Seed Starting 3/28/10

We were very busy with closing on our new house this weekend, but this evening we were back at the old one and I was able to squeeze in the main seeding of my tomatoes. I put two tomato seeds in most cells and if they all germinate, then I'll have twice as many when I divide them into their own cups. I'm planning on lots of tomatoes for canning this summer. Let's hope for warm weather.

Here's the list:
6 Purple Calabash (from Miss M)
6 Heirloom Mix from Fedco 2009
6 Market Miracle (from Daphne)
12 Amish Paste (from Mom)
3 Chocolate Cherry (from Daphne)
2 Red Zebra seed saved 2008
1 Green Zebra seed saved 2009
6 Long Purple Eggplant (from Miss M)
12 Pineapple Tomatillos (from Daphne).
12 Black Sesame Seeds.

Thanks to trades and saving, I didn't buy any tomato seeds this year!

I failed with the black sesame seeds last year. I hope I can do better this year. I think fertilization, sun, and heat will be the keys.

I also re-seeded 6 Brussels Sprouts. Only half of my 2008 seeds germinated and I want plenty of Brussels Sprouts this year.

It will probably be quiet around the blog for the next month as we work on re-doing some walls and then painting in the new house, and finally finishing the moving process. We'll be there full time by May and be ready to put many plants in the ground. I was tempted to put some lettuce seeds under a milk jug while we were there this weekend but we were too busy with other things. The garden will have to wait a bit yet.

Asian Spice Experiment Update

Here's a update on two experimental Asian spice plantings this year.
The good news is that my second try at growing ginger took off well. It has been growing well on the front porch with the other herbs. It sent out 3 strong shoots, and recently developed a fourth. Now the leaves are beginning to yellow with the cooler weather and I'm preparing to bring it indoors. I haven't decided if I'm going to harvest any of the root, or keep it as an ornamental plant.
My sesame experiment was not so successful. As I mentioned in my harvest update, only one of the 8 plants bloomed and it only had one flower. I harvested it when the leaves were beginning to yellow, but the seed pod, was still green. I didn't want it to open and loose the seeds. Here's what the seedpod looked like before it dried.
It held a total of 13 black sesame seeds. Next year, I need better soil and better light.

Monday Harvest Totals 9/14/09

Here are my harvest photos from this week. You can see what other gardeners have harvested at Daphne's Dandelions.

On Monday we picked 13 oz Lacinato kale. We blanched it and put it into a green enchillada casserole.
On Thursday I picked 14 oz of tomatoes and 1.5 oz of lettuce for tacos.
On Saturday, I picked one cayenne pepper which was almost fully red, and 1/2 oz of lettuce.
On Sunday, we pulled some lettuce (about one oz) and a few carrots that would have been squished as we put the cold frame around the greens.
There is a chance of frost for later this week, so we put the frame on the bed and got it situated. We'll put the windows on another night this week, at least a day before the frost is forecast.
And the smallest crop harvest for the whole year goes to my sesame seeds. I planted these as an experiment, but didn't put them in the raised beds with good soil. Though they had walls of water around them to warm them, they never really took off. Out of 8 plants, only one blossomed. They're described as having multiple flowers similar to snap dragons, but the one that bloomed, had one flower. From that one flower, I got one pod with exactly 13 black sesame seeds. I'll try again but in a place with more sun and better soil.

Asian Spice Experiments

Back in late April I planted black sesame seeds. I started them indoors and then transplanted them into the cold frame in early May. For the longest time they were going now where, just stuck with four leaves or so. When we moved the walls of water off the tomatoes a few week ago, we put them around the sesame seeds. Finally they seem to be growing in height. I'm concerned I won't get a harvest from them because they take 120 days to mature. I may have to cover them to protect from the frost come fall. I think that they are growing so slowly because of all the cool and wet weather we've had. Sorry for the red tinge to the photo, it's the red light inside the wall of water.
In early April I planted some ginger root. However, the first root rotted instead of sprouting. I tried again and recently my plant spouted. Now I have two shoots growing in my pot.

Here's a photo of what mine might look like some day. This was taken at a visit to the Lyman Conservatory at Smith College last month. I'll share more photos from that visit in a future post.

Coming Soon....

Coming soon to a garden near me...... a cold frame!!!!
We picked up these three 25" x 40" windows at the recycling center yesterday. Today we got lumber and worked on it. Finished photos to come tomorrow when we get it out into the yard.
While I was washing the windows for the cold frame, my husband made me a soil blocker out of scrap wood. I've been looking for more black six-packs to start seeds in but unable to find them without buying trays. I don't need trays since salad boxes work great for that. So the soil blocker is the solution to not buying more peat or black plastic pots.
The immediate need was a place to plant sesame seeds sprouted in a wet paper towel. My first set of sesame seeds never sprouted so I got fresh ones from the store. The fresh ones sprouted. However, I ordered sesame seeds for planting yesterday because I hadn't checked them in a few days. I'll have to seed the ones that come in the mail and compare them.
Here are my first two soil blocks.