Ebb 'N' Flow

Most all of the seeds that we directly sowed into the garden 3 weeks ago are off and running. Peas and beans are reaching skyward with their first delicate twining shoots, while our red romaine, spinach, mesclun mix and kale patches are filling out into dense pockets of leafy goodness. Even though the seedlings stand only an inch tall, their emerging leaves are starting to show distinct characher.
As for our inside seeds... Well, casualties are to be expected whether you're a new or a seasoned gardener, and we are sad to report that we lost a number of little seedy soldiers 2 weeks ago. Due to our place in the learning curve, we were uncertain of exactly how often to water the Oasis cubes, a whole flat of our beautiful Sun Gold tomatoes went the way of the Dodo. A word to those interested in germinating seeds: You want to do two things with the Oasis cubes. One, you want to water them when they're dry. The best way to check your flats' saturation is by weight. A well-watered tray will bow in the middle from the water content. A dry tray will lift evenly. You might hear the scratching sounds of the Grim Reaper if it's been too long. "Watering" means using a hose on a gentle setting or a watering can to soak the roots. The time between waterings can vary depending on the room temperature and the intensity of air circulation. In our case, it was the well-meaning fan that claimed the lives of our Sun Golds. Too much of a good thing.
Two, as we mentioned before, you want to mist your plantitas with a very diluted nutrient solution. Seaweed or fish emulsion are both good organice water-soluble foods for your plants. Misting is important in the morning, because that's when the plants' pores (or "stomata"--not to be confused with stigmata) are most receptive to fluid and gas exchange. No, seriously. It's all about fluid exchange. We don't make this stuff up. Initially, we got a little excited about planting seeds and didn't take into account that melons (cucumbers and gourds are in the melon or "cucurbit" family) like to cut their teeth on warmer temperatures. And so our melons are MIA. We have hope that they could be late-bloomers, but we know they could also be under the soil rotting from lack of heat. Poor little guys... Cross your fingers for our melons!