First batch of seeds - started for 2011

[Duh_Vinci]

Always tell myself, save some headaches, and start the seeds no earlier than first/second week of Feb. And somehow, always start them in the last week of Jan, and not different this year again

I don't have the final list of the main garden varieties yet, but for 2011 container will be:

Danko
Janune Flamme
Lambada
Noire de Crimee
Taxi
Early Treat
Lubasha F4

Five to six containers for the side of the garage (Sun pretty much from sunrise and to late afternoon), and two for the back deck (cut the numbers of containers in half compare to last year). This way I can bring them in in case of temperature drop in April, and back out as needed...

Last year, first tomato from containers was at the end of May, hoping to bring the first one this year in mid May (that would be nice)... Started the seeds this afternoon. Organized the mechanical room in the basement, finally have plenty of room to move around and grow the seeds under two 2x4 T8 fixtures. Come on spring!!!

Regards,
D

[Imperialboy]

Blog photos look great!
What containers will you use for your adult tomatoes?

Maybe you can offer some advice in my thread as well? https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=32251

Thanks

[gixxerific]

Okay now you are pissing me off. You know I'm playing DV. I am slacking but I think I got started way too early last year, thanks AStar. But I need to get going I cleaned up my starting area this morning.

DV totally appreciate all the seeds you are the man.

Sounds good man, I should get going soon. We are expecting a ton of ice and snow again this week so it might be hard, but than again the perfect time to get some inside stuff going.

Can't wait to see your garden and I am super glad you are feeling good enough to get going. That is enough to make me get going.

Dono

[Duh_Vinci]

Thanks Imperial! I did post some comments in your thread, hope it helps. Looks like you have just about everything you need to get you going! Good luck and happy gardening!

Dono - LOL you cleaned up??? Did the same, finally looks like a place where I can "work" for pleasure!

Yes, the weather... Everything snow covered, can get up the driveway only on AWD/FWD. And Wednesday - more snow expected again, so doesn't look like anything will be melting anytime soon Oh well...

On the positive note, temperature in the dome steady 80-82F, crossing fingers for an early, and frost free spring and mid May tomato! Wishing you the same!

Regards,
D

[rainbowgardener]

I always make it a rule not to plant tomato seeds before Valentine's day. Last year all you eager-beavers got me all excited so I started them two weeks early. Did not work out well. Ended up with tall, leggy plants, many of which snapped in half when getting moved around and hardened off.

Valentine's day for me. But I'm probably a zone colder than DV (I'm 6B) with later frost date...

[Duh_Vinci]

LOL Glad to see someone can actually stick to the plan, RG

I'm with you on the mid Feb for the main garden varieties. For the first time in my life I'm actually looking at the moon phases from Almanac, so looks like Feb 15-18 are the best time to seed. Will see...

So, RG, looks like you and I will be on about the same dates for 2011 maters

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

I'm with you RBG I got started way too early though it was a good time and a learning experience. This year things are gonna start a little later. I blame the early start on a forum member here who's name rhymes with applestar.

[Duh_Vinci]

...I blame the early start on a forum member here who's name rhymes with applestar.

Hmmm, I wonder who is that person... Applestar? Boy that person has some inspirational material always brewing! This time overwintering the peppers

Regards,
D

[DoubleDogFarm]

(I'm 6B)

RBG, I don't think anyone asked your age, 68 whoa!


I'm also with Rainbow on this one. I started my peppers yesterday, but tomatoes in about two weeks.

Eric

[erlyberd]

Quote.....So, RG, looks like you and I will be on about the same dates for 2011 maters

You can also pencil me in! I'm targeting first two weeks in May but this year is going to tuff I'm afraid so. Last year was a spring I'd like to have over.

So what varieties did you guys put down for the early season madness?

[applestar]

Ha! No WONDER my ears were hot and I kept sneezing yesterday!

[DeborahL]

Duh_Vinci, your blog is marvelous !

[GardenRN]

duh_vinci, I LOVE those containers you use for the seedlings! I too work in a hospital but I'm on the psych ward and we don't start IVs there. we send em over to medical for that. Didn't see anything good to use on my side. Well, nothing that is waste that I am allowed to take. Ever consider selling some of those?

Boxgrowergurl; I got a bag of 200 plastic dixie cups and used a small paddle bit to drill a hole right through the bottom of them for drainage. If you leave them stacked you can to them all in one pass. Then I sit them in trays from the 72 cell starter kits I used to buy and water all of them from the bottom up all at once.

[Duh_Vinci]

Deborah - thanks, I kinda abandoned it last year, but will try to keep up with it in 2011.

RN - good eye! White large trays are saline syringe trays, and little clear pods are from Gado (MRI side). I do both, CT and MRI, and we go through quite a lot. All went into the trash few years back, but I tried to encourage all who grow gardens at the hospital and our outpatient facilities to use them, and now there is actually demand! Since we have enough gardeners, it's caught up (finally) People even started taking those to school (Gado pods are perfect for kids art classes - paint), and lining trays our large Medrad CT syringe boxes are perfect for their arts/crafts too...

Clear bottom tray in the pics is the cover from the package of windshield vipers, perfect little strip for 15-16 Gado pods


Seeded first batch on 1/29/2011:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1176693932_3ViBR-O.jpg[/img]

First seedlings started to pop-up on 02/01/2011, and still coming:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1176693858_U3kZ5-XL.jpg[/img]

Somehow as last year, Taxi is the most difficult to germinate, but coming up... So we have a 2011 garden take off in our house and couldn't be happier!

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

You can't tempt me, I will not start anything this early. Now just stop with all this nonsense.

Looking good DV glad to see your photo skills again as well.

[Duh_Vinci]

You can't tempt me, I will not start anything this early. Now just stop with all this nonsense. ...

Dono, come on man! Not even after "100% accurate" forecast of Punxsutawney Phil for an early spring???

Regards,
D

[GardenRN]

DV- Great to see all of those would-be-disposables going to good use!!!! Good for you! I'll have to start keeping my eye open around the unit for things that are getting tossed that are of use in the garden.

And way to go for taking it farther than yourself and getting others to use them and even getting them to use in schools. That's really great!

[Duh_Vinci]

Just finished rinsing off bunch of those little cups (ready for the main tomato crop seeds to be started) - potted up first tomato seedlings:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1186098671_Reeeq-XL.jpg[/img]

First pepper seedlings are up:

[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1186098739_eVYDr-O.jpg[/img]

Come on spring!!!

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

Looking good bro. Those pics are making me drool, not only are they fabulous as always but to think I will have a ton of little babies here soon is getting my blood pumping.

I have a feeling this is going to be a good year. It has to better than last year right? In so many ways.

Best of luck to you D_V, and everyone else. We all could use some after last year.

[applestar]

Oooh -- now I REALLY want to get started!
I found some old aquarium light fixtures in the attic. I bought a few new light tubes for them and am hoping to expand my set up.

[gixxerific]

Oooh -- now I REALLY want to get started!
I found some old aquarium light fixtures in the attic. I bought a few new light tubes for them and am hoping to expand my set up.

You go girl, thinking outside the box. I love it.

Are we going to have another first tomato race again this year?

[tedln]

First tomato race sounds good. My plants are going in the garden next week. I am a little scared, because the next week will be spent in Arkansas riding four wheelers. I sure would hate to come back and see all my plants frozen to the ground because I wasn't here to protect them. The weather man said last night that March should be a warm month in our area because of the position of the jet stream. I hope he is right.

Last year was my first to grow tomatoes from seed. I didn't have any idea how to do it. Not the slightest idea when to germinate or how to germinate. I was about a month too late getting them in the ground. This year, I may be a month too early, but it is a gamble either way.

You folks better get your running shoes on because I am also planting a large variety of "early" tomatoes. They range from 50 day to 65 day varieties. Lets see now, if I plant on March 1, those tomatoes I plan on eating first can be picked around the end of April. Now I have to decide if I want a fresh salad with tomatoes, a tomato sandwich, or just a ripe tomato with a shaker of salt to eat first.

It is also good to see almost everyone back and enthusiastic. I may have to go out and round ozarklady up again.

Ted

[applestar]

How about covering them with well-secured floating row covers? That should protect them should there be frost, and will keep them warmer which may actually speed their growth up a bit. ...Oh, wait, did I just provide tedln with an extra edge in the race?

[gixxerific]

tedln why not wait a week or maybe put out half of the plants so at least you have some kind of insurance.

[gumbo2176]

I put out my tomato plants yesterday, at least the ones that were ready. I have 10 Creole tomato plants that were about 8-10 inches tall that I put in the garden yesterday and have about 30 or so consisting of 5 different varieties in seed trays that have just sprouted this week. I thought I lost them when I had to go out of town a couple weeks ago for a week and our last cold snap of the season came through, but they apparently made it and are now sprouting. Once they are big enough I'll put a few in and give the rest away.

My seed trays are starting to show life with other plants as well and I can't wait to get them in the ground. I decided to start my cucumbers in trays this year, along with zucchini and yellow crookneck squash, several pepper varieties from sweet to hot and will direct sow the soybean and okra seeds when the soil warms a bit more. I'll just buy some ichiban and black beauty eggplants from the nursery since I only put in a few of each.

I'm getting anxious to get all things in the ground but ruing the summer's heat that is soon to follow. Guess you can't have it all.

[tedln]

tedln why not wait a week or maybe put out half of the plants so at least you have some kind of insurance.

Dono, I've been debating what you are suggesting with the half now and half later planting. Right now I am watching every long term weather forecast to help me make up my mind. My problem is the fact that I am kind of a riverboat gambler and I usually like to bet all or nothing. Sometimes I win it all and sometimes I lose everything.

I planted some French Breakfast radishes and Italian mix lettuce, bought in the Walmart cheapseed rack; the other day. Both have germinated and are looking good. It gives me more confidence that spring planting time is just around the corner.

I thinned the seedlings in my cell trays about ten days ago leaving just one seedling in each cell and two seedlings of each variety. I'm already kicking myself in the rear for not simply up potting the seedlings I pulled instead of pitching them in the trash. They would have made great insurance plants.

Ted

[Duh_Vinci]

Ted,

Rather surprised you didn't save a "spare" batch, but let's hope the weather cooperates with you! And almost envy you for being able to start the radishes and lettuce already! I just looked through my dates of the years past, and not until late March for radishes, and only first week of April for some lettuce... Oh well, we'll wait I guess!

I must admit, can't race against Texas for the early tomato, but If I can have some earlies this year in mid May (compare to late May last year), I'd be thrilled!

Though I must admit, yesterday's weather (record high for us) 77F felt so nice! Spent few hours after work pulling some weeds from the raised beds and just doing a little spring cleaning on the site. It just felt so nice to have the warmth again (didn't last long)

Last year, I was overwhelmed with sudden inflow of tomatoes, and didn't stick to my plant as much as I wanted, so this year, changing it a little:

Extra earlies - mostly buckets, started...
Next weekend - will start about 70% of varieties, some earlies, some mid, some late
First week of April - will start about 15% of my other early varieties
First week of May - will start last batch of what's left, of other earlies...

For now, my just over 2 weeks from germination little guys, getting their cold treatment in the basement:


[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1192267327_e3kUQ-O.jpg[/img]


[img]https://drphotography.smugmug.com/photos/1192267253_ziiwv-O.jpg[/img]

Happy growing all!

Regards,
D

[tedln]

Looking Great DV. I just enjoy sitting in the garden imagining how it will look in a few short weeks. I think I will take some photos the first day after I get the tomatoes and other stuff planted then take another set of photos from the same position every week for eight or ten weeks. It would be interesting to have a "time lapse" photo series. In the middle of every winter, I can pull the photos out and just remind myself of the possibilities.

Yea, I'm kinda surprised I didn't think ahead and save the seedlings I pulled. I guess my fall back plan just caused me to not think ahead. My fall back plan is a local farm store who claims he will have over fifty heirloom varieties available near the end of February. They may not be the varieties I want to grow, but it would be better than nothing.

I was in Lowes the other day and they are selling those individual "Bonnie" plants at $3.75 each. Of course I wouldn't pay that because when I buy, I find the six packs for a couple of bucks per six pack. It just amazes me how many plants Home Depot and Lowes sell every year at those prices.

Ted

[Duh_Vinci]

Ted, I think it's a great idea of capturing the progress "time laps" like! And indeed, looking through the photos of the garden when it's snowing outside, just warms up the heart a little! And pulling some home made sauces from the jar to go over the home made pasta does a little something too

So many varieties from the local farm - nice! Our area really lacks such enthusiasm, few years back, one place offered quite few heirlooms, but not popular enough, so looks like they reverted back to mostly commercial varieties we all know.

And yes, I hear you on those prices. But what makes even less sense to me, last year wanted to get some head start on the Redleaf lettuce, but no local store had 6 packs (usually under $2.00), what Lowe's and Home Depot had were singles, at $2.75 and $3.75... Well, at that price, I may as well go to Wegman's and get some organic lettuce that is ready already

As for back up plan, since I did loose few plants to unexpected late frost last year, picked up few seedlings from a local farm market, and did very well. But let's hope for no late frost this year!

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

We have several places around that sell heirlooms. Mostly grown from local gardeners-farmers. I feel ya on the $3+ they want for plants at some places that is absurd when you can produce 50 or more plants from seed for about $2 yourself, well not including potting mixes.

D_V my starters are up too. Many of your seeds are up. The tray without heat is still in limbo but I will be switching them over today. Can't wait I need to trim out the extras this morning as well.

Good luck everyone.

[applestar]

Are we going to have another first tomato race again this year?

I guess we didn't have our race this year... but here's my contender photographed today. This Mystery Volunteer turned out to be one of the Sugar Plum babies:
[img]https://i290.photobucket.com/albums/ll272/applesbucket/Image8412.jpg[/img]

[rainbowgardener]

Looking beautiful!

I don't have any with fruits on them. But my plants outgrew the space. So I took them out today to get some sun for the first time, but not much sun to be had and I had to bring them back in tonight.

[Duh_Vinci]

Very nice Apple!

Nope, no "official" race this year, but looks like you indeed up to speed on early maters

All of my earlies much like Rainbow's outgrown their place, and have seen the outside world for the first time 2 days ago. But back indoors 2nd day now, winds were terrible, knocking over all the outside furniture, even the heaviest metal tables and chairs...

Taking Thur/Fri off, hopefully will have some time to organize the garden and start hardening off the plants!

BTW, most earlies have fruits on them

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

I'm jealous AS that is looking good.

I just potted up my plants today to gallon pots for a majority of them till I ran out of gallon pots that is. My plants are looking good and strong but nothing like that.

D_V everything I got from you is going good thanks. Hopefully this year I will get off my lazy butt and save seeds for the first time.

[gixxerific]

Here are mine so far

Before
[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/DSC05123.jpg[/img]

After
[img]https://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj185/gixxerific/DSC05125.jpg[/img]

[tedln]

Looks like all you folks will have nice large plants for the garden when the weather is ready. I have my salt shaker out and ready to take to the garden. Nothing like eating some of the first fruit in the garden when it is picked. Good luck!

Ted

[Duh_Vinci]

Dono - good looking plants, my man! Soon enough you will be hardening them off!

I've taken nice long 4 day weekend to catch up the garden, up-potting and hardening off. Just want to feeeeeeeeeeel the spring!

Ted - can I come over? Please? Campari's from Costco are fine (for the time being), but we all know, can't be compare to the "garden varieties"

Regards,
D

[gixxerific]

Campari's from Costco are fine (for the time being), but we all know, can't be compare to the "garden varieties"

Regards,
D

How can you D_V, I mean really?

[applestar]

Wow, you got the seed starting down, Gixx.
DV, have a GREAT weekend!
Tedln, I'll join you with my salt grinder -- I like freshly ground seasalt on my tomatoes
Rainbowgardener, sounds like you're almost there for spring planting. I'm lagging a week or two behind, same as last year, but will start planting my potatoes tomorrow. I seem to have way more seed potatoes to plant this year than I had thought, thanks to certain somebody....

Good luck with all your gardens this year!