My feeders have been up for weeks.  The migration maps state that they were spotted in the area weeks ago.  But no hummingbird sightings HERE yet. I'd like to think that I just miss them EVERY TIME they visit.  Either way, I'm pulling out the big guns!  The bright red table cloth.  If they can't see this, then I give up. Okay, not really.  I just need to feel like I'm trying.

I didn't have great germination with my outdoor sowing of carrots so far.  Granted I didn't try too hard like I did last season.  Last year I sowed them, watered, covered lightly with plastic wrap until germination, and had great results.  This year I was optimistic (lazy).  I just waited until the night before a rainy day, tossed them down, watered, and ignored them.  There were huge fluctuations in temperatures around this time as well.  Frosts.  Record heat.  A strange Spring.  Needless to say I had a few bare patches.  To fill in, I cut off the bottom of a milk jug and sowed some seeds on top and watered them in.  Covered with plastic wrap until germination.  I just transplanted them outside before the taproots got too long.  We'll see how this method works. Now to go and stare at the hummingbird feeders...

Seedling Updates

Post #2 of the day.
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We are having yet another above-average warm stretch. With the potential of record-breaking heat today, I decided that it's time to start hardening off my plants. They are now outside on a covered porch. The slight breeze will help sturdy up their stems, but they will be protected from the most intense hours sun.
Above are three of my five trays. The other two trays include one with seeds waiting to germinate (cukes, cardinal climber, nicotiana, carrots, lettuce) and another tray with small seedlings that have already germinated but are still small (petunias, cukes, more tomatoes, more peppers). Here they are up close.
Left to right:
There are two Salad Bush cucumbers that just germinated that are in the back, left corner.
Tomatoes ( just a couple of the ones started)
Fat N' Sassy (now called King Arthur) peppers in the front center.
Tango Celery tucked into the middle back.
Tropical Milkweed for the monarch cats to munch on.
In the front, Snow Crystals Sweet Alyssum that started blooming when it was quite small. It has a lovely fragrance which is what I was hoping for. Nicotiana sylvestris in the back...also for fragrance and moth appeal.
Dwarf Janie Deep Orange Marigolds. Just the other day I had to pick the first blooms off of most of them. They are nice and sturdy so far. Behind them in the tray are Oklahoma red zinnia and Fruit Smoothie Orange and Purple zinnia. It's funny. I used to look down on marigolds. That somehow, since they are easy to grow, that they aren't as impressive as other flowers. It wasn't until last season when I saw my daughter picking marigolds to place in vases that I saw them as something special again. Now my gardens will be filled with deep orange marigolds, so my daughter can make bouquets to her hearts content.

Winter came and went... Wait! Winter was here? We only had one good snow right before Halloween and perhaps two dustings after that. That was winter? I guess the strange weather had me preoccupied, and I didn't check in as much as I would have liked. To fill everyone in on what is going on around here on yet another warm, 70+ degree day......The daffodils visit is coming to an end. They sure are a dose of sunshine when they arrive though.
We had a new roof put on our house a few weeks ago. My relatively new (3 year old) Prairiefire Crabapple tree took quite a jolt. One of the roofers tossed something off the roof. It flew a good 15 feet out and caught one of the three main branches of the tree. Bent the end of this branch down to the ground and cracked it along the ridge. Poor thing. I thought the shovel tossed off the roof onto my Golden Zest rose or the three large garbage cans tossed on my blooming daffodils was going to be the worst of it. :(
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As you can see in the background, my hummingbird feeders went up a few days ago. According to the hummingbird migration maps, they're already north of us into New York. If you're interested, check out the link to the maps at http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html
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It doesn't look like much in the backyard right now, but in a month or two, it should be green and lush.
My Meyers Lemon plant that I purchased about a year ago. It developed its first blooms and just opened for the first time this morning!
Last year I bought a small ivy plant at the grocery store. It did quite well in my eastern-facing window. I decided to take an old wire hanger and make this topiary. The hook is buried under the potting mix. Then I shaped the rest into a circle and twined the vines around it. Although I'm not a big fan of ivy, I do think this makes a nice presentation.
Above is one of my Snow Princess sweet alyssum. It looks like there might be some blossoms starting in the middle of this one. I've never grown sweet alyssum before, but I'm still trying to add fragrant delights to the garden.
Old-Fashioned Vining Petunias. A fragrant annual that is new to me this season.
My tomatoes were planted on the March 11th. They starting germinating the other day. Here is one of the Sun Golds that my daughter is anxiously waiting on. Their flavor hasn't been beaten yet by any other cherry tomato. I know it looks sad, but it's amazing how they can transform into something spectacular within a few months.
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I would be remiss if I didn't mention my tomato list for 2012. What was going to include only 4 plants turned into 12. So much for self-control.
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2 Sun Gold - Everyones favorite cherry tomato around this house.
2 Celebrity - Dependable, disease resistant choice.
2 Kellogg's Breakfast - My dad's favorite. Superb flavor. Get small toward end of season for me.
1 Cherokee Green- Amazing flavor. Winner for flavor in 2010. Best green yet!
1 Cherokee Purple- Did poorly in a bad tomato year last season. Giving it another try.
1 Sandul Moldovan- Excellent pink.
1 Pruden's Purple- New to me. Despite its name it is a pink. I hear good things about it's production and flavor.
1 Marion- I had old seed, but never tried it. I figured I would plant it to get fresh seed...and to taste it.
1 Marglobe- Same as Marion. I've never tried it, but would like fresh seed to replace the old. Interested to see how it tastes and produces.
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Left: Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) from last seasons saved seed.
Middle: Tango Celery. A hybrid.
Right: Fat N' Sassy Peppers. Another hybrid which are now sold under the name King Arthur.
Dwarf Red Haven Peach. This is the first time my Stark's supreme dwarf RH Peach has had blossoms on it. They have such a beautiful pink hue to the flowers. Gorgeous. Since the tree is still quite small...even for a dwarf, I won't let it fruit yet. The scaffolds need to thicken up a bit and branch out before I will put that kind of stress on it. It is nice to see that it is doing well though.
Music and German Extra Hardy garlic which was planted last October. Off to a healthy start.
Caroline Raspberries. This is all from ONE bareroot plant that I planted last Spring.
Earliglow Strawberries. I went out this morning to find a blossom already! Last year my first Earliglow started to blush on May 19th. With all of this ridiculously warm weather the last few weeks, they are way ahead of schedule. I hope they hang on when the temperatures drop back down starting tomorrow. It'll be going from mid- to high-70s back into the mid-50s (where it should have been all along).

Butterflies, ID help, butterfly weed, fruit and harvests

Temperatures are reaching the 90s for a second straight day. I'm finding the heat and high humidity oppressive, but it's not stopping the butterflies from frolicking around!
ID me please! This is a free plant my son brought home a few weeks ago for Earth Day. I was wondering if anyone knew what type of tree it is and how tall it could get. My guess it's a pine...of some sort....
A close-up of the tips of the branches. Can someone ID me please?
I have had a lot of difficulty germinating the Asclepias syriaca (Common milkweed) seed that I bought on eBay. Only one of the first batch I planted germinated. That would be the one I have in a large container by itself. I decided to take my chances and use the paper towel method on the few remaining seeds. I dampened a paper towel, tossed the seeds onto the paper, and placed it inside a Ziploc bag in a window with bright, primarily indirect light. Another one germinated after about a week and a half. I carefully removed this one from the paper towel (it came right off) and planted it with the taproot covered in a small peat pot with potting soil.
Carmine Jewel Bush Cherry from Gurneys that I received last week. Self-pollinating.
Daily mixed shelling pea and strawberry harvest.

My desperate attempt to attract hummingbirds. How can they miss this? I did it last season, and I think it worked. But so far...nothing.Irises are now blooming.
My seedlings and indoor plants are hardening off on my front porch after spending about a week on the more sheltered back porch.
The new, expanded front garden. The future home to lots of marigolds, snapdragon, milkweed, a tithonia, a pentas, and fennel to attract butterflies. I also started some carrot seed in the lower left portion along the sidewalk. Not for me to eat, but for the black swallowtails. They LOVE their leaves...A LOT.

Hummingbirds and Seedlings

It's that time of year again. Time to put out the hummingbird feeders. Two years ago I saw a hummingbird nectaring on one of my tulips. Now the feeders go out when they are about to open. This is my Jewel window feeder. Pricey and never used. I still put it up...wishful thinking. The little hummers prefer the cheap $4 Walmart feeders. I have three hanging on the clothesline. One in the center as the "beckon" to hopefully draw their attention. The other two are close to the holly branches. They seem to prefer the safety of the branches nearby. You can also seem my new mini-orchard planted over the Fall. I added the new strawberry bed, the center circle, just a few weeks ago. Planted with Winona strawberries.
I started my seedlings later this season. Here are my zinnia and cosmos (on the back left). I decided to pinch (cut) back the zinnia to just above a set of leaves to promote branching. They were growing into the lights and getting pretty tall on a single stem. I've never pinched them before, but it only took a few days to see the new branches starting. These are red Oklahoma zinnia.
From left to right, here are my Citrus Mix marigolds from Burpee, a Sungold tomato in the front (started 3/22), and a taller Fat 'N Sassy pepper on the right (started 2/14). The tomatoes are much smaller than this time last season, but the three week later start makes them much more manageable. My smaller tomatoes caught up in no time in previous seasons, so I don't feel the need for a really early start with these fast growers.
I'm not one to waste anything, so I took my zinnia cuttings and planted them in my seed starter mix. They are inside a popsicle container place within a Ziploc to keep up the humidity. I couldn't find my rooting hormone, so we'll see what happens. I love experimenting with my plants. I'll keep you posted on the results.
Happy gardening!

Name Change

I had been having trouble finding seeds for the Fat n' Sassy peppers that I adore. Turns out that they have been renamed! Surely a marketing ploy which I find very irritating. Now they are listed as King Arthur.

MUST PLANT!

Seed catalogs are coming in the mail. It has me thinking about what I will be planting this year. With such limited space I need to really be sure that I plant a lot of tried and true plants and limit my experimentation. These are the specific varieties of veggies that I've grown in the past, that I can really depend on every year, and wouldn't be without. These are all very disease resistant, heavy producers in my garden.

Here's my list of 'MUST PLANT!' varieties:

Tomatoes: Sun Gold, Celebrity, Jet Star, Kellogg's Breakfast
Cukes: Salad Bush
Radishes: Cherry Belle
Peppers: Fat n' Sassy bell peppers
Garlic: Music, German Extra Hardy
Lettuce: Little Gem, Jericho

I was wondering if any of you would share the varieties that you just have to plant each year.

2010 Garden Review Part II

2010 REVIEW
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BIGGEST HITS
Salad Bush Hybrid Cucumber - Excellent production and flavor. A must-have, compact cucumber. Vine are about 3’ long. Has yet to disappoint me like other varieties. Canned TONS of pickles using these (not picklers) and they were excellent. Maintained a pleasing texture and crispiness with canning. Seed is a bit pricier and has to be ordered online, but it will definitely be returning next season.
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Reliance Grape- Newly planted in the beginning of the season. Very vigorous, disease resistant. Very happy with its growth so far.
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Apache Blackberry- I planted one in the beginning of the season. It is an upright variety, healthy, and growing vigorously. Branches topped at around 4 feet to encourage laterals. Fruits on previous years growth.
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Red Norland potato- Good production and flavor in container. Beautiful color. Will be back.
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Russet Burbank potato- Very large potatoes in ground. Good flavor and great production. Rough skin. Will be replaced with Yukons.
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Yukon Gold potato- Good production and flavor in containers. Will be the staple potato here next season. Love it!
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Golden Acre Cabbage- Small cabbage that produces quickly. Very easy to grow with great flavor. Successful in Spring and Fall. Will be back.
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Lady Emma Hamilton rose- An excellent David Austin, disease resistant shrub rose. I don’t spray, so this is important. The heavy humidity didn’t take a toll until very late in the season. A light spotting of black spot. No big deal. New foliage is a gorgeous burgundy which sets of the deep apricot-colored blooms. A stunning rose. Branches form a nicely rounded shape. Heavy bloomer. Strong, citrus scent. Love it!
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Scarlet Nantes carrots- I could place these in either category. Last year these were fantastic. Sweet, large, they froze well. A huge hit. This year, well…black swallowtail butterflies used the to lay their eggs on. They would devour all of the young, supple foliage. I would bring them indoors and raise the cats…picking off the young foliage myself to feed them. Although the plants kept pumping out fresh leaves, it took a huge toll on the size of the carrot. Would I have changed a thing? Not for a second. We may not be eating homegrown carrots this winter, but we have lots of great memories of the butterflies we raised and released.
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Sterling onion- from Dixondale Farms. Large, white onion. Storing well so far. Only a few
Began to spoil. Great flavor.
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Red Zeppelin onion- from Dixondale Farms- still storing well, very strong flavor. Lovely red rings.
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Copra onion- from Dixondale Farms, yellow, long storer, small size, but weather was quite dry.
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BIGGEST MISSES - A large part of these varieties landing in the “misses” list was due to the weather. Record heat. Drought. High humidity. Not exactly a recipe for success. Another huge factor was the soil mix that was filling the raised beds. I used Mel’s Mix. A combination of 1/3 peat, 1/3 compost, and 1/3 vermiculite. The peat portion was detrimental to many of my plants because it refused to stay moist or remoisten despite repetitive, deep waterings. My recommendation. DON’T USE MEL’S MIX. Half of the soil in these beds will be removed and mixed into spots with heavy clay soil. The other half will stay in the beds and get mixed with my existing clay soil to help it retain water and nutrients better. With that said, here were the biggest misses:
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Spirit Hybrid Pumpkins - All three plants succumbed to borers early in the season. Willing to try this shorter-vined pumpkin one more time next season.
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Black Beauty Squash- I must be the only one that has yet to grow a successful squash. Of the two I planted, one was eaten by rabbits. The other….just barely hung onto life until the drought hit. Then died. Not willing to save space and try it again. I like zucchini bread, but not that much. I’ll just ask for one or two from my in-laws. They can’t get rid of their fast enough.
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Serendipity Corn- Bicolor, synergistic. Started out so impressive, but it was impossible to get the peat in Mel’s mix within the raised bed to moisten. Would try again. The few ears produced were filled out well with excellent flavor.

Hardening Off

POST NUMBER 2 FOR THE DAY
For approximately the last week all of my plants have been on my porch getting some direct sun and fresh air. With the exception of my cayenne pepper plant that was plucked out by a bird or squirrel, they are all going strong. I did have to bring them back in the house this morning. The winds are really whipping around out there and temperatures are about to drop.

On Tuesday I plan on planting my Purple Ellagance lavender and Asclepias tuberosa outside. Perhaps near the end of the week, when the temperatures rebound, the tomatoes will be planted. Right now they are about two feet tall, very lush, and the perfect size for planting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate.

Tomatoes to Tumblers

Fifteen of my 17 tomatoes received an upgrade today. Technically I could plant them out right now. Our average last frost is May 15th, but the weather has been unseasonably warm and appears to be staying that way for now. Last year I planted my tomatoes on May 9th. We had a late frost (May 29th). Last year was very cool and rainy and I had to deal with a lot of frost protection. The tomatoes just seemed to sulk for a few weeks, so I told myself that I would wait until the 15th...at least. So that's the plan.
Anyway, the tomatoes have graduated from their peat pots to tumblers. I can't believe I haven't thought of this in past years. All day I was kicking myself for tossing out my collection of large cottage cheese containers that I had been saving since last season for tomatoes. There was warm weather. I felt like cleaning. Recycling truck took them away. A moment of insanity. I went to Walmart this morning looking for large plastic cups or cheap containers that would be deeper and large enough to sit the peat pots on the bottom. The 16 and 18 oz. plastic cups weren't quite wide enough inside. Then I had a brainstorm. The cheap tumblers I use for my drinks...so the kids can't break them...Well, they come in four packs....for ONE DOLLAR. Plus I can wash them up well and reuse them year to year. I bought 4 packs of them, and the fun began. Here's what I did:
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1. In each tumbler I punctured a hole in the bottom to allow for drainage. I used an old, pointed steak knife, but a drill would have been much easier. I placed the cup upside down and twisted the knife until it drilled a hole in the bottom.

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2. I removed as much of the peat pot as possible without disturbing the roots very much.

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3. I placed the tomato plant in the bottom of the tumbler and filled them with potting mix up to the first set of true leaves. Roots should form along the newly buried stem.

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4. I watered them well to fill any air pockets. Below are pictures of the finished product. My tomatoes should be very happy for the next 2 or 3 weeks. And when they look happy, I'm happy!

Potatoes, Strawberries, and Seedlings

POST NUMBER TWO FOR TODAY.

Below, in the left box, are some of the Little Gem and Jericho romaine lettuce plants my son and I are growing this season. I planted these varieties for the first time last year, and they were excellent. Easy to grow. Fantastic flavor. Slow to bolt. Five star varieties.

To the right is Bloomsdale Long Standing spinach that my son started. The spinach seemed to appreciate being started outdoors rather than indoors. Germination was much higher outdoors. Go figure. This is the first time I've tried to grow spinach. Just trying to introduce my family to more healthy foods. I'll sneak the spinach into salads. The kids will never know. The husband may be more difficult. :)

Yes, I realize the picture is sideways. :) I didn't realize it until it was downloaded. With this old computer, it's not worth the time to flip it and download it again. Anyway...this is a store bought potato that sprouted in my composter. It appeared so healthy and vigorous that I decided to have a little fun with it. I planted it in this 2-3 gallon container. What could it hurt? Days after planting this potato, I purchased some potato seed at Lowes. Six seed potatoes for Burbank Russet potatoes for less than $4. (I wanted Yukon Gold but they were sold out). Last year was a first for garlic. This will be the year of the potato!

Florian Strawberries- Started from seed purchased at Thompson and Morgan in the beginning of last season. I only got to try two or three berries. The squirrels ate the rest. These have a beautiful pink blossom and small, sweet berries.

Here are my grow lights. Tomatoes are on the top left. Peppers primarily below them. Mostly annuals and perennials are under the right set of lights. These lights were one of my best investments in my garden along with my raised beds.

Here is an up close look at my tomatoes. Primarily heirlooms. There is a Tango celery and Florence fennel plant in the front left of the photo.

Seed-Starting Method With Pictures

This is a step-by-step method for starting seeds that I have found to be very successful. For starting seeds that are particularly difficult to germinate, try the paper towel method that I posted last season. Your success will be greatly improved.

SEED-STARTING METHOD
1. Soak peat pots in warm water for approximately 5 minutes. 2. Fill each pot with potting soil until soil is within 1 inch of the top edge. 3. Fill the rest of the pot with soilless seed-starting mix. Fill flush with the top edge of the pot.
4. Mist soil with sprayer heavily. Cover with plastic wrap. Wait a minute or two and mist again heavily. It may appear as though the peat is moist at first. It’s NOT! Check moisture with your finger. Continue to spray heavily until soilless mix is thoroughly moistened. This step takes a while. (Side note: I’ve considered soaking a bunch of soilless seed-starting mix in a small, covered container just prior to planting to speed this step up. I haven’t tried it yet, but it would ensure thorough soaking of the soil.) 5. Once starter mix is thoroughly moist, double check that the soil level is still flush with the top edge. If not the top edge will wick moisture away from your seedlings. Label your pots, and sow your seeds to the appropriate depth. 6. Place ¼” of water in tray (just enough to cover the bottom of the tray evenly).
7. Cover pots with plastic wrap to create a greenhouse and keep soil from drying out during the germination period. 8. Place tray under grow lights (or in sunny window). Make sure the pots are within an inch of the top of the plastic. 9. Check daily for germination and to make sure the peat posts don’t dry out. Maintain a thin layer of water on the bottom of the tray to keep moisture levels high under the plastic until germination.
10. Once seeds germinate, remove the plastic cover. When they need water ALWAYS water the pots from the bottom to prevent damping off.
11. Continue to keep the lights within an inch of the seedlings. Move pots around if necessary to maintain this distance. Place shorter plants on one end to increasingly taller plants on the other end. This will help maximize the efficiency of the light reaching the plants. Leaving the lights on from 7am to 7pm has worked very well for me. It provides healthy, sturdy plants.

GOOD LUCK!

Seed-Starting Dates!

When my crisper drawer in my fridge starts to look like this, I know that Spring planting time is right around the corner. In fact, NEXT WEEK my first seeds will be going into my seed-starter mix. This is so exciting! I based the start dates on past experience. For example, my tomatoes were a bit too large by the time I had planted them last season. The only exception was a Cherokee Green that I started two weeks later. It was the perfect size, so I am starting tomatoes two weeks later. These experiences helped me select the best times for each crop.

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If you do not already, start keeping a journal of what cultivars you plant, when you started the seed, when you set them out, and whether or not you would want to start them earlier or later next season. These notes are invaluable when it comes to setting up your own seed-starting dates for your area..

2010 SEED-STARTING DATES
*DS - Direct Sow

*SP - Small Peat pot

*LP - Large Peat pot
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FEBRUARY 5
4LP Asclepias Tuberosa

2SP Basil, Red Rubin
2LP Celery, Tango: Paper towel to germinate, seed needs light, cover lightly with soil
4LP Lavender, Ellagance
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FEBRUARY 12 --- Pepper Time!
1LP Alma Paprika
1LP Anaheim
1LP Ancho
2LP California Wonder
1LP Cayenne Long Red Slim
1LP Chinese Giant
1LP Corno Di Toro
9LP Fat N’ Sassy
1LP Hungarian Yellow Wax
1LP Mini Yellow Bell
1LP Mucho Nacho Jalapeno
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FEBRUARY 19

2LP Celery, Tango: Paper towel to germinate, seed needs light, cover lightly with soil
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MARCH 5
2SP Salvia, Flare
2SP Salvia, Vista Red

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MARCH 12
1SP Dill, Fernleaf: Don't plant near fennel.

1SP Fennel, Florence: Don't plant near dill.
DS Peas: Green Arrow, Little Marvel, Maestro, Serge

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MARCH 19 --- Tomato Time!...Leave Room to Build Up in Peat Pots (Fill pots only half way to start...Once the tomatoes are growing beyond the upper edge of the peat, fill remainder of pot with soil. Be sure to remove leaves that are below the peat pot edge. Roots will form along newly covered stem. This worked great last season!)
1LP Aker’s West Virginia
1LP Amish Paste
1LP Better Boy
1LP Big Beef
1LP Box Car Willie
1LP Brandywine
1LP Celebrity
2LP Cherokee Green
1LP Cherokee Purple
1LP Hillbilly
1LP Isis
1LP Jet Star
1LP Kellogg’s Breakfast
1LP Pineapple

1LP Pink Sweet
1LP Rutgers
1LP San Marzano
1LP Sandul Moldovan
1LP Sun Gold
5LP Mexican Sunflower, Fiesta del Sol, don’t cover seed
1LP Tomatillo
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MARCH 26
DS Radishes, Cherry Belle
DS Romaine: Jericho

DS Romaine: Little Gem

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APRIL 9
12SP Nasturtium, Empress of India (dislike transplanting, they respond well to peat pots)
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APRIL 16 - Don't let these guys get too big before going outside.
DS Carrots; Chantaney, Scarlet Nantes
1LP Cucumber, Picklebush
1LP Cucumber, Salad Bush
3LP Gourds, Mixed small and large types
2LP Muskmelon, Minnesota Midget
2LP Pumpkin, Baby Bear
2LP Pumpkin, Spirit
1LP Zucchini, Black Beauty
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APRIL 23
3SP Cilantro, Delfino
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MAY 21
DS Beans, Blue Lake

DS Hyacinth Beans x2
DS Sunflowers, Sunspot
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MAY 28
DS Corn, Serendipity

3SP Cilantro, Delfino: To replace first set later in season.

Direct Sow

Many plants are just as easy to start directly in the ground. Here is my 2010 list of those items.
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DIRECT SOW
Beans: Blue Lake (pole, 64 days, stringless)
Carrots: Chantenay (heirloom, 5-7” by 2”, resists splitting and forking in tough soil); Scarlet Nantes (70 days, 7”, sweet, nearly coreless, excellent, sweet flavor)
Corn: Serendipity (bicolor, triplesweet, 82 days)
Peas: Green Arrow (70 days, 2-3’), Little Marvel (64 days, 18” vines), Maestro (61 days, 26”), Serge (68 days, semi-leafless, 26-28”)
Romaine: Jericho (55-60 days, disease resistant, tolerates heat, slow to bolt); Little Gem (33 days, 4-6” tall, slow to bolt)
Sunflowers: Sunspot (80 days, 2’ tall, 10” heads, good source of seeds for birds)

Transplants

In addition to the tomato and pepper starts that I listed in previous posts, I will be starting these plants within the next few months. It won't be long now.

TRANSPLANTS (Planting one of each unless otherwise stated.)
Celery: Tango x4 (18-20” stalks, hardy biennial, 90 days, tolerant, hybrid, no need to blanch)
Cucumber: Picklebush (Burpee hybrid, 52 days, 2’ vines, 4 ½” fruit, light green, tolerant to cucumber mosaic virus and powdery mildew); Salad Bush (hybrid, 57 days, AAS Winner, 3’ compact vines, disease resistant, 8”, excellent flavor and production!) x2
Gourds: Mixed small and large varieties x3
Muskmelon: Minnesota Midget (heirloom, baseball-sized, orange flesh, sweet, 3-4’ vines)
Pumpkin: Baby Bear x2 (105 days, AAS winner, ½ pound, 5-6” across, 3-4” tall, good for pies and roasting); Spirit x2 (hybrid, 98 days, semi-bush, 8’ vines, 12” fruits, AAS winner)
Tomatillo: (heirloom, 2”, papery husk, harvest when just turning yellow-they will be hard, stores 1-2 months in cool, dry place, 4’ high, need support)
Zucchini: Black Beauty (60 days, AAS Winner, bush, best at 8”, dark green)

Tomatoes for 2010

Below is a list of my 2010 tomato planting list. I will be planting one of each with the exception of Cherokee Green. This tomato was so delicious last season that I just have to grow two. The only tomato that I really want to grow but didn't get seeds for is Virginia Sweets. That will have to be at the top of my wish list for 2011.
*=Returns from last season

TOMATOES:
Akers West Virginia (85 days, indet., crack-resistant, 1 pound)
Amish Paste (74 days, indet., 8oz.)
Better Boy (hybrid, 75 days, indet., excellent disease resistance, 12-16 oz.)
Big Beef (hybrid, 73 days, indet., AAS winner, 10-12 oz.)
Box Car Willie (80 days, indet., crack resistant, disease resistant, 6-10 oz.)
Brandywine (Amish Heirloom since 1885, 80 days, indet., potato-leafed, large beefsteak)
*Celebrity (hybrid, 70 days, semi-determinate, crack resistant, disease resistant, AAS winner)
*Cherokee Green x2 (80 indet., regular leafed, excellent flavor- best of 2009!, ripe when green with yellow blush and slightly soft to the touch, mutation of Cherokee Purple, 6-16oz.)
*Cherokee Purple (Heirloom, 80 days, indet., disease resistant, crack resistant, 10-12 oz., new seed-last season's failed to germinate)
Isis (cherry, 67 days, indet., short trusses in double rows of 6-8 fruits each, ¾” yellow-gold, star on blossom end)
Jet Star (hybrid, 72 days, indet., compact habit, low acidity)
Kellogg’s Breakfast (Heirloom, 80 days, indet., large orange beefsteak)
Marglobe (72 days, determinate, tolerant to Fusarium Wilt)
Marion (78 days, ind. 6 oz.)
Pineapple (Heirloom, 85 days, indet., 1-2 pounds, bicolor)
Rutgers (75 days, determinate, crack resistant, 6-8 oz.)
San Marzano (paste, 80 days, indet., 3 ½ “ long)
*Sandul Moldovan (75-85 day, indet., smooth, regular leafed, excellent flavor-second place in 2009, 8-16 oz.)
Sun Gold (hybrid, 57 days, indet., cascading trusses)

State of the Seedling Address

With warmer days just around the corner a majority of my flower, herb, and vegetable seeds have been started. In a few more weeks the remainder of seeds will be started. Delicious muskmelon (Minnesota Midget and Iroquois), Bush Sugar Baby watermelon, and Jack-Be-Little pumpkin seeds are waiting for their turn to shine.

Here is a copy of what seeds I have started and when. The abbreviations mean the following:
SP: Small Peat pot ~2 inches
LP: Large Peat pot ~3 inches
PT: Paper Towel - For some seeds I used the paper towel method I described in an earlier post.
*** All others were started in 72 cell trays with a seed starting mix.

FEB. 6, 2009
4 Gloriosa Daisy PT
16 Moss Curled Parsley PT; 3/14 all were moved to LP
6 Verbena bonariensis Top sown again 2/19/09, resown heavily 3/16
3 Husker’s Red Penstemon PT; Surface Sow
7 Quartz Mix Verbena Just cover; only 2 up, resown 5 on 2/26 in PT
8 LP Tango Celery Soak overnight; plant shallowly, needs light

FEB. 12
2 LP Mucho Nacho Jalapeno
8 LP Fat n’ Sassy Peppers
2 LP Anaheim Chili Pepper Received and planted 3/21
1 LP Jalapeno M Jalapeno Pepper (Planted 3/3) Germinated 3/21

FEB.19
8 Butterfly Mix Pentas Do NOT cover pelleted seed!
4 Delfino Cilantro

FEB. 24
5 Little Gem Romaine Lettuce
4 Jericho Romaine Lettuce
1 LP Black Krim LEAVE ROOM TO BUILD UP TOMATOES
1 LP Celebrity FILL LP's ONLY 1/2 WAY
1 LP Cherokee Purple (Replant 3/6 and 4 on 3/9) Bad seed?
1 LP Cowlick's Brandywine
1 LP KBX
3 LP Opalka
1 LP Constoluto Genovese
1 LP Sandul Moldovan (Started Feb. 26)
1 LP Gold Nugget Tomato (Started Feb. 19)
1 LP Green Cherokee (Started 3/14)

MARCH 2
11 Scarlet Starlet Marigold (wait for April 5 next season. Moved to LP 4/5.)
8 Salvia Mix (Lady In Red, Coral Nymph, Yvonne’s, Dill); Heavily resown 3/22
7 Strawberry Fields Gomphrena; PT, cover lightly
1 Helen Mount Viola
1 Mosaic Kong Coleus (Planted 3/5)
1 Sun Mix Coleus (Planted 3/5)
1 Giant Exhibition Coleus (3/5)
2 Onion Chives (Planted 3/12)
1 Red Rubin Basil (Planted 3/16)
4 Simpson Elite Lettuce (Planted 3/20)
18 ‘Evergreen’ Long White Bunching Scallions (Onions) (Planted 3/22)
D. Sow ‘Cherry Belle’ Radishes (Planted 3/28)

April 5
12 SP Queen Mix Cleome
4 Thumbelina Zinnia
10 SP Will Rogers Zinnia
7 SP Alaska Nasturtium
2 LP Black-Eyed Susan Superstar Orange Vine
1 LP Mexican Sunflower ‘Torch’
1 Fernleaf Dill
Pkt. Burpeeana Early Peas (First planting 3/25)
Pkt. Sugar Snap Peas (First planting 3/25)

APRIL 28...The final round
2 LP Cameo Elegance Morning Glory (For container with Thumbelina and B-E Susan Vine)
4 LP Scarlet O’Hara Morning Glory (S) Notch or 24 hour soak morning glories
2 LP Clarke’s Heavenly Blue Morning Glory
2 LP Scarlet Runner Bean
2 LP Jack Be Little Pumpkin
2 LP Salad Bush Hybrid Cucumber
2 LP Bush Sugar Baby Watermelon
3 LP Minnesota Midget Muskmelon
2 LP Iroquois Melon

Helpful Garden Tips

Did you ever lose track of what seeds you have planted in your cell trays? If you have kids you may know what I mean. :) There's an easy was of keeping track without needing scrap paper or plant markers. Sharpie makes metallic permanent markers. List what is in each cell on the side of the tray. I have an example below.


If you are looking for an inexpensive way to make plant markers you're in luck. Take an old plastic milk carton. Cut it in across the center. Cut out vertical rectangles each time you need a new marker.


Parsley. Notoriously slow germinator....unless you try this. Dampen a paper towel. Place a layer of seeds on it. Fold it up, place in an unsealed Ziploc in a windowsill. In just a few days your seeds will start to germinate. Once you see signs of life take each individual seed and place it in its new home. If you forgot to check on your seeds and the new growth has started to imbed itself into the paper towel just cut out that section and keep the paper towel attached. It will decompose. Cover your newly germinated seeds with a fine layer of seed starter mix and water with a spray bottle. You'll have plenty of parsley for you and the black swallowtails in no time. Here's my parsley that was planted on February 6th. This technique is great for all kinds of difficult to germinate seeds and the really tiny ones!