The saying is classic, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” When we devote our full attention to a single effort, especially one that is subject to the elements, we stack the chips of risk. Risk is inherent in life and exists at every turn with every decision we make. There is no avoiding it, but why not manage that risk if the opportunity presents itself. Here was my first crop for the spring, finally transplanted into the garden in mid-April on a beautiful sunny day.

Finally have the soil turned and sprouts in the ground

Here is the day after…

...and there goes the new seedlings

The lesson is a good one and simple one when it comes to gardening. “Plant often.” Most of the garden has died, not suited for a second day in a full hail storm. By planting all my cucumber together, they all suffered the same fate…along with the chard, arugula, carrots, and pumpkins. If I had spread out the sprouting of all these vegetables over time, my available window of vegetables reaching maturity would have been longer. It also allows for these crops to ripen at different times allowing for a continual flow of produce over the summer rather than a single day’s harvest yielding a bucket full of cucumbers. This method seems to contrast a farmer’s effort to bring large amounts of produce to market. It is a simple observation from a first time over zealous gardener. Luckily, I sprouted many seedlings and did not have space for all of them when I first transplanted so I was able to replace what went under in the hail storm.

On a side note, crops I have directly sowed as seed seem to be doing much better than those that were transplanted after sprouting inside. The act of transplanting itself could hinder the growth as roots have to re-establish and sprouts have to readjust to a harsher outdoor climate.

A pumpkins first days