Friday, March 22, 2013

Seedlings

It's that time of year again, where I have to make trips down to the basement every few days to see how my seedlings are doing, who needs watered, how they're doing with light, and also considering what needs to be started next.  I have to keep reminding myself that I'm NOT in on the CSA service with Mary again this year - I needed a break, and that means start WAY fewer of many of the things I grow.

Onions and leeks?  Yeah, won't need nearly as many of those - but I'm still starting most from seed, and (like with many of the other plants I'm starting from seed) I can always give away overages.  These were the first seeds I started this year - back in January maybe?  I'm thinking I can give these guys a haircut anytime now - keep them trimmed short and closer to the light.


There's a lot going on in this picture, and I don't even remember what all is here (and the tags are on the far side).  I think this is me trying beets started INDOORS, and then I'll move them out later - that's probably what all the reds and greens are in the background.


And in the foreground are geraniums that are looking AMAZING considering I uprooted them late last fall, shook most the dirty off their root balls, tossed them all in a box, dropped them off in the basement, and did NOTHING with them until this February!  I didn't even water them.  I think all but two or three survived.  They looked dead all winter, but with the hours of daylight increasing through the small basement windows, new leaves started to sprout from their bases - I just trimmed off all the dead stuff, planted each in a small pot, and have been increasing how much worm pee they get with each watering.  Boy, they sure are green!


Way in the back are my first attempt at alpine strawberries - and trying ANY strawberry from seed.  They sprouted pretty quick, but have just been sitting at this small size for awhile now.  I figure they'll probably take off again before too long.  Admittedly, I was having some lighting issues with old light fixtures that didn't want to work anymore, dead bulbs in the fixtures that were working, etc.  Got that all fixed up last week, and the plants really seem to appreciate it.  Thankfully, unlike some of the other sprouts, these alpine strawberries didn't get leggy.  I'm curious to see what they're like - there's both a red variety, and a yellowish-white variety.


Over on the other table are lots more growies!  This table includes tomatoes, peppers (which aren't really sprouting yet, but they just got seeded last week), eggplants (some of which died off in an accidental dry out, but I probably started too many anyhow), lettuce, broccoli (loooots of broccoli), Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage, napa cabbage, and a variety of flowers including zinnia, marigolds and salvia.


Since it's the weekend, I need to look at the charts and seed packs and see if there's anything I need to be starting indoors.  A couple other gardeners I know actually direct seeded peas outdoors TWO weeks ago - and I suspect that was too early.  From what I've read, peas need soil temps of at least 40F, and yet our outside air temps have been below/around freezing for over a week.  Temps are supposed to be warming up next week, so I figure next weekend I'll try direct seeding peas, carrots, lettuce and spinach maybe?  Hm.  That means I should probably be out there doing some raised veggie bed tidying, right?  I also need to make a trip down to Ohio Earth Food and pick up some organic fertilizer/amendments (for the veggie beds and fruit trees, plus some corn gluten for the lawn.  It's about that time!  Corn gluten needs to be put down just when the forsythia are starting to bloom, and I suspect they're not too far off...

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