What a great idea, plus the block will provided added warmth for things like basil which really need it.
Being limited on space in our raised garden gave us the motivation to seek out an alternative way to plant our herbs. What better way than putting some old cind…
This has to be the longest winter I can remember. In 2008 we had lots of snow but it didn’t stick around for 3 months as it has this year. We can’t even put up our third greenhouse yet due to snow on the ground! Did I mention it is March 3rd?
Above are pictures of our tomato babies, as yet unborn. There are approximately 5000 seeds in the various gray cells. We bottom watered them with almost a gallon of hot water for each flat on March 1st and then the were moved to the shelves under the lights. In about 7 days they will germinate. It’s actually quite exciting checking them everyday, most times twice a day, to see if they’ve raised their tiny, green heads.
This is a close up of some of the cells. I spent several hours every day spreading the tiny seeds in rows of 50 to 35 seeds in each cell. This year I even used tweezers to keep them orderly. Doing it over a couple days saved my back big time!
Once they get their first set of true leaves, I will transplant them into 3.5″ pots and they will go out into the greenhouses.
One very important tip when starting seeds: Use a sterile seed starting/germination mix. It will help tremendously in not getting damping off. Nothing is worse than seeing them lush and healthy one day and watching them fall over the next. Very sad. It doesn’t matter whether you are starting tomatoes or petunias in a greenhouse or inside your family home. Since I started using a sterile mix I haven’t had damping off. You can get it at NW Seed and Pet and possibly other big box stores.
Every once in a while you meet a plant that you really like. This year, mine is the Mucho Nacho Jalapeño and the Emerald Fire Jalapeño, Peppers are notoriously hard to germinate, especially the superhots (Carolina Reapers, Ghost and Trinidad Scorpions) and the hot (Tabasco, Habanero, Serrano, Hungarian Yellow Wax etc.) to mildly hot (Jalapeños, Numex Big Jim, Anaheims, Poblanos etc.) Some of the hot peppers can take up to 4 weeks or more to germinate and then if you get 50% you think you are doing pretty good.
Mucho Nacho is a new one for me this year. It is supposed to be hotter, fatter, longer, more prolific, well, you get the picture, than a regular Jalapeño. It was the first one to germinate and it was very happy, vibrant and healthy. Lush. I can’t say enough about it.
The Emerald Fire was a close second. Germination on both of these were close to 90 – 95% which is really good. Nice strong stems, beautiful true leaves, easy to handle when transplanting into 3.5” pots.
For those of you who germinate your own seeds in a greenhouse you can understand how happy I was to handle these guys. Some plants, especially flowers practically require magnifying glassed and tweezers!
Mucho Nacho Jalapeños – 68-70 Days
An impressive Jalapeño from Mexico, large, 4” fruits are fatter, thicker, heavier, hotter, and up to a full inch longer than regular Jalapeños. They start off green and mature to red. Vigorous and prolific, they set heavy loads about a week earlier than is typical of Jalapeños.
Emerald Fire Jalapeño – 90 Days
These hot peppers are good for salsa, pickling, grilling, and stuffing, Extra-large, thick-walled, crack-resistant peppers, plump and delicious. Emerald Fire is very prolific and there will be enough peppers to share with your friends and family!
Winner of a 2015 All-America Selection, Emerald Fire is compact enough for patio containers, but may need some support to hold up all the peppers! Easy to grow, standing up to heat, humidity, and refuses to crack. Long season but worth the wait!
I have always loved petunias. They were the first flowers I ever grew. I lived in Manteca, CA in a travel trailer at the time. I remember waking up one day and deciding I was going to learn about flowers. I bought a flat of red, white and blue petunias and a container for them to go into. I was hooked and the rest is history. I love the array of colors, the shapes and the versatility. Did you know that the purple ones have the strongest scent? My favorite is the “California Giants” Huge, ruffled flowers with deep contrasting veining in the throats. Here is an interesting article I found on the internet about the history of petunias.
I am hoping this article shows up correctly. Apparently you need to click on thelink below.
Petunias are one of the most popular bedding plants ever grown. Among the array of colors, shapes, sizes and habits available, there is bound to be something to please every gardener. It wasn’t always like this though.
Interesting article. I’ve seen seeds germinating inside of tomatoes but NEVER to this extent.
What’s the real cause of seeds sprouting inside tomato fruits? It’s not normal, at least not in years past. Is it a GMO thing, or something else entirely?
Source: Freaky Fruits: Seeds Sprouting Inside Tomato – Garden Culture Magazine
Here are some inspiration for you to get you started making your outdoor space a place where you want to spend all your free time.
Source: 15 Fabulous Ways To Add a Bit of Whimsy To Your Garden
Directions
Source: Artsy VaVa: Spoon Plant Markers
How to Make Seed Tape with Newspaper – Get ahead start on your garden and use this tutorial to make your own Seed Tape while you wait for spring planting.
Did you know you can grow ginger indoors all year long? Or that you can use part of the root & it will continue to grow? Learn all about growing ginger here!
Source: How to Grow Ginger Indoors
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Notes From The Tomato Lady 