Early April
Easter Sunday
I sowed Zinnias and marigolds indoors today. It was a beautiful sunny spring Sunday.
First Direct Sowing
Today, I fertilized my soil (with concentrated chicken manure) and planted peas, arugula and spring greens. Plus, the leeks got a haircut. (And I weeded beforehand.) Fingers crossed for a gentle spring with just the right amount of rain and not much raiding by birds and other beasts.
Basil Seedlings
The home office – home to my seedlings operation – smells delicious …
More Sowing
Today, I sowed five types of tomatoes (three each) and lettuce. The tomato varieties are: Green Zebra, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow, Paul Robson (I think), Break o’ Day, and Baker Family Heirloom. Two of them are mid-season tomatoes (Green Zebra, Dr. Wyche’s Yellow) and the other three are late. All tomato seeds were from 2019. The lettuce was Salad Bowl (from Sand Hill Preservation Center) for 2021.
Seedlings
The seeds are sprouting. Most of them anyway. Still no parsley, but parsley has a super long germination time (up to 30 days). The hot Thai peppers also did not sprout, so I sowed more today. Sprouting are: mystery pepper, eggplant, Genovese basil, Thai basil, cilantro and kale. In a couple of weeks, I will start tomatoes and head lettuce.
Porch Happenings
It has been a nice warm week with day temperatures in the fifties. Today, I sowed radishes and lettuce (Kagran Summer) together in one of the big containers on the back porch, I also sowed arugula in two grow bags. I am usually too late with porch arugula and it bolts before I can harvest; this is the earliest I have ever sowed it. Fingers crossed.
And so it begins …
I started my first seedlings today: hot Thai pepper, a mystery pepper that was a freebie from Sand Hill Preservation last year, Fairy Tale eggplant, Ping Tung eggplant, Dutch Darkibor kale, flat parsley, Genovese basil, Thai basil and cilantro. Sowed them in organic potting soil (Coast of Maine) and placed them under grow lights on a heat mat in my bedroom. So exciting!
Mid-February
Still eating from the garden: chilies and garlic. I even have a few last carrots in the fridge and still enjoy my potted thyme and rosmary that I brought into the kitchen from the back porch. Can’t wait to start my seeds (peppers, eggplant, basil will be first) in the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to spring.
Seeds
I took inventory of my seeds today and placed an order with Sand Hill Preservation Center. There is a country-wide COVID-related seed shortage this season. Johnny’s for example is only selling to farmers at this moment and not to home gardeners like me. I should have enough seeds saved from previous years and should be fine with this order, fingers crossed. And I am counting on the Neighborhood Farm to provide me with seedlings this spring should I need them.