Seedling Saturday
Friday night I made six Mokum and six Sugar Snax carrot seed mats, with 30 seeds at 2" spacing (180 seeds per variety, 360 seeds total). Of course, these won't be planted for another 2 1/2 months, but I was bored.
Black Seeded Simpson lettuce seedlings. I'll try to grow these indoors. I've not had much luck doing this in the past, but "If at first you don't succeed......" LOL!
Walla Walla, Copra and Red Grano onion seedlings in various stages of growth. These (and the lettuce seedlings) will soon be moved out to the garden shed, where it will be much cooler for them. I need to buy a couple more lights before I can move them out.
The KFC Go Cups are working great for tomatoes! These are Mini Gold, which I plan to try to grow to fruiting inside. I did that a few years ago, with pretty good success.
January Journal
1/6 Planted one pot Red Sails lettuce and one pot Wild Garden Mix lettuce. Placed in plant window. All RS seeds germinated within 3 days. WGM had just one seed germinate by 1/9, a second one emerged 1/15 and a third on 1/19. These plants were thinned to one in each pot and grown on windowsill (outside on sunny days). 1/18 accidentally broke stem on RS while watering. Pushed soil up around break, will see if it survives. 1/22 broken RS plant is thriving.
1/9 Planted one KFC container with 4 Mini Gold tomato seeds. Plan on growing them to the fruiting stage inside. #1 germinated 1/14. #2 germinated 1/15. 1/31 growing well and looking healthy.
1/14 Planted seed mat of 120 Red Grano onion seeds in plastic shoebox. Germination began 1/18 (4 days). Germination rate excellent. Gave first trim 1/27.
1/15 Set up seed starting shelves in laundry room. Got lettuce and tomato seedlings under lights, onion seeds on rope light to germinate.
1/18 Planted seed mat of 100 Red Grano onion seeds in plastic shoebox. Warm in laundry room under lights, will not use rope light for bottom heat. Germination began 1/22 (4 days). Germination rate excellent. Gave first trim 1/31.
1/21 Planted long container, 20 seeds, of Black Seeded Simpson for growing under lights. Germination began 1/24 (3 days). Thinned to 10 strongest.
1/22 Planted seed mats of 100 (each) Walla Walla and Copra onion seeds in plastic shoeboxes. Copra germinated 1/27 (5 days). WW germinated 1/28 (6 days). Germination rate excellent for both varieties.
1/23 Planted 4" pot of parsley. Very old seed.
1/25 Planted seed mats of 100 (each) Walla Walla and Copra onion seeds in plastic shoeboxes. Copra germinated 1/30 (5 days). WW germinated 1/31 (6 days). Germination rate excellent for both varieties.
1/31 Made six Mokum and six Sugar Snax carrot seed mats, 30 seeds @ 2" spacing (180 seeds per variety).
Wow your Red Grano onions come up fast. It usually takes my onion seeds about a week to germinate and sometimes longer. But then I don't give them heat. I hope your indoor lettuce grows well. I broke down and bought a head of Chinese cabbage this week and some green onions. I really miss my fresh green things over the winter.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, I didn't even give the other varieties any heat, it stays so warm in the laundry room. I think maybe too warm for the onions and lettuce. I need to clear all the growing paraphernalia out of the mini-greenhouse in the shed and get them moved. I think running the lights at night to keep them from freezing, and letting them stay quite cold during the day (it's dark in there) might be beneficial to the plants and slow down the growth a bit. I'm not betting on the lettuce. Grown indoors it seems to stay all floppy and doesn't get crispy. I'm hoping for some sunny days on the porch for them.
Deletelove your organization granny!!! i'm starting my seeds mid february. can't wait.
ReplyDeleteYou're smart, Kelli! I'm quite sure I'll wish I'd waited until February, LOL!
DeleteSeeing this really make me want to grow something. I could make some carrot seed mats while I wait. I hope to get things organized this weekend and maybe get some onion seeds started. Until then, I will read blogs to get my growing fix :)
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean, Rachel. I hauled all of my flats, cells and pots in the other day and ran everything through the dishwasher. I only have two chores lined up for the entire month (start some spinach and lettuce), so I'm pacing. I was so bored today I took my vacuum cleaner apart and washed the parts, LOL! Now I know why I never returned from Arizona until March.
DeleteI'm jealous as usual, LOL. It took me over an hour to recover my google account just so I could comment. I was very touched that I made the top of the your most missed bloggers. I've missed you too! I had no intention of ending my blog, life had other ideas though... It was late March before I realized that I had not even started any seeds yet! Things are on a more even keel now. I'm even considering blogging again. You are still one of my main inspirations.
ReplyDeleteOMG! Ed, you have me in tears this morning! No blogging, no emails..... I was so certain something horrible had happened to you, my dear friend. I am so happy and relieved to finally hear from you! Welcome back. You have been missed.
DeleteThis is all very exciting! I've started onions and cole crops… but isn't it a wee early to begin starting tomatoes?
ReplyDeleteOh, yes! I won't start my tomatoes until mid-March. The two little seedlings I have growing now will reside on my windowsill. They are a very small variety that I've grown inside before, and I was picking tomatoes from them by mid-April. I made the following notation in a blog post in 2012:
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April 30, 2012: Of course, in pots on the patio, I still have my four Minigold tomato plants that have been bearing fruit for a couple of weeks now.
Do you keep a journal like this every year! I have not made seed tapes for carrots but want to do that. Did you use toilet paper? I have been debating. Read that toilet paper might have a chemical in it. Someone suggested using newspapers. Have you heard anything of the sort? Nancy
ReplyDeleteNancy, I kept a journal in 2009, which was my best gardening year. I happened to read through it one day this year and decided it was a good thing to do.
DeleteI tried newspaper for my seed tapes once, but found it didn't work well for me. The newspaper is too sturdy, and doesn't disintegrate quickly in the soil. I use cheap toilet tissue or cheap napkins. The napkins work well for planting a square foot, the toilet paper for making narrower rows. I can't stress the word "cheap" too often. It's the cheap papers that fall apart as soon as water hits them, and the cheap toilet papers don't have added perfumes. Also necessary is waterproof glue, like Elmer's School Glue.
Thank you! I have some cheap napkins I think I will use for the boxes on the deck! Nancy
DeleteWow, you are starting early, Gran! I wish I had enough light inside my house to support a fruiting tomato plant. Hopefully one day I'll be able to afford a real greenhouse.
ReplyDeleteThomas, ll I have is that north facing plant window in the laundry room, but I grew one there a couple of years ago with luck, so it's worth another try. If it gets too large, I can always keep it cut back until I can get it out in the garden in May, or on the patio on sunny days in March/April. It grows into a very small plant, but it is indeterminate. I wish I had room for a small greenhouse!
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