Growing Seedlings

I'm so happy my seedlings are doing better this year, especially since it is my first attempt at growing tomatoes from seed. Here's some quick picks of my green babies:

the whole setup

mountain magic tomatoes

red romaine (front) & swiss chard (back)

gem marigolds, green romaine & ground cherries (l to r)

gem marigold close up

teeny ground cherries (back & right)

Gardening with Babies

I just saw this article in mothering magazine about gardening with babies. Somehow it had never really occured to me that you could bring a baby that young in the garden. Of course, I'd already gotten excited about the prospect of feeding K. his first tastes of some vegetables straight from the garden I'd grown myself. He's 6 months now, so we've just started him on solids. And I look forward to getting him involved in gardening tasks once he's a toddler. I already even bought two really cute books about gardening for him.

But, it just didn't occur to me to put a baby in the dirt like the picture in that article! To be honest, it gives me a bit of the heebie jeebies, thinking of all the bugs I've seen in the soil, his hands digging in it, and then his hands in his mouth. Obviously I'm all about gardening, but that's a bit much even for me. I guess if I watch him very carefully with a wet washcloth ready, it would be fun.

I do like the idea of working with him in a carrier though. I have a mei tai and he loves it. So I think he'd really enjoy hanging out on my back in the garden, and I'm sure it would be a great workout!

Anyway, I just thought it was a cute article and figured I'd post it. It was an excuse to post a picture of him eating his first sweet potato last week lol. Soon it will be carrots straight from the garden!

As for the garden, I'm so excited it is coming alive. There is a bunch of mache that reseeded itself that is just about ready for harvest. Radishes, lettuce, and arugula that I planted outside a few weeks ago are all germinated. This weekend I planted carrots, turnips, red & green mustard greens, scallions, more lettuce, and more peas outside.

Inside my seedlings are doing really well! (much better than last year) Under the lights I've got 10 tangerine gem marigolds, 4 swiss chard, 6 lettuces, 6 tomatoes and 2 ground cherries. The marigolds and 3 of the tomatoes almost have their 2nd set of leaves, so it will be time to repot soon.

2011 Planting Plan

It's that time of year again. I think I'm actually a bit late in planning even though it is only February, since I'm hoping to grow tomatoes from seed this year. It will be my first time so I need to learn more about the particulars, but I think I need to start the seeds pretty soon.

I'm only going to do 2 tomato plants this year, since most of them did really poorly last year. That's also why I want to grow them from seed - I'm trying to grow varieties that are resistant to blight. I know Sungold cherry tomatoes are one, since they did ok last year despite all 5 other tomato plants failing. I read about some others: the mountain series, ferline, legend & fantasio (which only seems to be available in the UK). They all appear to be determinate, except for ferline, but it is late season. Legend is early season, but determinate. I'm tempted to grow both, but then I won't have room for ground cherries. So I still need to decide.

I'm also cutting down on pepper plants this year. The italian fryers and mini orange peppers did great last year, while the bell peppers did hardly anything so I'm eliminating those. I didn't like the nardello or pepperoncini much, even though they grew very well. So I'm sticking with Marconi Golden and Little Dickens. I think I might try bananarama for green fryers just for something different. And I might replace the bells with a hungarian blocky type. As for hots, my husband barely ate any last year, even though they grew ok, so I told him he lost his privilege to my limited garden space lol. So I'm only growing 1 jalapeno for my salsas.

I thought this would leave me with a lot of extra room to fit in somewhat exotic plants I couldn't fit in before like endives and ground cherries, but in compiling this plan I quickly realized once again my imagination outpaces my limited space! I wanted to add some bush beans and soybeans this year, but there just isn't going to be room. And I'll probably only get a handful of peas but what are you gonna do.

So here it is, drumroll please:

BED ONE (large + fence) 42 x 94.5 = 3.5' x 7.9' = 27.6' = 27.5'

Spring: turnips & carrots

Summer: green beans, turnips & carrots

fall: radishes & lettuce

BED TWO (small + fence) 31.5 x 46 = 2.6' x 3.8' = 9.8 sq ' = 10'

Spring through fall: endives

Summer: cool breeze cucumbers

In front of beds 1 & 2: gem marigolds

Front: calendula bed

Fence: climbing nasturtiums

BED THREE (small) 31.5 x 47.5 = 2.6' x 3.9' = 10.14 = 10'

Spring through fall: Strawberries & Chard

Behind bed three: Chamomile & Borage, lavender

BED FOUR (large) 58.5 x 126 = 4.9' x 10.5' = 51.45' = 51.5'

Spring: radishes, lettuce, cabbage & arugula

Summer: ground cherries, tomatoes, squash, basil

fall: maybe lettuce & cabbage

OTHER SIDE OF YARD

BED FIVE (large + fence)

Spring: peas & radishes

Summer: trombochino & peppers

Fall: same

BED SIX (large + fence) 39" x 94" - 3' x 7' - 21 sq '

Spring: leeks, mustard greens & lettuce

Summer: diva & rocky cucumbers

Fall: leeks, arugula, mustard greens, mache

nearby: bush nasturtiums

Seedlings I Planted Myself

Although I bought most of my plants this year, and direct seeded the rest outside, there were a couple that I started inside and grew under lights.

These are most of them - Diva cucumbers & Cavili squash. The Diva seed packet went into great detail about planting them inside, so I didn't plant them outside like I usually do with cukes. I asked on Gardenweb if that was necessary- and another Diva grower said it wasn't, but would give better germination. Since we were having a cold snap, I figured I might as well do them inside.

Well, he wasn't kidding about germination! I got 100% by just 3 days after planting. I swear, one morning I left work work and nothing was there, then I came home and Bam! they looked like this! I couldn't believe it.

Now here they are 10 days later. I hardened them off for about a week, and planted them after I took this picture.

And here's the Cavili squash on the same day, with the other seeds I planted - Lemon Gem Marigolds - in the back:

The marigolds were a bit of a disaster this year. Well, ok - let's call it a "learning experience". First of all, you can see that four of the cells are empty - those didn't even germinate. That may be because I used the same pack of seeds I bought in spring 09. Also, I planted them sometime in Mid-April but the ones that did grow are still tiny. Maybe that's normal but I'm not sure.

Then, at the same time I planted seeds I saved myself from the red and tangerine gem marigolds I bought from Well Sweep herb farm last year. Not one of those germinated. Once again, I turned to the awesome Gardenweb forums for advice, and discovered that you should save seeds from the plants at different times during the growing season. This is because if there are no pollinators around, or the weather is too hot or too cold, you may not get viable seeds from the blooms. I saved all of mine from the plants at the end of the season, so it was probably too late for pollinators and too cold. I also learned that the different colors will cross-pollinate, so it is unclear what colors I'll get from the seeds I save. One of them might be dominant, or I could get all sorts of combinations.

After finding that out I went ahead and soaked ALL of the seeds I saved last year overnight, and tried to presprout them on moist paper towels. Out of hundreds of seeds, maybe 10 of them sprouted. Unfortunately, as 1 more thing in a comedy of errors, I left them in the paper towels longer than I should have. I still tried planting them even though they had 2 leaves and a long tail, and out of the 5 or 6 I planted, 1 is now still alive.

So I finally gave up and bought a pack of tangerine gems from Seed Savers, since I have room for around 20 plants. They are germinating now. It is a little late to start them, but they'll probably still be blooming by July or so, and will keep flowering into October, so not too big of a deal. At least now I know a little more and hopefully this year I'll do a better job at saving the seeds.

Self-sown Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums are supposed to self-seed, but I read they are a little finiky and won't always do it. I wasn't able to save any seeds last year, because it was hard to get them ripe enough and I just didn't have the motivation to tie baggies on them or anything. So I wasn't sure what I'd get this year and bought seeds anyway.

Now I'm happy to report at least a couple did self-sow. The funny thing is, 3 out of the 4 or 5 of the plants grew inside the holes of the concrete blocks, not in the bed!

That's ok though, I left them there anyway and will just train them over onto the fence. I'm hoping maybe a few more will pop up when the weather gets warmer, guess we'll see.

Awesome DIY Seed Tape

I'll never forget trying to plant my fall crop of carrots and turnips in the heat and humidity of August 2009. It was backbreaking and excrutiatingly sweaty. Well, never again will I have to go through that, thanks to information about how to make DIY seed tape that I read on the gardenweb forums.

I tried it for the first time this spring, and I'm happy to report it worked great! Here's what I did:

First I soaked my seeds overnight (each type in its own section of an ice cube tray). That made them sort of sticky.

Then I laid toilet paper out on a plastic tablecloth, misted it with a spray water bottle, and spaced the seeds out onto it with measuring tape as a guide. Then I folded the tp over and voila! seed tape.

The only tricky part was making sure the tape didn't blow open/away when I brought it outside. I guess that would be less of a problem if you use Elmer's glue as some people suggest, but since I wasn't planting a ton of rows, it wasn't really a big deal for me. It was so much easier than bending down to plant each individual seed! All I had to do was make a trench at the right depth, lay the tp tape on it, and bury it with soil. All of the hard part was done while comfortably sitting on my couch. :-)

Here is a piece of radish seed tape getting buried:

And the result about a month and a half later. I think they're spaced pretty nicely, considering I didn't do any thinning at all!

The carrots and turnips I planted with the seed tape worked pretty nicely too. It is a little tougher to see since some clovers have since popped up around the carrots that I still need to weed - but you can see 3 distinct rows of carrots & 2 rows of turnips. All with no thinning at all. I will never do it the old way again!

It's That Time of Year Again

Time to figure out what seeds to buy and start growing inside. I want to grow everything, but I only have so little space this is really tough!

2010 PLANTING PLAN

1. BED ONE (large + fence) 42 x 94.5 = 3.5' x 7.9' = 27.6' = 27.5'
Spring: lettuce
Summer: Trombonchino squash, 2 italian frying, 2 green bell, 2 red or something bell peppers
fall: nothing

2. BED TWO (small + fence) 31.5 x 46 = 2.6' x 3.8' = 9.8 sq ' = 10'
Spring: mustard greens
Summer: cucumbers & endives
Fall: nothing

In front of beds 1 & 2: gem marigolds
Front: calendula bed
Fence: climbing nasturtiums

3. BED THREE (small) 31.5 x 47.5 = 2.6' x 3.9' = 10.14 = 10'
Spring & Summer: Strawberries and Chard

Behind bed three: Chamomile & Borage, lavender

4. BED FOUR (large) 58.5 x 126 = 4.9' x 10.5' = 51.45' = 51.5'
Spring: radishes & arugula
Summer: soybeans, cavili squash (Parthenocarpic), Chinese cabbage, hot pepper
fall: lettuce, carrots & turnips

OTHER SIDE OF YARD
5. BED FIVE (large + fence)
Spring: peas, radishes
Summer: tomatoes & jalapeno
Fall: nothing

6. BED SIX (large + fence) 39" x 94" - 3' x 7' - 21 sq '
Spring: Carrots & turnips
Summer: same
Fall: arugula, mustard greens, mache

nearby: bush nasturtiums

7. BED SEVEN (shade, in ground)
Same perennials - ferns, mint, shisho (will hopefully reseed), yarrow, anise hyssop

8. NEW BED EIGHT:
Spring: ???
Summer: Emerite beans & leeks, basil

Well, that was easier than last year. I already went and bought all my seeds! Good thing too because the squash I wanted was only sold by one place, I'm sure it will sell out. Here's what I bought, and that's all I'll need. Everything else I have saved from last year.

• Cucumbers - Diva (slicer), Cool Breeze & Rocky (both mini picklers). All 3 are Parthenocarpic.
• Endive (witloof) - Totem OG
• Nasturtiums, climbing - Jewel of Africa
• Nasturtiums, bush- Kaleidscope OG
• Summer squash, bush - Cavili, also Parthenocarpic
• Chinese cabbage - Lettucy type
• Carrots - Napoli OG
• Leeks - King Richards (early & long) & Giant Musselburgh (old heirloom, very winter hardy)

The only other thing I'll have to buy are a few pepper, tomato and basil plants, since I think it would be too much to grow from seed inside. I will probably do the cucumbers and squash inside to get an early start, as well as marigolds like I did last year. I'll get the others from this nursery in NJ: http://www.chileplants.com

Everything's In!

Wow, I planted my heart out yesterday. I was planting from 10AM until 7PM. But finally, everything I have is in the ground. Yep, the whole big list!

I am soooo excited for it all to grow. I planted something in every possible inch of the backyard. If everything grows, I'm going to have veggies and flowers out my ears!

Yesterday I also noticed the snap peas finally grew the first pod. Then this morning I looked again, and now there are 7 or 8! One is even a couple inches long, looks like it will be ready to eat in a few days. I swear that wasn't there yesterday. It was like they grew the pea pods overnight!

More great news: I found the camera battery and took lots of pictures. In fact, I took so many I don't even know where to begin posting! Of course, it doesn't look like much yet either, since lots still has to grow. But I'll try anyway. Here's a couple long shots of each side of the yard.

Above, you see the left side. There are 5 beds: along the big fence on the left, in the front is the peas & salad, in the back is peppers and the future home of climbing zuchinni that hasn't sprouted yet. Behind that is the herb garden. Then, on the right near the white picket fence, in the front is the large bed with basil, peppers, tomatoes, and some of the remaining radishes & arugula.

Then below you see two shots of the two new beds on the other side of the backyard. On the left, mustard greens, more peppers & squash, plus emerite pole beans that haven't sprouted yet. On the right, carrots, beets & turnips. Of course, more close up shots will follow soon enough. (you may also want to scroll back a bit through the last couple posts, as I updated them with cute pictures of lambs and chickens!)

































I also have a decent picture of another new, somewhat strangely placed bed. Like I said, I planted every possible inch of the backyard! haha

Below you can see the fern & mint garden in a little corner between the house and the fence. I think this may end up being my favorite. I don't know why, I just love ferns so much. I wasn't sure if I should buy the white yarrow (that's the plant in the front on the left) but I'm so glad I did - I think it is going to look awesome next to the Ostrich Fern in the back left corner. I can't wait to eat the fiddleheads next spring!! In the middle of the yarrow and the fern you can only barely see the purple perilla (shiso, Japanese mint) in the shade. On the right, in the back is white peppermint, and the front is pineapple mint.

I am also putting a couple paths in there with stepping stones, just haven't gotten to that point yet in this picture. I already dubbed the concrete block in front of the yarrow my "contemplation seat". Makeshift for sure, but still, so peaceful. I sat and contemplated the ancient, even prehistoric nature of this garden for a good long time when I was done. Eventually, I plan to get a real stool in there for this purpose. Maybe I'll even dry the yarrow stalks to read the symbolism of random events using the I-Ching . Now that would be cool. haha

New Grow Light Setup Finally Done

There it is in all its 2 24", 20 watt full spectrum florescent bulb glory, with the leggy lettuce seedlings underneath. Of course, after we finally finish it I read additional information that says you should use 40 watt bulbs, not 20 watt which is what I bought. Gah. I really hope it is enough and I didn't waste my money! Guess we'll see.

Cold Moist Stratification

This is something new that I just learned about this year. Apparently some seeds, usually perennials, need what's called "Cold Moist Stratification" in order to germinate. Normally in nature seeds of these plants lie dormant over the winter, and it is only after a period of freezing and rain that they germinate in the spring. If these types of seeds don't experience this treatment they won't break out of their tough shells. Here is a great explanation of stratification.

I decided to try the "winter sowing" method. There are pansies and johnny jump ups in the round take out container and lavender in the seltzer bottle. The seltzer bottle is inside a pot with rocks in the bottom just so it won't blow away. I poked drainage holes in the bottom of both, then filled them with soil and planted the seeds. I also poked ventilation holes in the tops. As it gets warmer, I'm supposed to make these holes bigger and bigger but it hasn't gotten that warm yet. It was probably a bit late to start them at the beginning of March, but as you can see on the 5th there was still snow, and it has been pretty cold all through the month so hopefully it will still work.

The anise hyssop also went in a small container, but got a little different treatment. The seeds were so tiny I practically needed a magnifying glass to see them, so I wrapped them in a moist paper towel and placed that inside the container. I read that the hyssop needs light for germination so I carefully put them under just one layer of paper.

Unfortunately, last weekend I checked on them and they were very wet, so I got the bright idea to unfold the paper towel and leave them in the sun to get light. Not such a smart move, since of course I proceeded to forget about them, the sun dried the towel and the wind blew it off the table. *sigh* I lost all but three seeds. I will probably only need two plants since I know that hyssop can grow really huge so hopefully they'll germinate! You can see it here on March 13th with the other two containers, all set to get frozen outside overnight.

Today was the first day I saw anything green in any of the three containers. It looks like one of the pansies sprouted! I hope more grow in the coming weeks.

End of March: Wonderful News!

Despite having freezing cold nights at the beginning of this week, all of the veggies I planted outside are growing! I went outside Thursday and couldn't believe my eyes, all of the peas I planted (both types) are peeking out of the soil. I counted them last night - there are nearly 40 pea sprouts. The arugula also survived the cold, and the whole row looks great. We even have two radish sprouts.

The inside seedlings are still ok, though leggy. I'm going to harden off the lettuce this week then plant them deep so hopefully they'll recover once in the garden. Of course, as you can see below the cut-and-come again tray of extra seedlings I didn't even plan to plant is looking way better than the leggy lettuce in individual containers! Oh the irony.

I'm getting excited now for the next few weeks in April. Lots of things to be planted. I made another plan (yes, I couldn't help it haha) for exactly when to plant the seedlings according to the moon cycles. I went with different dates since the Farmer's Almanac seemed to early considering the cold weather we've been having, based on the conventional wisdom that leafy plants with seeds on the outside go in the first quarter, annuals with seeds on the inside second quarter, root veggies and perennials in the 3rd and nothing in the 4th. I don't know if it is bubkus or not, but I figure there is no harm in trying since it is pretty much right on time as far as the weather anyway. This is the plan for the next two weeks:

Today:

• Pre-germinate radish seeds for early (non-moon) planting in the next few days. I want to put these in early where I will plant warm weather veggies in May so they'll be ready for harvest by then. It will be interesting to compare them to the later moon sown radishes, although I won't know if any difference is due to the moon or just warmer weather.

4/1 or 4/2:

• Start flowers inside - Tray 1 = Calendula (10 flashback, 5 octoberfest), Marigold (2), Bergamot (3 fitulosa + 3 didyma) & Garlic Chives (2)
  
• Tray 2 = Nasturtium (10 climbing, 5 empress, 6 whirlybird), Balloon Flower (2), Mallow (2)
• Tray 3 = Hollyhock (15) & English Daisy (10)
• Direct sow more lettuce & arugula plus mustard greens, mache and chard
• Transplant lettuce seedlings

4/4 or 4/5:

• Direct-sow a couple more peas to fill in any empty spots

4/11 or 4/12:

• Direct-sow turnips, beets, carrots & more radishes
• Plant purchased berries outside - raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

Final Seed Order 2009

Yep, couldn't help myself- oops I did it one more time.

Here is today's order:

• English Daisy Tasso Strawberries and Cream
• Balloon Flower Astra White
• Monarda Panorama Red Shades
• Hollyhock Mallow 'Mystic Merlin'
• Hollyhock Creme de Cassis
• Organic Cilantro Longstanding
• Organic Dill Bouquet

I'm not sure I'll even have enough room for all of these flowers, but we'll see what happens.

As far as the third week of March update- some good and bad news. The good news is I've got two pole peas growing, and the whole row of arugula has sprouted wonderfully. No action on the bush peas in the strawberry bed, so something clearly went wrong there. No big deal though, I have plenty of extra seeds. I plan to soak and replant in the first week of April.

This experimental early March planting has told me that you don't necessarily gain much from starting earlier in this climate. This is probably especially true this year, since it has been so cold. Tonight it is supposed to go down into the 20's! That's the bad news. I hope the arugula lives!

I still may try to start early next year, as the head start on cool weather plants will leave more room for the warm weather plants in my small garden. But I think it will have to be protected by a double row cover greenhouse as described in "Four Season Harvest" by Eliot Coleman. Unfortunately the Agribon I purchased was back-ordered until at least 3/20, and I haven't received it yet.

More mixed news for the indoor seedlings. The lettuce and violet seedlings are doing OK, but some of the lettuce plants seem pretty leggy. So I'm a bit disappointed with these results too. I think it may be because we didn't get enough artificial light on them soon enough. The good news is Mr. Aubade was able to set up the shop lights using the corded switch. However, we forgot to ask the hardware store to cut the chain in half, and our hack saw wouldn't work to cut it. So we've got to go back to the store today and ask them to cut it, then we can finally hang the big grow lights and start the flower seedlings.

Ultimately I think the lettuce seedlings will survive, but I bet whatever I direct seed in the beds in the next week or two will grow just as well as the ones I started inside. Oh well, live and learn. They sure look cute on the windowsill anyway!

Sweet! My First Spring Pea

At least I think that's what this is. I noticed it on Saturday, in just the right spot where we planted the Sugar Snaps outside under the trellis. Looks a little crinkly but I think it's the first pea to grow this season! I can't wait for fresh peas mm mmm.

I also planted the Dark Seeded Early Perfection Pea variety leftover from last fall, but none of those have sprouted yet as far as I can see.

Then last week, in the middle of the night- I was a midnight poker! Not a joker, or a smoker, but a seed poker. (oh my) Don't know what came over me, must have been the warm weather I guess- but I decided I just had to plant a row of arugula about 11:30 at night. hahaha None of them have sprouted yet either.

Finally, last night we started some radishes. It was still a bit too cold, my soil thermometer said 46-47, but the package said ideal soil temp for radishes is 55 - 80. So I only planted 1 sq. foot with 5 white radish and 6 easter egg radish seeds as an experiment. I hope they grow!

New Indoor Lighting Set-up: Check! (Sortof)

We got the Gorm set up, but the 24" florescent light setup from Lowe's = fail. It has no plug or switch.I thought we'd have to return it but my partner says maybe we can use a "corded switch" for the shop light. Unfortunately I don't know anything about hooking up a shop light apparently. They made it seem so simple in gardening books, and I even asked the employee at Lowe's - but none of them said anything about the need to purchase and attach a corded switch.

Good news is, we had the other florescent lights and managed to jerry-rig them with duct tape and pipe cleaners. Also put the fan on them for good air circulation, and misted them with a spray bottle.

First Week of March Garden Update

I planted peas!! It was 69 degrees here yesterday, and despite 8 inches of snow and freezing temperatures in the beginning of the week, my raised beds were totally workable. I tested it with a shovel, and was able to dig up all the over-wintered carrots remaining from last spring. So, I set to work and cleaned up all 4 of the existing beds. First I removed the remains of the kale, dried branches, etc., then weeded & raked. I also extended the strawberry bed into twice its size. Then spread about a cup of rock phospate and another of cottonseed meal on the beds, lightly tilled it in with a garden claw and watered. Finally, I planted two types of peas.

I also started 6 types of lettuce inside last week. I soaked them first, and to my surprise I got 100% germination! So I have 25 individual seedlings about 1 inch tall now, and I put all the leftovers in one big tray to use as cut and come again variety. I have a little florescent light on them but today I'm going over to the hardware store to get a bigger light and we are going to build a table-top growlight system.

Finally, I started some flowers and herbs. I soaked johny jump ups and pansies using the soaking method, but they are just starting to germinate now so they aren't planted yet. I also winter-sowed some lavender, pansies, and johnny jump ups in recycled containers outside. Who knew it would get warm so fast! My partner also got me these neat looking soda-type-can planters from a computer show he went to last week. Inside are violas and lavender, plus soil & fertilizer already in there. So you just had to pop the can open and water it. Neither of these have sprouted yet either, so I guess we'll see what happens.

Here is the finished indoor setup on March 8th:



Update: This all of the lettuce, two days after the above (3/10), when I added a second florescent light:

Gardening Binge 2009 #2: Check!

I knew after my last seed order a few weeks ago, there were still a few things I forgot. I definitely wanted to order the Agribon row covers. I also want to make the existing wild violet area (as described in this post last year) on the other side of the yard into an edible flower bed, but didn't get anything for that when I ordered my veggies. So, today I had some time to spare and of course my thoughts immediately went to my garden, and the little violets that should be sprouting any week now. One thing led to another, and bye bye hard earned $$$! Haha. At least I don't feel too bad since they are all edible and most perennial. Here's the haul, all organic, from Peaceful Valley:

• Anise Hyssop (Mint Licorice) Agastache foeniculum
• White Yarrow Achillea millefolium*
• Bergamot Lavender Monarda fistulosa*
• Calendula Flashback Calendula officinalis
• Nasturtium Rainbow Whirlybird Mix Tropaeoleum majus
• Nasturtium Climbing Amazon Mix Tropaeolum majus
• Garlic Chives Allium tuberosum
• Catalogna (Italian) Dandelion Greens Cichorium intybus (these were Free!)
• Tendergreen Mustard (also Free!)
  
• Mache Gala (a.k.a. lamb's lettuce or corn salad)
• The lightest Agribon (19) to keep the worms off my Kale
• The next heavier Agribon (30) to protect crops from frost

*Native to New Jersey!

Wuhoo! I'm so excited I don't even know what to do with myself. Well, actually I do- make lots and lots of origami boxes to use as pots for indoor seedlings! I better get to it- hopefully it will work and you'll see the results in my next post.

Now I need to put some more details here on a couple of these new plants that I've never grown before.
-Anise Hyssop= Height: 2-4'; Spacing:18-24 in. (45-60 cm); Sun to Light Shade; Propagation: From seed; sow indoors before last frost (cold, moist stratification dramatically improves germination); blooms mid to late summer

-White Yarrow= Height: 6" - 4'; Spacing: 1 - 2'; Full Sun; Drought resistant; Propagation: Divide in the spring. The seed germinates in 2 weeks at temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees. Light is necessary for seed germination (so plant no deeper than 1/4 inch). Germination time indoors may be as little as 5 to 7 days.; bloom in June, but will bloom again in September if the dead clusters are removed

-Bergamot Lavender = Height: 3' - 5' (mowing may keep it shorter & water/fertilizer will make it grow huge); Spacing: 12 - 24" (good air circulation keeps away powdery mildew); Full sun to light shade; Somewhat drought resistant (moreso than monarda didyma) but may like moist feet - seems to depend; Propagation: Direct seed 2 seeds/in or start indoors 4-6 wks before last frost and transplant when frost danger has passed. Planting Depth: 1/8"-1/4"Soil Temp. for Germ.: 60-70°FDays to Germ.: 10-21; Blooms in June/July, may continue through Sep. if deadheaded

Other Possibilities:

• Tagetes tenuifolia (lemon or tangerine signet marigold)
• Malva sylrestris (common mallow, french hollyhock)
• and/or Alcea rosea (Hollyhock) probably doesn't taste as good as mallow but it sure is cute! Also has upward, tall habit
• Bellis perennis (English Daisy, Lawn Daisy) small, adorable and I NEED it haha
• Centaurea cynaus (Bachelor's Button, Cornflower) pretty, blue, many colors but also large: 2 - 3 feet tall
• Platycodon grandiflorum (Balloon Flower) Another purple 2 - 3 foot tall totally gorgeous edible flower
  

Seed Binge 2009: Check!

I've been super busy but after this weekend's 50 degree temps I could wait no longer. I just placed my seed orders!! Here is what I bought:

From Natural Gardening Company:

• Emerité Pole Bean Seed
• Buttercrunch Lettuce Seed*
• Merveille De Quatre Saisons Butterhead Lettuce Seed
• Vivian Romaine Lettuce Seed
• "Astro" Arugula
• Red Ace Beet Seed*
• Fordhook Giant Swiss Chard Seed*
• Marketmore Cucumber Seed*
• White Icicle Radish Seed*
• Easter Egg II Radish Seed
• Purple Top White Globe Turnip Seed*

From Cook's Garden:

• Summer Squash Tromboncino
• Beet Lutz Green Leaf
• Pea Sugar Snap*
• Carrot Napoli Hybrid

Whee I'm excited now! Seeds with an asterisk* next to them were specifically listed as good types to grow in New Jersey by Rutgers: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/download-free.asp?strPubID=FS681 , with the exception of Fordhook Chard which was suggested by a NJ gardener on the garden web forums.

Although that is a long list, I'm still going to have to buy quite a few plants from the nursery. I know I don't have a lot of time this year, and my indoor growing set-up doesn't really exist yet, so I only went with mostly things to be direct seeded outside. A lot of the above list will also be planted in the fall. Last year I learned quickly that you have to get them in the spring, because by the time fall came around none of my local stores had any plants or seeds.

This is what I plan to get from the nursery:

• Yellow Squash
• Regular Zucchini
• Grape Tomatoes
• Rutgers Tomatoes
• Two types of heirloom (maybe from the Rutger's special plant sale)
• Cucumber, maybe a pickling variety & another long seedless
• Italian peppers
• Jalapeno
• Habanero
• Bell Peppers (maybe red and orange)
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Mint
• Basil
• Borage
• Assorted herbs for my dog's garden (haha yes you read that right my dog gets his own garden. This will be explained in a later post)
• Raspberries
• Blueberries
• Strawberries
• Nasturtiums
• Marigolds
• Daisies

I think that's it! Phew!

Spring Planning in the Snow

It has been sooo cold here over the past week. I can't take it anymore, I feel like a popsicle. It keeps snowing a little bit at a time so my poor partner has had to go outside and shovel just about every other day. Good thing he is Canadian and prides himself on his shoveling skills! He keeps bragging about how our sidewalk is the most ice free of the block. Haha I'm so annoyed that it has only been accumulating about an inch. I love snow- so if it is going to be this cold at least we could get enough snow to take the day off and go sledding or build a snowman or something!

The only things keeping me warm are my dog and thinking about what I'll grow in the spring. This is the first time I've ever tried growing seeds inside to plant out in the spring so it should definitely be a learning experience. I'm researching the best varieties to order and drawing up a plan of how to rotate my beds. Looks like the is a 50% chance of 32 degree weather on April 20th and a 10% chance by May 1st. So like last year, I'll plant the warm weather crops the first weekend of May, but the cold weather crops could probably go in as early as April 1st. That seems kind of late though...I think I'll have to do a little more research on that. In any case, I better get to ordering my seeds in the couple weeks so I can start growing them inside in March.

Edit: Aha! I just found this additional planting calendar from the farmer's almanac that even tells you when is a good time to plant in accordance with the moon. http://www.almanac.com/garden/plantingtable/index.php As I suspected, it says to plant the cool weather veggies like chard and beets in mid March. It still says not to plant beans until mid April. I thought they should go out earlier than that. Hmm. I've never grown any beans except those scarlet runner beans last year that didn't do well at all, so this is completely new to me. I'd really like to grow haricot verts this year. I'm thinking almost definitely Emerite Pole Beans, or maybe Straight N Narrow. I might try Soleil bush beans too. I think I'll have to call my friend the Master Gardener and my brother to find out what they think.

Here is a picture of my dog playing in the snow in the meantime. Today he was eating the flakes in the air as they fell. Too cute. :-)

Seeds Grown in 2008

Here's the specific list of seeds that I grew this year. I have a lot leftover for most of them. I wonder if they will still be good to plant next spring, or do I have to buy new ones? Maybe putting them in the freezer will help, like how I keep my seeds for sprouting. I have no idea, guess I gotta research an answer. Some definitely grew better than others, so I noted the results below as well. E = Excellent, A = Average, P = Poor

Spring 2008. All were direct sowed outside in the beginning of May unless otherwise specified.

Seed Savers Exchange:

• E = Velvet Queen Sunflower - Helianthus annuus. These were great, will definitely grow again.
• A = Five Color Silverbeet (Rainbow Swiss Chard) - Beta vulgaris. Slow to grow but good once they did.
• A = Scarlet Runner Bean - Phaseolus coccineus. Grew well, looked pretty, but did not produce enough beans.
• A = Early Scarlet Globe Radish - Raphanus sativus. These grew well but too quickly. Had gigantic tall spiky leaves but tiny, tough roots. Only a few were edible.
  
• A = Jolly Jester Marigold - Tagetes patula. Slow to grow but nice once they did.
• P = Empress of India Nasturtium - Troaeolum minus. These were a real disappointment. Grew about 3 inches tall, bloomed lovely red flowers that tasted wonderful, then mysteriously died. Maybe b/c they were in hanging pot on the porch?
• P = Spearmint - Mentha viridis. Awful. Grew 2 inches tall if that, then died. Maybe b/c they were also in a hanging pot on the porch.
• P = Cilantro - Coriandrum sativum. A few managed to grow about 6 inches tall, then died. Did not reseed.
  
• P = Grandma Einck's Dill - Anethum graveolens. A few little seedlings grew about 2 inches tall, then died. Did not even go to seed.
• P = Scarlet Nantes Carrot - Daucus carota. These grew, but the carrots only ever got about 1 or 2 inches long, and thin. Maybe b/c they got overshadowed by peppers and didn't get enough sun though.
  

Park Seed:

• E = 5557 Cucumber Pearl Hybrid. These were awesome, totally unexpectedly, since they were included in my order for free. Germinated two plants inside in peat pots, then planted outside when they had two or three leaves. They ended up growing just as well, if not better, than a super healthy nursery cucumber I planted right next to them.
  
• P = 5660 Spinach Malabar Red Stem. Direct sowed outside in June. Did not germinate at all.
  

Sean Conway (from Target):

• E = Parsley (plain) - Certified Organic, Single Italian Flat leaf. This plant grew extremely well. Seemed a little slow at first, but this was probably normal. I bought a curly-leaf plug plant from the nursery and in the end, they both grew to be equally large sized plants.
  
• A = Calendula Oktoberfest. These seemed very slow to grow, and most did not germinate. I planted many seeds but only 4 mature plants resulted. These took a long time to bloom, like 3 months. Finally really blossomed in October, oddly enough now that I look at the name! But once they did, they were great.
  

Purchased but never planted:

• Seed Savers Historic Pansies Mixture Viola x wittrockiana
• Park Seed Delosperma Floribunda Stardust
• Sean Conway Organic Lavender

Fall 2008. All direct sown outside on the first weekend of August:

Seed Savers:

• E = Early Scarlet Globe Radish - Raphanus sativus. These were fantastic in the fall. Nice big roots and healthy leaves. Delicious! Must have just been too hot for them in the summer.
  
• A = Lacinato Kale - Brassica oleracea. These grew quite well, but got eaten by imported cabbage worms. Also, some plants are still small regardless of worm damage.
  

Burpee:

• E = Purple-Top White Globe Turnip. These grew well and were absolutely delicious. Can't wait to grow them again.
  
• E = Mesclun Salad Mix (Black Seeded Simpson, Red Salad Bowl, Lollo Rossa and Royal Oak Leaf Lettuces, plus Arugula Rocket and Radicchio Red Verona). Easy and delicious winners.
  
• E = Rare Red Leaf Romaine Lettuce- Silvia. Easy and delicious winners.
  
• E = Spicy Mesclun Mix (Lettuce Red Salad Bowl, Mustard Mizuna, Endive Green Curled, Paricchio Red Treviso and Arugula Rocket). Easy and delicious winners.
  
• A = Organic Detroit Dark Red, Medium Top Beet. These were yummy but very small. The whole crop only made 9 baby beets.
  
• A = Dark Seeded Early Perfection Pea. Super delicious, but average growth and production. Got about 30 pods then no more grew.
  
• P = Spinach, Baby's Leaf Hybrid. Nearly 3 months after planting still only3 inches tall. Most did not even germinate.