Tag Archives: seedlings

Continued Seed Starts

Last week, I got a “get of out a meeting free” card.

The Friends of Library board that I’m on was not able to meet, so my evening time was suddenly free.

Oh, the possibilities!

So many things I could do.

So many options to choose from.

I now had choices.

Oh yes, I’m certain you’ll be surprised that I chose to start more seeds for the gardens.

Last Wednesday, I assembled the heirloom seed packets and reviewed what had failed from my previous starts, then set to work starting more seeds.  There was a contented smile on my face as I worked.

The beets were a 50% germination rate, so more of those were sown.  

I had lost one tomato start, so it was a perfect opportunity to plant three more.

The broccoli was also only 50% germination, so I planted a few more.  This particular broccoli is great to pull young new stalks for salads.

Two of my peppers failed to germinate, so I planted four more.

New on the list of starts is cauliflower, which already has one seedling.

Melons were also started inside this year.  I like these melons so well that I will grow two rounds, the second round straight into the soil.

I also started cucumbers in pots for the first time, and this morning each start was poking through the soil.

I was encouraged by the great response of the marigolds to their indoor start on the west porch, so I started more flower seeds.

Chamomile has made its tiny new seedling appearance.

Calendula will be a new flower in the garden this year, should it respond to the indoor start.

Yarrow was sown, along with daisy, coneflower and black eye susan.

I’ve yet to get spinach into soil.   I’m quickly running out of time, and we’re due for rain and thunderstorms today and tomorrow.  It may be time to wrap up this post, do a quick shot of coffee, and get out to that water trough planter and sow spinach!

I’m out of here!

Dreamin’ Girl

Seedlings Galore!

strawberry

Broccoli

Radish

Tomato

Beets

Kale

Lettuce

Peppers

Marigolds

Those are the first to appear from the seed starts last week, a little success to be had here and there.

I’m still awaiting some signal from the basil container and the carrots and onions.  Otherwise, all seeds have taken hold.

We’ve had sunny days and moderate temperatures, so the success was certainly dependent on the conditions.

Outdoors, there are lettuce coming up from the ground; walking onions and garlic are growing en masse.

The water tank has strawberries heartily putting out new leaves, with tiny lettuce starts sprinkling the soil.

carrots

The over-wintered carrots are doing well.

walking onion

New walking onion bursting out from the old growth.

chamomile

Sweet, apple-like smell of chamomile.  It took hold and came back strong.
hyssop

Hyssop!  Looking good after a trim, with sage freshly trimmed in the background.

strawberry

Strawberry growth, fuzzy and new.

It’s almost springtime.  The soil is warming, the days are lengthening, and my step is lighter!

Dreamin’ Girl

Container Garden Plan

This year I’m going to grow most of my early starts in containers. I like to try new things each year and keep what works as a gardening standard

I’ve had very little practice with container gardening, mostly casually grown flowers and herbs, so this project will have a learning curve. I thought you might like to follow along.

Before we start, I have to share my bargain purchase from last month:  heirloom seed packets from Menards for .09 per packet. I bought 55 of them! They’re mostly flowers, because I’m such a food/seed snob.  I have a terrific resource for heirloom vegetable seed.

Ah, the bees and butterflies will be ever so happy!  :)

Getting Started

The plan.  Seedlings are going to be handled a bit differently this year, I am planning to start the early crops directly in their assigned containers.  Why stress them out by moving them, right?

I think I’ll also do mixed container tests: early short season, mixed with later long season crops, and a few flower seeds tossed in for attracting the beneficial insects we began luring last year.  Here’s a quick guide to a growing calendar for zones 4 and 5.

I used this approach to gardening in the ground last year with mixed success. The best benefit was the overall space savings.

What I learned last year is that timing, sun, and water needs have to be considered for this to work well.

Here are a few of my containers:

Isn’t that exciting?!  I know, I know, I’m such a sap over rusty old things.

The containers on the ground were salvaged items, so I just couldn’t beat the price.

The washstand was an auction purchase – I’ve removed the rollers for the project.

I’ve placed them next to the stationed water trough planter so that they’ll receive full sun.  An added benefit is that this creates a nice border for the west edge of this garden plot.

The metal containers will be used for the late season crops: summer squash, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and peppers, since the containers are pretty sturdy and can handle trellises.  I’ll also use these containers to do succession planting of the early crops that will have a second season.

I’ll intersperse lettuce seed and onion sets with the strawberries in the water trough, adding spinach and dill later in the season.

I have other plastic/resin containers that will be reused for the cole crops and started in my front porch “greenhouse”.  The current soil will be dumped onto the garden areas and covered with leaves.  (It will be interesting to see how the walking onions and wild violets in the containers react.)

The leaky 5 gallon buckets will be used for the carrot test, mixed with cilantro and a beneficial flower for fun.  One leaky bucket will be saved for the washstand, to grow the sweet potatoes and beneficial flowers.

I’ll duct tape the worst bucket, leaving some exposed crack for water drainage.

The remaining container will grow onions, lettuce, spinach, beets, cauliflower, broccoli and radishes.  It will be a self-watering container.  I’ll show you that project later.

The soil I’ll use will be sterile soil and I’ll use the sterile potting soil mix that the seeds will start in for the duration of their growing period.

This is the mix I’m using this year (I play with all recipes, it’s just one of those things about me):

Here is my planned soil mix recipe:

  • Peat moss  - 2 parts
  • Vermiculite  -  1 part
  • Perlite and Compost mix  -  2 parts
PS – that limestone will go on the garden in the fall.

There you have it!  The “practical” container garden plan:  affordable.  Now to start the main garden plots plan.

Have you started your garden plans?  I’m late to get started on my seedlings!

 

Dreamin’ Girl