Monday, April 27, 2015

Presprouting seeds

There are no true shortcuts when it comes to seed starting. Seeds will sprout (or not) on their own schedule, but we can take steps to make conditions as favorable as possible to help with germination. For some reason this spring I had difficulty getting peppers, eggplants, squash and cucumbers to germinate in seed trays, the way I do it every season. I haven't figured out what the issue this year was conpared to other years, but I knew I had to try something different than what I was doing if I wanted the plants in my garden for 2015. It's always been a habit of mine to presprout my peas to prevent the seeds getting eaten before they sprout or to keep them rotting in the ground during particularly wet weather. 

By presprouting I mean to say getting the seeds to sprout before planting them in any kind of growing medium. I do this by placing the seeds in a damp paper towel of cotton cloth and putting it in a zipper baggy then placing that in a sunny, warm location. 

I figured it works for peas, why not try it with other seeds? I started with the peppers and eggplants and within a few days I had sprouts that were ready for planting in seed trays. Next up were the squash and cucumbers. They took a little longer to germinate, but I had an excellent germination rate (around 90%) after about a week and a half.

As always when it comes to gardening, if something doesn't work out, there is always something else to try. If a particular method doesn't work for you, try a new one, if a certain plant variety fails or produces poorly, do a little research and try a different one. Everyone has a green thumb if they are willing to be open to fresh ideas and new information. 

Keep at it and you will eventually succeed beyond your expectations!

Sunday, February 22, 2015

February Dreaming

The second round of seed-started is complete. This weekend Swiss chard, beets, zinnias, sunflowers, parsley, sweet marjoram, butterfly weed, sweet basil, and ground cherries got their start. The ground cherries were a last minute decision and weren't included in my garden plans, so I will have to figure out where I will plant them at some point. From the seeds started last weekend, the kohlrabi, cabbages, and kale are up and growing nicely. The Black Krim tomatoes were just beginning to sprout this morning, so I expect the other tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants to follow soon.

The weather has been exceptionally cold this month and it's hard to believe that this isn't all happening a little early, but I keep reminding myself that this is how it happens every year, and every year it works out. February always seems so brutal that it's extra nice to see green things sprouting, even if it is in trays under lights.

Planning is part of the fun of gardening, so for now, I will just enjoy dreaming and preparing, and patiently waiting for spring.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

A Fresh Start

Valentine's Day, 2015... seed starting begins for this year's garden. I completed my garden layout in mid-January and have been itching to get the seeds started since. It was a real trial to make it until mid-February, but here we are... finally.

I decided to invest in some new high-output growing lights, I hope that investment will pay off. Last year, my seedlings got a bit lanky from reaching for the light, so along with the new high-output lights, I lined the aquarium set-up with silver, reflective paper. You really can't have too much light.

New varieties that I am trying this year include Topepo Rosso Peppers, Red Cheese Peppers, Little Marvel Peas, Baby Blue Hubbard Squash, and Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck Squash. Also on the list is a red cabbage that I planted in my 2014 Fall garden, Red Express. I found it to be extremely sweet and tasty, grew very quickly, and handled the Autumn temperature fluctuations that we experience in SW PA very well. I'm hoping it does as well for a spring planting.

At this point I have only started the seeds for the slow growers, and cold lovers. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and petunias that my husband likes are among the slower growers, while cabbage, kohlrabi, and kale make up the cold lovers. Swiss chard is on the list for the next round of seeds to start, along with some beets. The cucurbits develop much faster and it's still far too early to start seeds for those, and the peas, lettuce, and spinach will be direct sown when the soil warms enough.


Vegetable Garden list for 2015:

Peppers:
Red Cheese
Topepo Rosso

Eggplant:
India Paint

Pumpkin:
Snack Jack

Kohlrabi:
Early Purple Vienna

Cabbage:
Red Express

Melons:
Honey Rock
Golden Midget
Blacktail Watermelon

Peas:
Little Marvel

Tomatoes:
Black Krim
Persimmon
Riesentraube
Polish Linguisa

Cucumber:
Marketmore '76

Beets:
Chioggia
Golden
Early Wonder

Squash - Winter:
Pennsylvania Dutch Crookneck
Baby Blue Hubbard

Squash - Summer
Ronde Nice

Kale:
Vates Blue Dwarf Scottish

Chard:
Ruby
Seafoam

Lettuce:
Sunset
Devil's Ear
Tennis Ball

Spinach:
Merlo Nero
Bloomsdale Long Standing
Monstrueux de Viroflay