We started planting for the vegetable/herb garden today. It was
bitwise's first excursion into starting seeds, which was probably more exciting for me than for him. (When I first tried this I had a lot of anxiety about doing everything right; now I feel calmly confident that if I use care and sense, the seedlings will do what they need to do. Not every one will thrive, but most probably will, and I'll certainly learn something either way.)
I used Mum's supplies from previous years, including an absolutely wonderful seed starter mix made from worm poop and horsehair, and three heated incubation trays with a total of 200 slots. Of the 48 (not a typo) varieties we've decided to plant from seed, 27 are appropriate for starting indoors - leaving me with an irrational (practically if not mathematically) number of slots per variety. So I rounded up to 8 and planted fewer of each pepper variety, since I have 5 of them.
Of course I then complicated matters by double-planting thyme. That pushed the catnip out to a separate tray that will just have to live in a south window rather than under the light in the basement. Not a big deal, and for the first time in recent memory I'll be able to say I have plenty of thyme.
I'm using a fixture with a high-pressure sodium lamp, which must have burned out fairly recently (I sometimes keep houseplants under it in the winter.) I was delighted to find that a replacement cost $19 instead of the $75 or more that similar lamps sometimes run. Unfortunately my friendly neighborhood indoor gardening store has moved to somebody's else's neighborhood; fortunately they're open 'til 7 and are still friendly.
Now the waiting. I'm so eager to see tiny little sprouts peeking out of the soil!
Started:
Not Yet Planted (to be direct-sown):
Not Yet Planted (to be received as live plants):
I used Mum's supplies from previous years, including an absolutely wonderful seed starter mix made from worm poop and horsehair, and three heated incubation trays with a total of 200 slots. Of the 48 (not a typo) varieties we've decided to plant from seed, 27 are appropriate for starting indoors - leaving me with an irrational (practically if not mathematically) number of slots per variety. So I rounded up to 8 and planted fewer of each pepper variety, since I have 5 of them.
Of course I then complicated matters by double-planting thyme. That pushed the catnip out to a separate tray that will just have to live in a south window rather than under the light in the basement. Not a big deal, and for the first time in recent memory I'll be able to say I have plenty of thyme.
I'm using a fixture with a high-pressure sodium lamp, which must have burned out fairly recently (I sometimes keep houseplants under it in the winter.) I was delighted to find that a replacement cost $19 instead of the $75 or more that similar lamps sometimes run. Unfortunately my friendly neighborhood indoor gardening store has moved to somebody's else's neighborhood; fortunately they're open 'til 7 and are still friendly.
Now the waiting. I'm so eager to see tiny little sprouts peeking out of the soil!
Started:
- Vegetables/Fruits:
- Alma Paprika Pepper
- Beaver Dam Pepper (Heirloom - Hungary)
- King of the North (bell) Pepper
- Red Cap Mushroom Pepper
- Serrano Chile Pepper
- Aunt Molly's Ground Cherry (Physalis pruinosa - looks a little like a tomatillo)
- Eros Endive
- Tres Fin Maraichere Frissee Endive
- Boothby's Blonde Cucumber (Heirloom - Maine)
- True Lemon Cucumber (Heirloom - Pennsylvania)
- Lacinato Kale (Heirloom - Italy)
- Sunberry (Solanum Burbankii - historic hybrid)
- Romanesco Broccoli
- Cherry Roma Tomato
- Federle Tomato
- German Pink Tomato (Heirloom - Germany)
- Mexico Midget Tomato
- Herbs:
- Sage
- Rosemary
- Triple Curled Parsley
- Greek Oregano
- Borage (for the bees)
- Thyme
- More Thyme
- Sweet Genovese Basil
- Thai Basil
- Common Chives
- Catnip
Not Yet Planted (to be direct-sown):
- Arugula
- Green & Purple Beans (2)
- Carrots (2)
- Lettuce & Mesclun (2)
- Spinach (2)
- Strawberry Spinach (Chenopodium capitatum)
- Melon
- Scallions/Green Onions
- Radicchio
- Snap & Sugar Peas (2)
- Radishes
- Sweet Corn
- Cilantro
- Mustard Greens
- Nasturtium
- Sunflowers
Not Yet Planted (to be received as live plants):
- Garlic (for 2011)
- Strawberries
- Rhubarb
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-28 06:58 pm (UTC)But, I did sign up for a CSA share this summer, and am eagerly awaiting a massive amount of veggies. Waiting for it to start up in May is already driving me crazy!
(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-28 07:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-02-28 07:39 pm (UTC)Yeah, I'd totally love growing my own food (especially being able to watch 'em grow from seed to fruition!) but that's just not an option right now, unfortunately. So take lots of pictures and let me live vicariously through your garden! ;-)