This is one of my folding tables that I use for hardening off seedlings. In early April, I will have four or more tables of veggies and flowering annuals set out to harden off. But right now I just have a few trays of cabbage, spinach, lettuce and cardoon to get ready for transplanting. I set the plants out on the table each morning, and bring them in each evening for about a week. Each day I move the table a few feet so that it gets an extra hour of sun each day. By next weekend I will be able to leave the table out in full sun and providing the night temps are moderate, overnight as well. By Saturday, I'll be transplanting them into the garden. If all goes well, I will also be seeding the carrots and beets next weekend. I had hoped to do it this weekend, but it has been really windy and cold, so I have decided to put it off for a week. If you are thinking of seeding some carrots soon, I would suggest stopping by your local coffee shop and asking if they would give you a couple of their empty burlap bags that the coffee beans come in. After sowing your carrot seeds, place the burlap over the seed bed, fix it in place with some landscape staples, and then dampen the whole bed, burlap and all, with water. The burlap keeps the soil from crusting over. Carrot seeds have trouble breaking the surface if the soil is crusted over. Carrots take a couple weeks to germinate, so give it two weeks and check for germination. If the majority of your seedlings are showing, remove the burlap. I like to apply a thin layer of compost as mulch after I remove the burlap. After the carrot tops have grown a bit, I add more mulch to keep the soil moist.
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