Started first 2017 seeds today

[Taiji]

Started my first seeds today indoors in grow cells.
30 Candy onions seeds that are a year old. I'll see what happens; I know onion seeds aren't supposed to last very long. Still have 100 new seeds standing by!
4 grow cells of Early Copenhagen cabbage
2 grow cells of amaranth seed as an experiment for fun. Just from the bulk bin at the health store.

[lakngulf]

I planted these tomato seed on January 12. They are Cherokee Purple from seed that I saved in 2015. I have them in greenhouse now but will have to move to a warmer spot this weekend

[Taiji]

Nice! Still too early to start tomatoes or peppers here but I'm thinkin about it!

[imafan26]

You are ahead of me. I still have weeds in my garden. I did buy some seeds though. Hopefully, I will get to plant them this year.
I have planted some kale, Brunswick cabbage, Swiss chard, parsley, and onions. I divided my thyme and I am just keeping up with the watering, but just barely. I have two irrigation stations that aren't working and I need to replace the faucet timer so I can get things watered automatically.

I did buy some glads, calla lilly, and strawberries crowns. I also got more seeds since the new seeds have come in at Walmart. I haven't had luck with the strawberries before, but I am hoping the store hasn't had them too long. The two replacement roses I planted are doing well and leafing out.

[jal_ut]

My garden is covered with two feet of snow and its 30 degrees today. Nothing growing in the garden except ice. Had the urge to grow something though so I took a one gallon ice cream bucket and put some planting mix in it and planted a couple pea seeds and a couple bean seeds and some radish seeds. So now I have peas, beans and radishes growing in the window. I don'e expect them to ever make anything worth eating, but at least I have some greenery.

[ButterflyLady29]

I topped off the soil in some of my pots in the terraced garden yesterday. Even though it's still cold and will be for a couple more months I planted 2 containers each with spinach and parsley seeds. The seeds are old and I'm not even sure they'll sprout. If they don't I have time to replant with new seed.

Today I plan on pulling out and planting the peter pepper seeds and maybe getting a pot planted with some annual poppy seeds. Got to have my flowers too!

[ACW]

Started some parsley this week and just waiting for the showers to finish ,before I head ou to plant some Aguadulce fave /brad beans .
After a very dry January we have had lots of rain so far in Febuary,Am really looking forward t getting onto my wee patch the snow drops should be in bloom,just havent had time this week to hit the garden in day light.

[Allyn]

I set some tomatoes out in the cold frame yesterday once I planted the lettuce, tomatoes and flowers that were in there. My bell pepper plants from last year are setting blossoms and I have a few peppers coming on. My Thai peppers are producing like crazy. I now have leaf lettuce and head lettuce in my designated lettuce tubs. I planted a lot more flowers this year than I have previously. The property is rather devoid of flowering plants and I really want to attract beneficial insects so I started with the flowers first this year instead of as an afterthought. I have marigolds, coreopsis, monarda, salvia, and verbena started. All of them are flowering or about ready to flower.

[Txyogagirl]

I can't figure out how to make my own post I'm new here. I have never had a garden before but started some tomato seeds on feb 1 and got my first tiny sprout today. I'm n Dallas I have been leaving them outside bc it's been 60-85 degrees since I planted them last night it was 46 I sat them inside. So here are my questions for u all. What do u plant ur seeds in? I prefer something free I'm a stay home mom and doing this to be more frugal. What else should I start that's easy for Dallas weather? How do I know when to move to a bigger pot? What foods can I grow in pots that r easy? Do u water ur seeds everyday or how often I have done mine every other day.

[Gary350]

TOO early to be planting anything here.

[applestar]

What do u plant ur seeds in? I prefer something free I'm a stay home mom and doing this to be more frugal.

Ha! A kindred spirit! Check this out
Subject: Recycled containers for seed starting and uppotting

I'm going to start some onions seeds in an empty ice cream tub today....

[sweetiepie]

Though I have gardened for a long time, this is only my third year of starting plants indoors and transplanting. I have found that each year, I need to start things a little earlier if I am to cheat and get a crop. My husband likes hot peppers and each year they are just starting to set fruit and blooming like crazy and the season is over.

So Sunday I am going to start some Reapers, Ghost peppers, and Scorpion peppers. New to me this year is Chiltepin Pepper which I want to start. Also had good luck starting Celery, Petunia, Gazania, and Gerber flowers this early. I have not had great luck starting onions this early but am going to try again since most places say they should be started this early but I think I will also start some in March, April and direct sow in May and see what happens.

I too have a rather large snow bank on my garden. If I get a chance I will post a picture. Yesterday -50 windchills, but today and next week in the 30's above zero so maybe spring is around the corner.

[imafan26]

You have a heat mat then? Ghost peppers like it hot around 80 degrees before they germinate well. In colder temps the germination drops significantly. The reapers and scorpion were not as fussy and they germinated in the 70's. (daytime temps). It is still too cold for me to start hot peppers. It is 60 degrees right now.

Tomorrow is the first sale of the year at the garden. I have 14 trays ready. Suyo cucumber, Big Beef tomato, Sweet million tomato, mesclun, Bull's blood beets, Blue curly 'Vates' kale, toscano kale, green onions, garlic chives, sage, marjoram, Korean hyssop, Bright lights Swiss Chard, Brunswick Cabbage, Gai lon (Chinese broccoli), Won Bok (Napa cabbage), Choi sum, culantro, cilantro, moss curled parsley, cutting celery (kinsai), nasturtiums, lemon balm, and corvair spinach.

No snow at my house but Mauna Kea is at -0.7 C. on the Big Island where it does snow.

[applestar]

Yay! I started some seeds, too --



>Adzuki ice cream tub V BBR
Onion, Walla Walla Sweet Spanish 2016Fedco
Onion, Whitewing 2016Fedco

>Lg. Clamshell BBR
Broccoli, Green Goliath 2016SESE
CABBAGE, TRONCHUDA (85 days) 2016Superseeds
Mustard, Tokyo Bekana 2016Fedco
Mustard, Senposai F1 2016Fedco

>Pt. Deli WP1
Lettuce, Wild Garden Mix 2016 SESE
Lettuce, North Pole OG Butterhead 2016Fedco
Arugula saved
Lettuce, Flame
Lettuce, Iceberg A
Celeriac, Large Smooth Prague

The onions will stay in the tub until transplanting so I put vermicompost, UCG, and at least a dozen small worms in the bottom. The community starts will be pricked out into individual containers of richer mix later.

[sweetiepie]

I do have heat mats for my hot peppers. My biggest issue actually is that the month of June we may have high's that hit 70 but the lows are still 40 to 50's so the peppers stall. I really need to find a way to row cover them. Plastic just doesn't work well here, it tears in our winds. I am no carpenter and am hoping that my husband can make me something. All his ideas are permanent and I like to move my stuff around from year to year. And while I am dreaming I need a greenhouse also. HaHa.

Applestar if you start lettuce now, do you transplant it? Does it transplant well?

[applestar]

Yep. Lettuce is pretty forgiving. These will be individually planted for heads rather than cut and come again.

I really recommend overwintering hot peppers. You probably don't have space issues? They will manage as long as temps are mid-20's to above freezing. If you keep them in the house at temps comfortable for you and provide supplemental lights, they will bloom and fruit.

For growing during the season -- I'm not sure if the photos links are still working but a while ago, a member (who hasnt been around for a while) - doubledog farm- posted that he hardens off transplants in a large circular metal water tank.

This might be an idea you could adapt for keeping potted peppers sheltered and increasing heat value during the growing season?

[applestar]

[Txyogagirl]

Applestar thank u for the idea I have lots of container like that. Why do u have what looks like Saran Wrap over them?

[applestar]

By this time of winter, indoor humidity is down to 30's % and for me, its too hard to keep the soil mix surface from drying out too much. I use light/loose or vented covers like this until first sign of sprouting then take the covers off.