February 8, 2021

almost time to plant seeds

I usually start planting seeds for my summer garden around Valentine’s Day. That’s just around the corner now. The first seeds I’m planting this year are celeriac and onions on Feb 17. That’s 11 weeks before my last spring frost (May 5). I’m going to plant a lot of onions, most I will donate to Aurelia’s Pantry Garden. I’m planting yellow onions: Cortland and Patterson. Red onions: Rossa Di Milano and Wethersfield Red. Shallots: Conservor, Ambition, Zebrune, and Crème Brûlée (BGS-270). Leeks: Mechelen Blue Green Winter and Bandit. And bunching…

January 15, 2021

saving, storing, and organizing seed packets

I don’t know if most people realize that seeds last more than one year – often 10 or more years. I never throw out a seed packet until it stops germinating. A seed’s life span is different for different types of seeds. While parsnips, and onions last only a couple years, I have had tomato seeds that are still viable after 15 years. seed viability Here’s a nice seed viability table from James Romer at Iowa State University. It looks to me like these lengths of life expectancy may be…

January 14, 2021

where to buy seeds

It is only mid-January, but many varieties are running out of stock at on-line seed companies now. Time to order! I recommend purchasing from small, local seed companies. They will be selling varieties that are adapted to your area. I also like to support small, family-run companies. These are some of the companies I recommend. Fedco Seeds – Maine Pinetree Garden Seeds – Maine Maine Potato Lady – Maine Vermont Bean Seed Company – Vermont Fruition Seeds – New York Hudson Valley Seed Company – New York Turtle Tree Biodynamic…

March 28, 2018

planting sweet pea seeds

This is the method of planting sweet peas that I just learned from NW organic gardener. nick the outer skin of sweet peas seeds – a large fingernail clipper works… layer the seeds in wet paper towels… check daily after 5 days… as soon as they get their tails, pot each in a 2 inch pot with tails pointing down… they don’t all tail at the same time so plant them as they do…. make sure the soil is damp, not wet, and wait for first the sprout to break…

March 27, 2018

what’s up today

– I’m planting my snow peas (inside) today, – my little sweet pea seeds (in wet paper towels) are getting tails, – my artichoke seedlings are starting their 10 day vernalization (below 50F) out on my patio – my tomato seeds are planted (17 varieties), but they haven’t sprouted yet – my vegetable garden is totally free of snow now!! – my garlic and my mom’s are up – nice little 3 inch sprouts – and I think I may be able to start filling my salad bowl from my…

March 3, 2018

when to plant vegetable seeds

It’s definitely time to sow seeds now. Here are some suggestions to figure out when is the best time to plant different types of seeds. – Try the iPhone calendar apps I wrote, I use these to plan when to plant: Skippy’s Vegetable Calendar App and Skippy’s Flower and Herb Calendar App. – Or try my old, very simple, and free online planting calendar: Online Vegetable Calendar. – Johnny’s online tool works pretty much the same: Johnny’s planting calculator – The University of Minnesota has a nice page on starting…

January 25, 2018

seed catalogs

I received the Adaptive Seeds catalog today. Excellent reading. It will keep me busy at least several days to read all the way through it. A few days ago I got FarmTek, Johnny’s Seeds, and McMurray‘s Hatchery. If reading catalogs brings the spring on sooner, I’m there.

July 7, 2017

buying fall seeds

I’d like to plant some carrot seeds soon for late fall harvest. I’m out, so I checked a couple local nurseries. One is sold out of all carrot seed, the other has sold out of all of their seed for the season. Few gardeners plant crops for fall. So I placed a nice big order from Johnny’s Seeds. Five varieties of orange carrots and a purple carrot, a black radish, a small Chinese cabbage, purple stock flowers, red salanova lettuce, pickling cukes and teddy bear sunflower seed for next year,…

April 6, 2017

my potato shipment is here

I mail ordered a box of seed potatoes (Green Mountain) from Moose Tubers and they arrived today. I was surprised it’s already time for planting potatoes! Earlier, I had purchased a small box of red fingerling seed potatoes at a local garden center. They have been “chitting” on my windowsill next to the seedlings that don’t fit on my plant shelves. I’ll set up the new potatoes to chit too until I get time to plant, which will probably be a week or two yet. The weather is slowly warming…

March 26, 2017

ready for planting seeds tomorrow

These pots and seeds are waiting on my kitchen counter for me to plant tomorrow. Five or six types of broccoli, raab, broccolini, etc – we love broccoli. Also flowers: cosmos, cleome, tithonia (Mexican sunflower), nigella, and bells of Ireland.

weeks and counting until my last spring frost