March 16, 2017

seed viability

I’ve been looking through my seed viability records. I’ve only kept records 2 years and we’re not very far into this year yet, but this is what I have for how long my seeds last. Arugula 5+ years (3 years) Beets 3-4 years (4 years) Cabbage 6 years (4 years) Endive 3-4 years (5 years) Leeks 3+ years (1 year)Onions 2 years (1 year) I put the viability that High Mowing Seeds gets in (). I guess my numbers are pretty similar. They keep their seed under…

March 15, 2017

more sowing

I planted several more trays of seeds today. Here’s the list. My lights have some trouble. They were shorting when we plugged them all in. We switched bulbs and sockets, with and without timer. It seems the problem is the wall socket. I can plug in 3 shelves, but not 4 on the circuit. Right now I only need 3 shelves. I’m sure we’ll get a solution soon.

March 6, 2017

testing old seed

I like to use old seed as long as I can. My last two plantings, I’ve seeded single pots of my old seed to see if it’s still viable. I’m labeling and keeping track of it. I have Seed from 2009 to 2017. The 2009 seed is 8 years old! No doubt dead. I think this will give me a sense over time of how long I am able to save different types of seed. It’s also a plain old test of the old seed. If it doesn’t germinate, I…

March 6, 2017

seeds in pots

These are my spinach and escarole seeds. I decided to neatly space them instead of broadcasting.

March 5, 2017

2017 seed sowing

Here’s my 2017 planting list that I’ll add to as I continue to plant. I’m noting in () the season the seeds were sold for. I’ll mark if they germinated for me. I plant a lot of different varieties but the amounts of each are small and I risk no germination for many by planting old seeds until they don’t germinate. Everything is at 70 degrees F for germination and growing this year, except the peppers that will go at 78 degrees F for germination. February 23, sow indoors under…

February 24, 2017

This is the warmest day every recorded in the Boston area in February! Feels more like May. It’s wonderful. I opened up my winter tunnel to give it some sun and air.

February 23, 2017

it’s time to plant onions!

I sowed my first seeds of the season. A tray with several types of onions, leeks, and celeriac. My planting calendar said it was time. I couldn’t find my leftover plant labels from last year, so I cut up a plastic tofu container. I’ll get better labels before I need to mark the rows outside. I’ll start up a post soon with a list of the onion varieties I planted. I’ll continue fill in this list as I plant more seeds. Next on my planting schedule are cabbages and escarole,…

February 22, 2017

winter walk

The temperatures have been so nice and warm here the past week. Suzie, Charley, and I had a great walk yesterday. We walked around the fields of a small CSA farm, around the empty greenhouse, piled tomato stakes, and dried stalks of corn and Brussels sprouts. The dogs got all muddy – that’s the trade off for warm weather.

February 15, 2017

how do you store your seeds?

How do you store your vegetable seeds packets? The leftover seeds from one garden year that you want to use in future gardens. Or if you don’t save any, why not? I’ve been keeping mine in a big plastic box at room temperature, 65-70F (18-21C), and as dry as I can by adding silica gel packets and keeping the top on. After some reading, I see that the optimum humidity for most vegetable seeds is 20-25%. For legumes it’s 44-50%. For temperature, a 10-degree reduction can double the life of…

February 15, 2017

white house vegetables

I heard the new First Lady will keep the White House Vegetable Garden!! “The First Garden”. I am so pleased that she values home gardening. I was impressed with the new President’s statement to the Japanese Prime Minister: “Both our countries’ histories and cultures are steeped in the nurture and nature of gardening. Having knowledge of different cultures and customs is a wonderful way to learn and to explore. Gardening teaches us the fundamentals in care and the evolution of living things, all while inspiring us to nurture our minds…

weeks and counting until my last spring frost