Planting Notes April, 7 2011

Frost was heavy this morning, and it was the first test for the subterranean heating in my greenhouse. It was running most of the previous day. At the warmest part of the day 85 degree air was being pumped underground, and the warmest I got coming out was 62 degree air. So it was transferring a large amount of heat all day. I don't know what the ground temperature was that I started with, I would guess in the low to mid 40s.

Last night we had heavy frost and the goose water pans had 1/4 of ice on them. Last time I checked, around 8pm on the greenhouse, it was down to 64 degrees. This morning the greenhouse was 33 degrees, but the air coming out of the ground was 42 degrees. So it already is working.

The numbers today looked like this:
7am 33 degrees in, and 42 degrees out
9am 57 degrees in, and 45 degrees out
2 am 86 degrees in, 55 degrees out
(noticeable condensation in the pipes at this point. The greater the temp. difference, the greater the efficiency and heat transfer.)
9pm this evening the greenhouse is 42 degrees, and the air coming out of the ground is 46. It was overcast and cool today, so I doubt that I stored a bunch of heat. I've attached a geeks diagram of the process.

It has been Spring break, and the kids have been working hard for me. They got the goose and dog paddock/pasture enclosed. I'm ready to grade and seed grass in it. I got electricity into the greenhouse finished up. Did pretty good wiring my first switch and outlet. Nothing burned down when I flipped the breaker.

Last years seeds are up. I got hollyhocks, chives, garlic chives, and rudbeckias that survived the winter.I noticed some cosmos may be up. My lavender did not like the heavy soil. It is going to be difficult to have a French potager or cottage garden without lavender.

I have my seeds on heat mats in the greenhouse, that is why I'm not overly concerned right now with the low temp, as long as it stays above freezing.
Seeds Germinated today:
Early Jersey Wakefield Cabbage
Danish Ballhead Cabbage
Sweet William
Dahlia Victoriana
Shumway Broccoli Blend

Bev Wagoner stopped by today to visit. I drove bus with her. I found out that her Husband's Grandfather actually built this house where it stands. It was sold to the PUD, and in about 1968 Bev and Dick bought it back in the buy-back program for $1000. She didn't remember when it was built. She was really excited about all the work I've been doing, and loved that all the trees had come down. She has grown around Tree-of-Heaven before.

I've been applying for jobs, sending resume's ect. To no avail. I have applied for 2 years to various federal jobs in the area and never got past the computer testing. (A 1-2 hour process, where you answer questions about your qualifications.) The process is tedious, and the competition is fierce and nation wide. For example, I applied for a Gardener job for the National Parks Service in Stehekin. I have 25+ years of gardening, and a Masters Degree in Landscape Architecture. I received an email back that stated that I did not pass the computer screening, and that I did not have the qualifications they were looking for. Reading between the lines, I did not make the cut out of 1000s of applications submitted. People right now will relocate to the end of the earth for a job.

I was a little disappointed today. I had made the first couple of hurtles for a job with the Forest Service. I had passed the computer screening, and was guaranteed that a human was going to review my application and resume. The next step would be an interview. I was hopeful that I might have shot at it. I got an email this afternoon that the job opening had been cancelled, I'm sure it is because of the impending gov't shutdown. ("Thanks Tea Party, lets stop hiring and start laying people off in this wonderful economy.") It's hard to stay positive about some things. We were suppose to have a meeting with Silver Spur last week. Mr. Barnett's wife had an aneurism, and he had to cancel the meeting.

I've got a headache, so I'm going to call it a night.