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applestar
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2016 -- starting seeds and cuttings for the new season

Yesterday, I couldn't stand it any more and started these seeds. They are by the upstairs bedroom window with no heating mat since they shouldn't need that much extra warmth.

Name Started seeds Container

Swiss Chard, Red ribbed green leaf (2014)
Swiss Chard, White ribbed Jan 16, 2016 1ptBerry

Rhubarb (2012?) Jan 16, 2016 K-cups (8) inside black round ChT

Brussels sprouts, Falstaff Jan 16, 2016 Small sq. clamshell

Lettuce, Red Romaine Silvia Jan 16, 2016 Small sq. clamshell

Onion, Walla Walla
Shallots
Spinach, Gigante di Inverno Jan 16, 2016 Med sq. clamshell

... I know I've said before that I had better success starting Brussels Sprouts in May for fall harvest, but I want to harvest seeds this year, so I'm going to try starting them extra early.

I don't think I have any broccoli seeds left and will have to get some. I do have cauliflower seeds so I'll probably get those started.

This morning, I remembered I wanted to try growing snap peas in the Winter Indoor Garden like I did last year, so I'll start the pre-germinating process. I'll probably put them on the Winter Paradise Penthouse (top of the covered shelves) where they grew well last year, where -like last year- the winter indoor tomatoes are struggling against the TRM.

imafan26
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Your house must be a jungle. You must have a big house. I would think you would still be busy with all the indoor plants to take care of over the winter.

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applestar
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imafan26 wrote:Your house must be a jungle.
^^^YES :mrgreen:

You must have a big house.
^^^NO :>

I would think you would still be busy with all the indoor plants to take care of over the winter.
^^^YES... But some of them go through phases, just like outside plants, and let's me succession plant, so to speak :wink:

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applestar
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I have often noticed that posting something on the forum is the quickest way to fixing a problem. I went to look for the cauliflower seeds that I know for sure I have, and instead, found the broccoli seeds. :roll: Coincidence? I don't know. :P

Now, I will have to find the cauliflower seeds. They weren't where I thought they were....

-- as of today -- (moved the planted rhubarb seed container, as well as "spoon zipped" left over soaked rhubarb to the garage V8 nursery to cold stratify first --2 months according to one blog... I'll look around some more for confirmation of the required period). "Somebody" got me thinking Salvia, so started some of the saved Lady in Red, though this might be a tad too early for me.

Swiss Chard, Red ribbed green leaf (2014)
Swiss Chard, White ribbed" Jan 16, 2016 1ptBerry BBR

Rhubarb (2012?) Jan 16, 2016 K-cups (8) inside black round ChT V8 to cold stratefy 2 months
Rhubarb (2012?) Jan 17, 2016 SpoonZip V8 to cold stratify

Brussels sprouts, Falstaff Jan 16, 2016 Small sq. clamshell BBR

Lettuce, Red Romaine Silvia Jan 16, 2016 Small sq. clamshell BBR

Onion, Walla Walla
Shallots
Spinach, Gigante di Inverno" Jan 16, 2016 Med sq. clamshell BBR

Salvia, Lady in Red Jan 17, 2016 Small clamshell BBR
Salvia, Lady in Red Jan 17, 2016 SpoonZip V8 to cold stratify

Broccoli, Limba
Broccoli, Solstice Jan 17, 2016 Med Clamshell BBR

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applestar
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I resisted taking a close-up photo, but broccoli seeds are starting to germinate :-()
image.jpg
...BTW -- I found FOUR Brown Marmorated Stinkbugs in those orchid blossoms and one Green Stinkbug on the windowsill :x

... Just took another peek -- we all like to watch the "pot boil" and "paint dry" right? :> -- and either the Fall harvested shallot seeds or leftover Fedco Walla Walla onion seeds have started to germinate. The two broccoli variety seeds are also left over from Fedco seeds purchased for last year's main garden. Maybe I'll place another order from them for this year.

Lettuce is starting to germinate, too. This was from last year also, an organic Burpee seeds purchased at a local Ace.
Last edited by applestar on Tue Jan 19, 2016 3:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: More seeds started germinating! :)

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With winter sun shining on them, I t reached 105°F in the clamshell before I opened the lid to ventilate it. Broccoli took it OK though... And the Brussels Sprouts are also sprouting, as are onion seeds.
image.jpg
...but I moved the lettuce seeds. Hopefully they didn't get cooked....

Here are some of the more successful rooted herb cuttings. Lavender and Stevia are still out in the garage V8 Nursery since they seem perfectly happy. The mixed cuttings of Rosemary, Jasmine, Tea... Are on the upper shelf of Winter Paradise ("indoor greenhouse" covered shelves fitted with fluorescent daylight tubes).
image.jpg

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I took three trays over to the garden today to make room on my nursery bench. I have more papaya, tomatoes and peppers to pots up. The plants that I transplanted earlier all look good. The caterpillars were after the tosacano kale but I checked under the leaves and even under the pots. I discarded the damaged leaves last week. Today, I went to check on them and there is no new damage. The cabbage butterfies are still flitting around the kale in the garden and have skeletonized one of them already. I don't have dipel so I spot treated with sulfur and pyrethrins.

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applestar
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Ah spring! -- that's what your activities sound like to me, @imafan :wink:

...it turned out yesterday was a false alarm. This morning, I noticed that the instant read read 80°F when ambient temp couldn't be any more than upper 60's. Sun wasn't quite over the horizon yet.

I tried fiddling with a needle nose pliers that was handy, thinking maybe it was just a bit stuck, but the pliers slipped, and it then read 140°F :x The thing was seriously confused now :roll: -- time to calibrate. :idea:

Since I hadn't done it in a while (obviously) I looked around and LA Times site had a pretty easy to understand article:

Test Kitchen tips: Calibrating your thermometer - latimes
https://articles.latimes.com/2012/aug/01 ... r-20120731
To calibrate using ice water, place the thermometer stem in a bowl or glass of ice water, careful that the sensor (the tiny dimple along the side) is completely submerged. Let it sit for a few minutes, then read the dial. It should register at about 32 degrees. If it doesn't, use a wrench (or the stem case -- many have adjusters built in) to hold the hex screw behind the dial firmly, then twist the dial until it registers the proper temperature.
image.jpg
The little adjustable wrench thingie was useless, but the 10mm wrench I keep marked with the yellow tape for adjusting IKEA shelf bolts fit perfectly for this thermometer. I put the broccoli, B. Sprouts, and onion/shallots/spinach containers on the cold but sunnier windowsill, and the calibrated thermometer read 68°F after a few minutes. I have the lids propped open, but it should get warmer for them since the sun is rising higher and shining directly into that window.

My Patio remote sensor outside in the sun is reading 51°F while "official" current temp is 30°F.

(BTW the oniony sprouting seeds appear to be the shallots since they are mostly on the near half of the container)

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Yesterday I put some old delphinium and viola seeds in pots outside. I'll put some lupines and poppies in other pots in a few days. The seeds are old and I don't have much hope of them doing anything but I'm giving it a try. They weren't doing anything but setting in a box in the basement. It doesn't matter how old the seeds are, I have problems just throwing them away. At least this way I'm giving them a good chance.

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I do that, too. Why just throw them out if you could give them one last chance? ...and if they don't grow, expectation wasn't all that high anyway. :wink:

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applestar
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Here are the broccoli and onions/shallots. I'm not sure WHY only the seeds along the edge of the container are growing. Do onion seeds need light to germinate? :|
image.jpg
Also, when I saved the Hari eggplant seeds, I sowed some just to see what would happen. I really didn't think my new set up in the bedroom was good enough... But today, I finally got a good peek into the container and discovered that they had sprouted :shock:
image.jpg
Subject: Applestar's 2015 Tomato (and Pepper and Eggplant) Garden
applestar wrote:Subject: Self Watering Container and Sub-irrigated Planter

This was from October 5:
applestar wrote:Eggplant SIP as of today.
A Hari eggplant I'm hoping to collect seeds from, and the Pea eggplant blooming at the top of 10ft stems:

Image
...and today, I FINALLY got around to processing the seeds -- the fruit was getting browned and soft for about a week already....
Image

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I bought a rose at Walmart yesterday and returned it today. It was gold medal and when I read up on it, it did not sound like it was a very strong rose. Most of the bareroot roses had already broken dormancy and there was a lot of cane damage. The rose society is having a rose sale on February 13. So, I will check it out. I only have room for one more rose so I want a good one. I did buy more glad bulbs (red, white, and blue collection) I already have naturalized glads in the garden, I am just adding more colors. I also got some quinault strawberry roots and finally got Jersey Knight asparagus crowns. Now, I just have to find the time to plant them and the space. I still have more seedlings to pot up and I got more potting mix for at least five more trays. I just cleaned out my tomato pot. The soil looked ok, there were a lot of earthworms in the pot. I think it was compacted so I will add some cinder for drainage and mix the old soil with some new and fertilze and then plant my Isis tomato is needing to get out of the 4 inch pot. I prefer perlite but I don't have enough and this pot does not get moved much so I can use the cinder in it. 4 cu ft perlite is not always easy to get and I have to call and go get it immediately if they have it. Two weeks and we have the first Second Saturday at the Garden sale of the year. I did a quick count of varieties I have ready for the sale. Yellow bell pepper, Korean pepper, papays, Beefsteak tomato, Long purple eggplant, Early Girl tomato, Thai Tiger eggplant, fennel, pandan, Italian parsley, Moss curled parsley, bay leaf, dragon fruit, broccoli, toscano kale, blue kale, green onions, cilantro? (might not be ready), Chinese Giant pepper, won bok ,Sweet 100 tomato, nasturtium (jewel and Alaska mix), Polllinator mixed flowers, Mammoth sunflower, chervil, Japanese cucumber, and if I can pot them up in time brown turkey figs, rosemary if they are ready, and Siam Queen Thai basil. I might also be able to dig up some of the Thai chilies and pot them up for sale. They were put in the garden after the last sale and they are looking good now and I have too many so I might pot some of them back up to sell and put some of the other peppers I have in instead. Our first sale usually draws a large crowd, but unless we get a super big crowd, I will need to find other ways to use the remaining seedlings, some will keep but others won't. Someone else also grows plants for the sale and we talked so he is bringing red romaine lettuce and mint. We have to coordinate since I have to keep all the leftovers on my bench and that limits my future planting. Peppers will have to be potted up for the next sale and that takes up even more space. I have 2- benches that can hold 400-500 plants. It is exciting and a lot of work at the same time. Last year my timing was all off and the snails were having a party with my seedlings so I did not have much to sell las February and it took a couple of months to get back to normal. It is hard because we only have the sale one day a month so everything has to be planned to be ready for that day. We don't have sales in December or January so it disrupts the planting schedule. I use the time intead to clean and sanitize the benches. However, other people start dropping stuff on my benches and that gets annoying since they are not labeled and sometimes they keep their stuff taking up my bench space for months. Temporary use I don't mind if they ask, I have space, they label their stuff, their stuff is not full of disease or bugs, and it is taken away in less than a month.

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Some of the seeds I started didn't sprout. Not entirely sure what's wrong, but I decided not to worry about it. I'll re-sow some of them if I really want them and have more of the same or other variety seeds of same kind. When it's time to plant out, I'll see what I have growing and plant them as garden beds become ready.

Last year was "haphazard" this year will be "carefree" :>

THESE are coming along, anyway :()

Limba broccoli ... more Limba broccoli ... Hari eggplant with cover on
image.jpg
Solstice broccoli ... Walla Walla onions along top edge, spinach in the center, shallots along bottom edge ... Hari eggplants are starting to grow true leaves

-----

I was going to start thinking about which pepper varieties to start seeds for this year, then realized I'm overwintering so many, that I need to take an inventory and decide which ones are likely to survive through the winter and take off in spring. Most of the hot peppers, I only have one plant, but that may be all I need, especially if they start producing right away from the beginning of the season.

Not really sure if all of the sweet peppers in the garage will make it through the winter, but I do want extra plants for some of those that I really liked from last year. I also have bunches of new to me variety seeds that I still haven't tried growing yet. 8) :-()

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I had started salvia seeds. Was not sure if they needed to be cold stratefied, so I put some in a moistened napkin-lined spoonhead in a plastic seed zip bag and put it on a Garage V8 shelf but NOT on the heatmat. I intended to bring this one inside on Feb 14, 2016... BUT!

Salvia, Lady in Red Jan 17, 2016 Small clamshell BBR << no sign of germination >>

Salvia, Lady in Red Jan 17, 2016 SpoonZip V8 to cold stratefy << Feb 6, 2016 20d >>


-- yes! I noticed just now, when I went to take care of the lights, that practically ALL of the seeds on the spoon inside the seedzip had germinated out there in the cold. :shock: Currently 48°F, and I would say it's been hovering between mid 40's to no more than mid 50's. It's too late now, so I just opened the zip bag a bit and put a straw in the opening to ventilate. I'll plant them in a soilmix the morning, but probably just keep them in the garage V8 where they will have good light but lower temp to grow slowly... Maybe bring them inside during the day to warm up a bit.

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applestar
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image.jpg
Inspired by these lemon seedlings that sprouted, I started some Flying Dragon trifoliate orange seeds that I had been "cold stratifying" in the garage -- actually these were fruits that I kind of forgot about and had dried up :> ...anyway, I planted them and have them at a little above room temperature inside the Winter Paradise covered shelves.

I tried grafting some more avocados.

It looks like I didn't post about starting them, but French Thyme have sprouted, and Mexican Mint Marigold and Summer Savory are starting to sprout.

---

I have to plant a fig cutting that I had stuck in the back corner of the Winter Paradise in a ziplock back. I haven't been able to get it out (I have to move a bunch of plants out to even reach it) but I can see new leaves growing from the top. ...I should post a photo of the fig cutting I started last summer. I kept it inside for the winter because it was so small, rather than letting it go dormant and putting it in the garage like the mother plant. Now, it has leafed out (HUGE leaves) and are showing bumps along the leafnodes that will probably become figs.

I should post a new photo of the Hari eggplant seedlings.

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You've got a lot going on there! Where did you get the lemon seeds...will they be houseplants?

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applestar
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The lemon seeds were saved from organic lemons from Trader Joes. I posted about it here.

Subject: Started lemon from seeds

I have a bunch of seed grown citruses because I can't seem to stop sowing some seeds every year. :lol:

I have a couple that are starting to grow in ways unlike they were before. A Florida gardener told me the growths I described in the following post are definitely signs of impending new flush, but she couldn't say if these will become flower buds. But she said lemons tend to be everbearing and will flower with each flush of growth, several times a year, once they begin to bloom.

Subject: Orange Tree/Lemon Tree
applestar wrote:I wonder how Northernfox's citruses are doing?

I have a seed grown tree that I think is a lemon and I believe it had one flower on it last winter. I kept it in an upststair BR window this year, thinking it might do better with more warmth (closer to upper 60's/low 70's). And I *think* it did try to bloom, but failed (see lower left photo in the collage).

Now it has these bumpy callus-like growths in the leaf nodes, and I'm wondering if this is normal, what they are, and possibly are they developing floral clusters and it will try to bloom again?

Image

There is a bit of ant/scale problem going on, but overall, it is healthy. Dropping one or two leaves every couple of days, though.... If I move it downstairs, it will be more like low 60's to upper 60's.
Oh, and this is my thread about the 'Flying Dragon'
Subject: My Flying Dragon Trifoliate Orange Is blooming! >> fruiting!

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Subject: Carnivorous plant - Venus Flytrap from seeds
applestar wrote::clap: Image :clap:

Image

I started them on Jan 24. Now that I'm sure this set up is working, I sowed the rest of the seeds in the other 2/3 of the container today. :-()

p.s. @tommyr -- What do you use to test for that? (Chemistry is not my strong suit....)

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digitS'
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February 13, 2016 40347 PM PST.png
I have seedlings making their debut!

It will be awhile before I can present more. The onion seeds are in the mix out there in the cool greenhouse. I'll say "cool" because it hasn't frosted for a couple of nights. Of course, it barely hits 50°, maybe. They will be along but some days having 90 minutes of sunshine and some days having none, it's taking them awhile.

This is the first time I have grown rosemary from seed. I haven't known that there were named rosemary varieties grown from seed! Oasis Rosemary.

They came out of the warm kitchen to enjoy a little filtered February sunlight in the South Window. This is a cool location, especially through the night, so they went back in the warmer kitchen and hopefully, more seedlings will join them in their berry box by tomorrow morning.

:) Steve

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applestar
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Uppotted the Solstice broccoli (Limba seedlings aren't growing as fast...?) and a trial sample of spinach/onions/shallots in Garage V8 Nursery --
image.jpg
I'm not particularly worried about growing onion seedlings because I ordered too many plants :>

and Hari eggplants in Indoor Greenhouse Winter Paradise shelves (They were overdue and starting to yellow :oops: ) --
image.jpg

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applestar
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I had a new idea for recycled seed starters using K-cups and sandwich clamshell. I made two sets of them holding 7 doubled K-cups each.

I'm going to try starting some peppers and TPS (True Potato Seeds) in these.

In my experience so far, K-cups with the filter paper removed and bottom corners cut off for drainage in addition to the little hole poked by the machine are good size for starting tiny seeds and seedlings that have relatively small root system -- Have worked well for peppers, celery, sweet alyssum in the past.

Also larger seedlings that are sturdy and benefit from uppotting when nearly root bound like tomatoes, cabbage family, and Swiss chard. But the larger seedlings benefitted from double-decker stacking as they grew.

This time I've removed the bottom of the inner K-cup to allow for stacking as they grow and doubled them for stronger walls as well to make it easier to move the cups around in the beginning.
image.jpg
The bottomless cup go inside the cup with drainage cut out of the bottom corners.

I will be posting progress and reviews for these, and will post a summary review later on in the recycled container thread if they work well. :wink:

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applestar
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Started today --

4 seeds @ of the following peppers in each K-cup except for the Ladybug for which a friend gave me her last 2 seeds (I hope I don't mess this up). They are on the same heat mat next to the Venus Flytrap and coffee seeds which are being monitored closely, so they should be OK.

Pepper, Aji Pineapple
Pepper, Black Brant
Pepper, BST Ladybug
Pepper, Bhut Jolokia Peach
Pepper, Bulgarian Carrot (hot)
Pepper, Chocoloco Sweet
Pepper, Golden Habanero (From 2014-15 Helpful Gardener giveaway)

I also started TPS Amouasa in the other clamshell of 7 K-cups.

AFTER I had sowed ALL of the peppers except for the Golden Habenero (but I'd already labeled the K-cup and dimpled the soil surface and was just about ready to sow them) DH came home and brought in today's mail, which included a letter with one more packet of pepper seeds :D They will have to go in the next group with more sweet peppers (I'm telling myself that will be ALL) Image

I also received my order from Kitazawa Seeds including two kinds of Chinese cabbage: Kyoto No. 3 and Osaka Shirona, Komatsuna, short salad burdock Salada Musume, Roselle, and Mirai 350BC corn and Japanese eggplant Kamo.

I'll need to get some of those started, and organize my stock of corn seeds so I can figure out which ones I'm going to grow besides Mirai and Ashworth and logistics for where to plant them and when and how to stagger them. Image

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Apple, which variety of komatsuna did you order from Kitazawa? I was thinking of trying the summerfest, as the variety I used to get - Kojisan -was the most heat resistant one I have tried, then it was suddenly unavailable! All I have tried since are not nearly as heat resistant.

I have gotten 4 of 5 of my early peppers sprouted; still waiting for the pea eggplants, but it's only been 17 days, and last year they started on the 18th day.

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applestar
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I actually just bought the plain old "Komatsuna" -- partly because I want to grow an OP before moving onto any hybrid for what makes them better, and because I usually want to save seeds and grow from year to year.

So, they bolt quickly as soon as it gets warm? I guess I better get them started! :bouncey:

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digitS'
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I have only grown the Summerfest - influenced by the name ;).

Staying more weeks was important to me. The plants have done okay, comparable to bok choy. I have been quite happy with them.

They aren't kale, however. At some point in their season, more early than late, they will bolt. Senposai last much longer but, of course, it isn't the same thing.

I have onion sprouts in the unheated greenhouse :) . Six varieties - number 7 was brought indoors but it is seed for the 2014 season and, despite the warmer indoor temperature, appears to be failing ... :?

Steve

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applestar
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I'm going to try to set up a low tunnel... Maybe doubled with a medium tunnel ...maybe an actual cold frame made with recycled pallets and skids.... Ha!

Anyway, hoping to get a jump on spring with some greens! :D

Onions -- I'm finding them sensitive to shallow seed starting trays. It seems to me that around when they unfold and stand up, they grow their roots correspondingly deeper/longer, and resent hitting the shallow bottom. I had to uppot my little clamshell onions/shallots in a hurry and only managed to find a 2.5" deep container, but I have had best results with deeper containers like oval quart size ice cream tubs, which I think are more like 4" deep.

In the ice cream tub, they were way more crowded than they should have been and developed densely matted roots, yet grew quite happily.

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digitS'
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The tunnel over the bed in the greenhouse has been mostly off this winter. Of course, the Asian greens and lettuce can take some cold. We have also had another warm(er) winter.

There is another month of harvest in there from the fall-sown plants but the benches will have to be moved in and over the top of those beds at that time.

I will put some bok choy seed in a cookie box, this morning. Mei Qing Choi. Those plants will drive me to set up the hoop house in about another month so that I can get them under that cover, into the garden beds, and out of their container.

Driven by Bok Choy(in more ways than one ;)), I'm

Steve

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I'm jealous. I wish I was starting more stuff. All I have got are onions and leeks, and artichokes and two habaneros that haven't germinated yet. If I jump the gun I am going to regret it and get overgrown rushed out seedlings. I think next weekend I will start the brassicas. Two weeks sweet peppers. The tomatoes and eggplants grow very fast and I will not start until the end of March. Everything else is direct sow. Peas, potatoes, spinach, beets, lettuce, and carrots. Way too early of course, not until April when the threat of hard freezes in the teens is over.

Looking great!

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applestar
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I think I'm already running out of space and I haven't even started the tomatoes yet. Going bonkers over peppers right now. Could NOT decide how to whittle down the list so I've started soaking all the ones I wanted to grow (as well as another eggplant I just HAD to grow) in full strength black tea. I realized I was so anxious to start that I forgot to do this with the last batch :?
image.jpg
TPS have started to germinate/sprout. These seeds behave about the same as tomatoes and ground cherries in terms of temperature and how long to germination.
image.jpg
...but they are tiny and grow slowly, so it's good to start them earlier.

...I'll just copy these here to link them into this year's seed starting... :()

Subject: Carnivorous plant - Venus Flytrap from seeds
applestar wrote:Did I mention I also tried starting some of the seeds using Spoonzip/spoon method?

I noticed today that some of them had sprouted :D

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/do ... &mode=view
...started on 1/28 so about 23-25 days for those. Less heat retention in the tiny zip bag may have contributed, although I did double bag.
Subject: COFFEE SEED IS SPROUTING!
applestar wrote:Two of the seeds are sprouting/starting to stand up now :-()

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/do ... &mode=view

...so they germinated in two weeks but didn't sprout until 4 weeks.

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applestar
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LEFT PHOTO:

I had old rhubarb seeds that I harvested a while back -- maybe 2012. I wasn't sure if they were still viable, but there was no sense in holding onto them and not trying, so I sowed them thickly in these K cups and then, in case they needed cold stratification in a dark place, I put them on a dark garage shelf, intending to bring them inside or put them under the bright lights and the somewhat more moderate temperatures in the V8 Nursery in March... And kind of forgot about them.

Today, I took a peek for no reason at all, and found out they had sprouted some days ago :shock:

They are very spindly but maybe salvageable at this point. I put them in the V8 Nursery and took the cover off. Once they get a little stronger, I might try uppotting them and burying them a little deeper.
image.jpg
RIGHT PHOTO:

These are two out of four Maui Purple pepper plants that were the first to be overwhelmed by TRM (Tomato Russet Mites) and lost all the primary leaves. I put them in the cold Garage V8 Nursery to slow down the mites as well as give the plants a rest period.

Today, I noticed these new shoots that are starting to grow. They might make it yet. :-() It might be prudent to also put the other two that are already struggling out in the garage....

I didn't start these -- they were extras that pepperhead212 shared with me, so I will be VERY happy if I haven't killed them and they come back. Image

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digitS'
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I have had to bring both Walla Walla sweet onions and some of the Japanese bunching onions in from the greenhouse.

Too many cloudy days with no heat turned on but the real problem is the age of the seed - 2014.

I'm not sure of the wisdom of bothering with the bunching onion. I have 2 varieties, one is doing fine - Fukagawa. Got more Tokyo White seed and resowed. The original took another week in the kitchen warmth for any to emerge. The Walla Walla are now doing okay at, probably, 50% germination. Wasted some potting soil, time and space.

Steve

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applestar
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I'm not trying very hard to grow onions from seeds this year. It DOES seem easier to grow plants grown by a specialist in Texas.... It seems difficult to grow seeds to transplant size in my limited environments that I have available. ...that said, I have (a very few) Walla Walla and some shallot seeds started in this little container, along with spinach. So far, both of them as well as broccoli seedlings are doing best (compared to trying to grow somewhere in the house) in the cold garage V8 Nursery where it has been mid-30's to mid-50's:
image.jpg

In the house on heat mats, I started Sweet Peppers and more Hot Peppers, etc.

2/23 soaked 24 hrs in full strength tea seeds

- sowed in doubled K-cup/clamshells

Pepper, Antohi Romanian
Pepper, Golden Treasure
Pepper, Peperone de Senise
Pepper, Quadrato di asti Giallo (2010)
Pepper, Red Monster Bell
Pepper, Ros de Mallorca (Counselor)
Pepper, Soroksari Paprika
Pepper, Tolli's Sweet <freshly harvested seeds>
Pepper, Yellow Giant

Eggplant Japanese, Kamo
Pepper, Brazillian Starfish
Pepper, Damalik Bieber (counselor)
Pepper, Jalamundo
Pepper, Jaloro
Pepper, Madame Jeanette
Pepper, Shishito

- Over/re-seeded Mexican Mint Marigold and German Chamomile

2/24

- sowed re-using failed pepper small clamshell

Herb, Roselle (Asian Sour Leaf)

- sowed in doubled K-cup/clamshells

Kale, Lacinato
Kale, Good King Henry
Asian Green, Tasoi (Gixx)
Asian Green, Komatsuna
Chinese Cabbage, Kyoto No. 3
Chinese Cabbage, Osaka Shirona

- an experimental container of large mixed/unlabeled cool/cold loving greens (old Diablo BS, white ribbed and red ribbed•green leaf chards, unID'd mustard•radish type, dill, cabbage, arugula, old Lacinato kale) started in perlite for eating as sprouted micro-greens OR growing (V8): Most have sprouted. Uppotted Arugula and possibly something else. Sowed Lettuce Flame and Sylvia in empty spots.

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applestar
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I tell ya. I keep forgetting that these mustards are a hasty lot.

When I went to check on them for the night, some of the Komatsuna, Tatsoi, and Kyoto No.3 cabbage had already starting to germinate. :shock:

-- I loosened the saran wrap covering the top of the soil mix and then decided it would be better to NOT snap the clamshell lid closed, which pulls the edges of the saran wrap down tight. Otherwise, I'm going to find these germinated seedlings sprouting up against the wrap by morning, :roll:

ButterflyLady29
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I found my peter pepper seeds today and have a small clear plastic clamshell container all ready and waiting for them. I even found my bucket of seed starting mix. Still don't have the seedling shelf all cleaned off but I do have space on another one.

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applestar
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This is the fun part of gardening! Planting the itty bitty seeds and see them grow :-()

I have Black Brandt, Golden Habenero, and Sweet Chocoloco peppers knuckling after 8 days :D

I was going to start some of the dwarf and late maturing tomato varieties, but I got side tracked. Instead, started:

Feb 25

Stevia seeds 2015 from Green Room -- I'm going try to a separate germination test, too. I've never been successful growing stevia from harvested seeds, but I keep trying. :wink:

Petit Nigra fig cuttings from V8 -- I have them inside a produce bag wrapped in moist paper towel

Feb 26

Wisteria seeds from Mom 2015 -- pre-soaked for 36 hrs in plain water, then rolled into a wrap of moist paper towel and saranwrap inside a freezer zip bag.

pepperhead212
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Thought you might like to know, apple, my second and third pea eggplant seeds have sprouted. The first one I put in a pot, and it is about 1/2" tall after 6 days. I began these on 2-1, so they took a really long time - patience is a virtue! lol I will have to save some seeds from my eggplants this year - maybe new ones will sprout a little faster, though they are known for being slow.
Last edited by pepperhead212 on Sat Feb 27, 2016 1:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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digitS'
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Snapdragon seed went in the soil mix, yesterday. I will be sowing pepper seed, today.

There are 2 packets of 2012 seed amongst the 9 varieties of peppers. That olde seed has me worried. My intention was to use 2 cookie boxes for the 9 varieties. Five in one box would be a maximum.

I'm changing my mind ... the two boxes have probably dripped dry from their soaking and are ready to come in the house. Those 2012 seeds, they should go in a clamshell sandwich box. I'm reasonably sure they will come up but - when? I don't want them to have to compete with youthful neighbors in the same container!

Steve

imafan26
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I was beginning to worry it has been too cold. The green onions, kale and arugula came up but the peppers planted earlier was lagging. Finally started to see some sprouting yesterday.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

@pepperhead212 -- you are *really* tempting me with those pea eggplants! :lol:

@digit'S -- wise decision! Nothing worse then those laggards that won't come up with the rest. Sprouted seedlings generally need completely different environment vs. the ungerminated -- especially if you still want them to germinate and sprout.

@imafan26 -- onions, kale and arugula vs. peppers ? I'm so used to thinking of them needing completely different temperatures for germination -- heck, peppers need to be coddled and sweet-talked into germinating here. :roll: You make it sound so easy. :P

...We were out all day for a family gathering, so I only had time for a cursory, sweeping glance at most of the started seeds this morning. I only gave myself permission to take the time to thoroughly examine the Venus Flytrap box for taking photos. So I must have missed these Roselle that had started to knuckle and sprout -- this is what I found when I was looking them over for the evening/night time inspection :shock:
image.jpg
...it really goes to show that it's best to check on the started seeds and seedlings at least twice each day -- in the morning on waking and before going to bed. A third check mid-way in between wouldn't hurt either.

With these, I needed to move them immediately to a different location with good strong light. The Roselle were upstairs on the thermostatically controlled heat mat for the Venus Flytrap because I really wanted them to succeed, and now that these are up, have been moved downstairs to thee upper shelf of the Winter Paradise with 24" T5 fixture.

I have a spreadsheet for keeping track of all these locations -- otherwise, I sometimes forget where I've put them. :>

pepperhead212
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applestar wrote:@pepperhead212 -- you are *really* tempting me with those pea eggplants! :lol:
The second and third ones have now popped up in the second pot for the pea eggplants. I'll still look at the rest of the seeds for a bit, but as soon as these have taken hold, I'll toss them. Hopefully, I will have two plants - one extra if nothing happens to either of them. :)



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