What did you do today?

I am SO ready for Spring!   I mentioned in the last post that I had ordered a lot of new seeds.  Well, today I got out my seed box to see what I still had.  I suppose most people would have reversed these steps, but I like to try new things.  I admit I went a bit overboard by ordering 30 packs of tomato seeds for a square foot garden, but I ordered several paste types since I can a lot.  I love the flavor of my Dixie's Sweet, but they are large & ripen slowly and I ordered varying day to maturity times. 

This is what I had left over.  (I am going to offer a lot of them for exchange on the SFG forum after I check the dates on them & recommended storage times.  I know the onions will have spotty germination because they don't store well.

BEAN
Dragon tongue
Roma II

BEETS
Cylindra

CABBAGE
Early golden acre
Perfection Savoy
premium late flat Dutch
Red

BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER
Early snowball
Long island brussels sprouts

CARROTS
Jaune Obtuse Du Doubs yellow
St. Valery
Touchon
White Belgian

CELERY
Tendercrisp

CORN
Ambrosia 3       
Chubby checkers
Early & often 3+
Obsession 2
Sugar pearl
       
CUCUMBER
Armenian
boston pickler
Poinsett

HERBS
Cilantro, slo bolt
Cilantro       
Dill, elephant
Dill, long island
Parsley, italian
sage, perennial
       
LETTUCE
Bibb summer
Paris Island Cos
Red sails mix
Rocky top mix

MELON
Banana
Burrell's jumbo
Kolb's gem
Lady Godiva
Orangeglo
Sleeping beauty
Sugar Baby
TN melon

OKRA
Louisiana long pod

ONIONS
Leek, American Flag
Leek, giant musselburgh
Riverside sweet
Tropeana Lunga long red

PEPPERS, SWEET
Banana sweet
California Wonder
Emerald Giant
Italian pepperoncini
sweet bell   
Yellow monster

PEPPERS, HOT
Anaheim
Ancho
Cayenne
Early Jalapeno
Hungarian Hot
Jalapeno
Serrano
Tam Jalapeno

SQUASH
delicata
Gil's green acorn           
honey boat delicata
Yellow crookneck
Zucchini

TOMATOES
anna Russian
Dads sunset orange
Dixie
Early Cascade
german pink
Isis candy
Red grape
Striped Roman

TURNIP, PARSNIP, RUTABAGA
Purple top turnip
Wilhelmsburgh Rutabaga


I get to start my pepper seeds in a couple of weeks, then tomatoes & some other things 2 weeks after that. 

I'll tell you about my baby chick order tomorrow.

Garden 2011 has officially begun!

Square foot gardening definitely has advantages when it comes to early spring planting.  Raised beds warm up quicker and with Mel's Mix (1/3 vermiculite, 1/3 peat and 1/3 compost), the mix stays light and fluffy and is never soggy.  I use string to make my grids, but they have to be redone each year.  Some people use wood lathe, lattice or other materials, but I prefer the string because when pulling up old plants, they have such a huge root ball, it seems it would be hard to pull them up with the lathe strips in place.  It only takes about 5-10 minutes to do a bed.  I have small nails driven in the top of the boards at 1" intervals on both sides and both ends.  I tie the string at one end, stretch to opposite side, wrap 4-5 turns (no need to tie the string except first and last nails), go to the next nail & wrap, go across the box & wrap, until you are all finished.  The string also keeps the cat out of the box. 

This week I have gotten a lot of seeds started.  I usually use the 72 cell mini greenhouse packs from Lowe's made by Ferry Morse, Ferry Morse Seed Co.    I usually get 2-3 years out of the inserts, but I needed new ones.  This year I couldn't find them, so I Googled greenhouse supplies & found a great site, Greenhouse Mega Store.  They sell professional greenhouse supplies but also offer small order quantities.  I still have several of the base trays, but needed new inserts.  I was able to get a carton of 100 inserts (48 cells each insert)  for $59.00.  They have umpteen configurations for the trays.  I ordered the 48 cell packs so I would have larger cells & better root development.  They had super fast shipping too. 

I used the end of one of my boxes to make a coldframe for the seeds I have already started.  Night temps have been in the 40's & daytime temps have been in the 60's & 70's.  If there is a chance of frost, I'll bring the trays in overnight, but they will be fine during the day.  I raked the soil back so the trays would be lower than the surrounding soil level, then covered that part of the bed with an old white shower curtain.  I pulled the corner back to check & it lets plenty of brightness in for germination & was cozy warm.  When they start growing I will probably put a painter's plastic drop cloth over the bed.  I have plenty of ventilation so they won't cook.