Starting Seeds

It’s a new year and time to be more resolute about keeping this blog up to date. The garden did fine in the back half of last year, but I got too busy to tend to it and do everything else .. and take pictures and write.

So we spent part of Presidents Day starting our 2013 seedlings (and trying desperately to use up some seed packets!).

First off, those awesome sungold tomatoes. We have nine plugs, most with an extra seed. All I want is two plants, so if they all come up, we will be taking names for those who want a plant or two.

I didn’t see any Ramapo seeds, but I filled three plugs withe the last of my Lynn’s beefsteak mix heirloom tomato seeds (supposedly a mix but I only seem to remember big red ones), black cherry and yellow plum. Another set was filled with some ‘peach’ tomatoes (a gift),, very few grape tomatoes (harvested from a previous year’s crop) and Brandywine from a colleague’s oh-so-tasty 2010 crop. Hopefully that will give us some nice variety. And again, if they all come up, more than enough to share (or swap).

And yes, somehow I will restrain myself to about eight tomato plants.

The Brit wants broccoli, so two sets of nine-plug containers have been turned over to that. A two-ounce seed packet comes with so many seeds that it could take us a long time to go through them. If you’d like some, let me know. I’d say if you want to swap seeds, let me know, but we have so many seeds already! (Oh, but I think we could use some rainbow chard)

We do have a set of nine pugs devoted to Fordhook Swiss chard.

Another set of nine plugs has been turned over to basil. Lemon Mrs. Burns seeds are finally used up, as is a packet of lime basil (a big favorite). The final third went to Italian basil, and I still have some cinnamon basil seeds to try. Once again, if they all germinate (or even if half do), we will have plenty to share.

A second set was devoted to three more herbs: some old Greek oregano seeds, plus gifts of lemon balm and cinnamon basil seeds.

Another set of nine went to parsley. I admit the seeds are a bit old, but there were lots, so we can have a high failure rate and still have plenty of plants to share.

The Brit then went wild with those Seeds of Change packets that my sister-in-law gave us a few Christmases ago. And still we have only used up one packet (Bau Si mustard greens). I think the only thing he forgot to devote any space to was arugula.

Bottom line: We’ve got two full trays on a heat mat and are anxiously checking for signs of germination.

Next month we’ll get a range of peas in the ground. And maybe we can get beets and rainbow radishes in there too. (or is that April? Potatoes are April, probably after a trip to see my mom in Ohio and the obligatory stop at a great garden center there.)

One lesson learned: snap shut that cap on the garden marker that has dried out.