fall sowing

I sowed a tray of seeds today. A few experiments. Since my carrots and parsnips didn't sprout well this spring from direct seeding in the garden, I'm trying seeding in pots for the first time. They need constant moisture and it was dry this spring/summer, and I didn't keep up with irrigation. Don't know if they do well being transplanted. I think I can dig a deep hole and line up the root so I get a straight root.



Carrots, Bolero and Mokum

Parsnips,

Beets, Chiogga, Lutz, and Detroit White

Greens, mixed

Broccoli

Escarole, Frissee

Cauliflower

Spinach

Winter radish

Fennel

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2011 seed planting list

My seed planting list for 2011:

January 28 (one seed tray)
Leeks, Giant Musselburgh
Onions, Ailsa Craig
Onions, Frontier
Lettuce mix:
Endive mix:
Broccoli, perennial purple
Celeriac

February 26 (one seed tray)
Kale, blue curled scotch
Kale, Tuscan
Celery, Tango
Radicchio, Chiogga red preco #1
Spinach, Spargo F1
Chinese broccoli, green lance
Mixed greens:
Escarole, frisee
Dill
Onions, Frontier
Onions, Ruby Ring F1

March 19 (one seed tray)
Beets, Chiogga
Beets, white Detroit
Beets, Lutz
Fennel, Perfection
Eggplant, Tiger
Eggplant, Kamo
Eggplant, Orient Express
Kale, green curled winterbor
Kale, red Russian
Marigolds, Burpee's best mix
Marigolds, African crackerjack
Marigolds, Marietta
Marigolds, Petit mix
Canterbury bells
Prairie aster

March 27 (one tray)
Basil, Italian large leaf
Peppers, Amelia's cayenne
Peppers, Quadrato Giallo D'Asti (sweet yellow)
Peppers, Quadrato Rosso D'Asti (sweet red)
Peppers, Thai hot
Peppers, Ancho 211 F1
Peppers, Numex Joe E Parker

April 29 (two trays)
Cucumbers, Diva
Cucumbers, North Carolina Pickling
Cucumbers, Sumter Pickling
Cucumbers, Sweet Success
Cucumbers, Straight 8
Cucumbers, Tonikawa
Cucumbers, Diva
Cucumber, Sooyow nishiki
Zinnias, mixed
Zinnias, red
Pumpkins, Big Rock
Pumpkins, Galeaux
Pumpkins, Long Island Cheese
Pumpkins, Orange Giant
Pumpkins, New England Pie
Pumpkins, Baby Pam
Winter Squash, Buttercup (saved from CSA)
Winter Squash, Delicata
Winter Squash, Waltham Butternut
Summer Squash, Yellow
Summer Squash, Zucchini Romanesco
Summer Squash, Patty Pan Bennings Green Tint
Broccoli, Bay Meadows
Melon, Charantais, Savor F1
Melon, Charantais, Edonis F1
Melon, Anne Arundel
Melon, San Juan
Watermelon, Ice Box Mickeylee
Watermelon, Yellow
Watermelon, Red Sugar Baby

May 7
Sowed in garden:
Fava beans, Windsor
Peas, Cascadia
Peas, Oregon Giant
Peas,

May 15
Sowed in garden:
Carrots, Mokum
Carrots, Kyoto red
Carrots, Bolero

June 6
Sowed in garden:
Sunflowers, Ling Giant
Sunflowers, Tamara white

June 11
Sowed in garden:
Radish, French Breakfast
Nasturtiums
Carrots, Bolero
Lettuce, Green Summer Crisp

June 18 (one tray)
Lettuce, Simpson
Lettuce, Prizehead
Lettuce, mix
Lettuce, Victoria butterhead
Arugula
Escarole frisee
Mizuna
Parsley
Dill, Bouguet
Spinach
Cosmos, Pink

June 25 (in the garden)
Tankuro Edamame
Beans, Orient Wonder yard long
Beans, Chinese pole
Beans, Provider
Beans, Purple

August 1 (one tray)
fall planing:


I will add to this as I plant more seeds.

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more seeds planted

Yesterday I started another tray of seeds: fennel, beets, marigolds, asters, kale, and eggplant.

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first seeds of the season are planted!

I planted 6 6-packs of seeds today!!! My planting 2011 garden season has officially begun!

1 6-pk leeks
1 6-pk onions (Ailsa Craig)
1 6-pk onions (Frontier)
1 6-pk lettuce mix
1 6-pk endive mix
half 6-pk perennial purple broccoli
half 6-pk celeriac

I had written my plant labels a couple days ago, but didn't end up planting, so I changed all the 1-25's to 1-28. Nice to know they are now starting to come to life.

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clean trays ready for planting

I don't think plant trays are in the stores yet so I washed a few of the trays I used last year. I scrubbed them briefly, then rinsed them in dilute bleach (about 1:9).

I am making some seed mixes now. Since I have picked out about 20 varieties of lettuce and endive that I want to plant soon, but its still early too plant too much, I think a mix will work well. I'll plant:

1 6-pack mixed endive
1 6-pack mixed lettuce
1/2 6-pack purple sprouting perennial broccoli
1/2 6-pack leeks
1/2 6-pack Ailsa Craig yellow onions
1/2 6-pack Frontier yellow onions

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planning next year's garden

I'm starting to plan my next garden!

Its much too cold to go outside. But inside a warm fire, leftover Christmas food and piles of new seed catalogs.

I figure with my new cold frame I can move up my planting dates. Since the frame extended my harvest by 2 months this fall, I'm guessing I can start two months early in the spring for as much as I can fit in the frame. (I have to remember that I still have plants in there and I want to see if they will survive and start growing again in the spring.) I'm setting up a planting calendar with March 1 as a "last frost date" to use for greens and onions. This calendar says I should have planted celery, celeriac and onions already - on December 23! Broccoli, kale, lettuce, escarole and other greens can go in the second week of January! Great. I will check on the seeds I have left over and the planting trays and soil I have. And I'll get ready.

Here's my first order. Its from Territorial Seed Co.
Giant Musselburgh Leek - 1/2 gram
Winter Density Lettuce - 1 gram
Oaky Red Splash Lettuce, Organic - 1/2 gram Organic
Victoria Lettuce, Organic - 1/2 gram Organic
Palla Rossa Special Radicchio - 1/8 gram
Perfection Fennel, Organic - 1/2 gram Organic
Rhodos Endive - 1 gram
Ruby Streaks Mustard - 1 gram
Kyoto Mizuna Mustard - 1 gram

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