel, the herbs into our little greenhouse, and the onions and horseradish found their place in the raised beds.

Tomorrow, we’re planning to sow green beans and radishes in the tunnels! The weather’s holding up, so we’re hopeful everything will go smoothly.

Remember, transplanting seedlings is a crucial stage that can determine how well your plants will grow later on. It’s worth giving this process your full attention and doing it with care. When moving seedlings to pots or beds, handle them very gently so you don’t damage the stem or roots. Even small injuries can slow their growth or cause them to die off.

So be gentle — no sudden moves! Press the soil lightly around the roots, and after transplanting, cover the plant with soil a bit higher than before.

There is, however, one exception — leeks. Leek seedlings are usually sold already trimmed, but if not, cut 1–2 cm off the tops before planting. Then bury them in soil up to the point where the stem splits into leaves. This technique helps them grow stronger and develop better. Don’t worry too much about the roots — they regenerate quickly!

Another important step is preparing onion bulbs and horseradish roots for planting. Before putting them in the ground, soak them in cold water for 2–3 hours. During planting, it’s also worth adding a bit of wood ash or basalt meal to the soil — both have an alkaline effect. Onions don’t like acidic soil, so this little trick will help them grow better and give you a richer harvest.

Keep these small but important details in mind when transplanting your seedlings. The care and attention you give your plants will always pay off — in the form of beautiful, healthy crops.

Until next time!