Hello garden gals and guys! I’m back.  The growing season is underway and spring is almost here. And you know what that means: dusting off the garden blog and getting back into the swing of things.

I have to admit, I wasn’t going to start any plants from seed this year because I just wasn’t in the mood for it.  Then I went to Tractor Supply to get chicken food and saw some organic seeds.  So I bought them and a seed starting tray and soil.  Then I went to my favorite online organic seed supplier and bought these:

Now, let me tell you about the paw paw seed.  I just found out about this fruit from a friend of mine.  They are native to North America, which I found really interesting.  They have a sweet, custard flavor and are like a cross between a banana, a mango, and a cantaloupe.  Sounds yummy, right? You would think a tropical fruit like that wouldn’t grow in North America, but my friend that lives on the eastern shore said they grow in the wild where he is!  So, I’m going to grow myself some paw paw.  
This is what they look like:
And this is what they look like inside:
They are a tree, but you don’t have to worry about bringing it in during winter since they are native to our climate.  Here’s what a paw paw tree looks like:
So the only thing I have to figure out is where I’m going to put my tree.  I’m sort of short on space.  
My planting list this year includes what you see in the picture above and collards, kale, beets, spinach, and broccoli.  
If you follow my blog, you know I always talk about feeding the soil.  But I’ve stumbled onto something new.  I usually feed my soil with well-composted horse manure, and manure from my chickens.  But my plants just haven’t been doing that well.  
Today, a gardening friend of mine in Australia posted about probiotic gardening.  It’s where you feed the soil with a probiotic. This helps build all the wonderful microorganisms in the soil which helps your plants grow healthy and strong. 
Of course, the product she uses is only available in Australia, but a little research and I found this:
It’s on Amazon.  So I’m going to buy that and feed my soil with it.  I’m hoping it’s just what my garden needs to get growing like it used to.  You know I’ll be posting pics along the way and letting you know how it works out, so stay tuned.  
And that’s about it from Fat Earth for now.  Until next time….
Happy gardening!!