Looks like spring...

I feel like we should have planted some peas today.  It feels much more like March lately than February.  We have been having abnormally mild weather this winter with below average snow fall.  What little snow we’ve had doesn’t stay around for long.

Today we soaked parsley (Giant of Italy) and Goji berries in preparation for planting in the seed starting tray tomorrow.  Parsley takes a long time to germinate from what we understand and we want to have a couple of pots for bitter herbs at Passover.  After storing the seeds in the refrigerator, a warm soaking is supposed to help speed along germination.  We are putting them in a seed starting tray which has long narrow strips.  We will post a picture soon.

Goji berries are originally from China and brought over to America with the immigrants, many of whom worked on the railroads.  This berry, which is full of antioxidants, is credited, along with their diet, for enabling the workers to survive despite the horrible working conditions. The Chinese workers completed more track faster than the other workers due to their work ethic and health. There are still Goji berry plants growing wild in Utah near the Salt Lake which are credited to the Chinese workers who planted them while in camps.

We purchased a bag of dried organic Goji berries and from those we are starting plants. They are hardy to zone 4 and appreciate alkaline soil. We will have to amend the ground where we plant them as our sand is generally acidic. Hopefully we will have some seeds germinate and in about 3 or 4 years perhaps harvest a few Goji berries. The bushes can reach 8 to 10 feet in height and width when they are happy so we will have to plan well where we put it. If the seeds don’t work we may have to purchase a plant.