February 11, 2009

getting ready to plant: trays, soil and labels

Now that I’ve got seeds and a plant shelf, next is trays, soil and labels.Seed trays: I like seed trays with small cells (1″ x 1.5″ cell, 12-packs, 96-per tray) so each seedling gets its own. Except for the seedlings that get bigger (like tomatoes, peppers and large squashes), these little cells work well. The goal is one seedling per tiny cell. Plant a couple seeds per cell and thin. I saved as many old seed trays as I could. I have quite a few, but most get ripped during…

February 10, 2009

new plant shelf – ready to go

I had a lot of suggestions from gardeners about their seedling shelves. The best deal seems to be the assemble it yourself. This is a 35″ wide x 54″ tall x 18″ deep metal shelf system with 4 shelves ($67.54). I have 1 shop light fixture ($8.97) hanging with adjustable chains on each of three shelves to start. Each fixture holds with two 40W 48″ fluorescent bulbs. I can expand and use the forth shelf later if I need more space. Each shelf holds two planting trays, lengthwise. They hang…

January 26, 2009

planning for a seedling shelf system

I meant to look into a shelf system for seedlings this weekend. Best of intentions … But my cold is still getting the better of me. I was feeling good on Saturday and maybe over did it with a nice hike. After doing the school-sport-cheering-Mom thing, I took some kids and some dogs hiking. The local Boston trails are covered with a foot of packed powder. Fantastic for hiking. Unusual here. Usually we get melting and end up with icy slick paths, terrible to walk on. Packed powder is beautiful,…

January 4, 2009

spring planting time line for 2009

Here’s a start on my planting schedule. I linked to it on my sidebar. I’ll add to and revise this as I get time. Order seeds. Set up plant table and lights. Collect seed trays and potting soil.March 5-10: Sow kale, broccoli and lettuce seed indoors.March 15: Sow pepper seed indoors.March 20: Sow seed in home garden for peas.March 28: Sow half of tomato seed indoors.April 1: Sow fava beans in community plot.April 20-30: Transplant pepper and tomato seedlings to larger pots indoors. Sow seed in home garden for more…

September 6, 2008

fall seedlings

I’m getting afraid these seedlings are too late. I went by and looked at Gretta’s (Belmont CSA farm) fall crops and they are so big! My count down meter on my side bar says only 39 days left until frost! Oh my goodness. Grow plants, GROW! These are lettuce, mixed fall greens, string beans and dill seedlings planted outside at my community plot on August 21. Maybe a mistake to sow so late. We’ll see.

August 27, 2008

fall seedlings

I have transplanted all my fall seedlings into the garden now. I started them in seed packs a few weeks ago. Mostly greens. Lettuce, endive, arugula, dill, spinach and broccoli. I have a mesclun mix. Also a fall greens mix that seems to have a lot of kale and other brassicas. I also sowed roots: radish, beets and carrots. We’re down to about 50 days left until frost! The 50 day crops include early carrots, small beets and broccoli. With luck, maybe I could still seed more of these. Lettuce…

August 4, 2008

fall seedlings

Well, my new seedlings look pretty wet here. They’re getting a lot of rain, but are doing fine. I like to plant most seeds in potting soil in cell packs. Its easier to keep an eye on the baby sprouts this way. On July 18 I planted:Lettuce, Red Summer Crisp, 1 6-packEscarole, Bionda A Cuore Pieno, 1 6-packBeets, Lutz, 1 6-packBroccoli, Green Goliath, 2 6-packsBroccoli, Green Sprouting Calabrese, 1 6-packDill, Dukat, 2 6-packs On August 3 I planted:Lettuce, Prizehead, 2 6-packsFall greens mix, 3 6-packsLettuce, Four Seasons, 1 6-packLettuce, Bibb,…

July 18, 2008

sowing for fall

I got some fall seeds planted this morning. Lettuce, Red Summer Crisp, 1 6-packEscarole, Bionda A Cuore Pieno, 1 6-packBeets, Lutz, 1 6-packBroccoli, Green Goliath, 2 6-packsBroccoli, Green Sprouting Calabrese, 1 6-packDill, Dukat, 2 6-packs

May 23, 2008

planting day!!!

If you click on this photo, you can mouse over the beds to see what’s growing where. Well, its really great to do the big planting day with a helper. Amelia from SmartTart helped me plant in my community plot today. We got a ton of work done. My garden is suddenly full of seedlings. Here’s a list of our accomplishments: – 15 tomatoes planted (with collars for cut worms)– 3 hills of summer squash seedlings planted (Zephyr, Starship and Sunburst)– new cucumber bed prepared and 3 varieties of seedlings…

May 20, 2008

one last night inside

Our forecast is a for low of 42F tonight, so I brought my tomatoes and other warm weather seedlings inside for one last night. I try to bring them in if it goes below 50F. The rest of the week is predicted to gradually warm up and I’m planning to plant these on Wednesday and Thursday. My “warm weather seedlings” include tomatoes, squashes, peppers, basil, and zinnias. They’ve been outside “hardening off” for more than a week, day and night, now. I was surprised at how many seedlings I’ve ended…

weeks and counting until my last spring frost

getting ready to plant: trays, soil and labels

new plant shelf – ready to go

planning for a seedling shelf system

spring planting time line for 2009

fall seedlings

fall seedlings

fall seedlings

sowing for fall

planting day!!!

one last night inside

My garden this week

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17 years of archives!

Skippy’s vegetable of the month – Egyptian walking onions!

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My garden this week

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17 years of archives!

Skippy’s vegetable of the month – Egyptian walking onions!

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