Applestar’s 2018 Garden

[applestar]

Officially kicked off the 2018 Garden seed starting with artichokes and lettuce. I was expecting the lettuce but was surprised to see the artichokes starting to sprout today





Type, Variety_______ started_in_sprouted_days
—————————————————————-
Artichoke, Emerald F1...1/30...PP...2/3...4d
Lettuce, Black Rose........1/31...CP...2/3...3d
Lettuce, Marvel of the
four seasons ...................1/31...CP
Lettuce, Valmaine...........1/31...CP..2/3....3d
Lettuce, Rosemarry.........1/31...CP..2/3....3d

*PP=paper pot
*CP=community pot

I think I will start some flowers/herbs next.

[applestar]

Found an 8” pot of aged vermicompost, so mixed it with spent WIT (Winter Indoor Tomato) potting mix and extra coir and uppotted the greens that had been started back in... January? Sowing in shallow clamshells then uppotting to deeper and deeper clamshells in randomly separated “sod” might be a new technique to adopt. This saves space and seems to be working so far. Dig up some wormyworms from the garage vermicomposter and put them to work in the greens containers to provide slow-release fertilizer. All the greens are on WPPH.

Greens mix - Lettuce, Asian, mustard - Uppotted (#1)

In the background in the photo above and below —
- Sowed Winter Bloomsdale spinach and Chives seeds along edges of one of the greens (Greenwave Mustard?)
Mustard, Greenwave - Uppotted
— Herb, Chives
— Spinach, Winter Bloomsdale

- Uppotted some of the greens in the 8” pot.
- Sowed Tom Thumb peas with the 8”

Greens mix - Lettuce, Asian, mustard - Uppotted (#2)
— Pea, Tom Thumb

- Started crucifers in shumai cells. Intending to uppot to TPPP as soon as they sprout.


— Cauliflower, Veronica
— Kale, Beira Tronchuda
— Broccoli, Romanosco Italia

— Kale, Dazzling Blue
— Broccoli, Limba
— Kale, Red Chidori

[applestar]

BTW, in the first photo in the above post, you can sort of catch a glimpse of one of my IKEA floor torchere lamps that have been converted for supplemental plant light — I used a Y-extender to put two daylight CFL’s in the one socket, and attached a uni-directional reflector crafted from a heavy-duty aluminum lasagna/roasting pan by cutting a hole for the socket in the center of one of the long sides.

I had one of those 2 ft. Single t5 table-top plant light system which I converted to hang two t5 tubes — I Found one-t5 tube lighting is not wide enough to support a full 1020 tray. I have this sitting on top of the vinyl covered WP (Winter Paradise) plant shelving — this top shelf is called WPPH (WP Penthouse). There is a Mylar emergency blanket neatly hospital-cornered over the WPPH lighting and the lasagna pan reflector.

The entire structure is positioned in front of a NW window, so with everything in place, WPPH can support two 1020 trays of tomato/pepper seedlings placed perpendicular to the t5 lights during the main spring seed starting operation.

[applestar]

Kales -Beira Tronchuda and Dazzling Blue- have started to sprout already. 6 of the artichoke paper pots have sprouted, some doubles (I sowed 2 seeds each to hedge my bet).

[applestar]

I uppotted the Trontuda and some of the Dazzling Blue. The tiny seedlings lift out with a fork from the shumai tray like a plug and fit right in the TPPP (TP Paper Pot) filled to the top as I had hoped

I think I will uppot the Romanesco and Veronica tomorrow. Red Chidori can wait, and Limba was old seeds so I’m not counting on them, thou I think I see one sprouting.

LETTUCE — Marvel of the Four Seasons lettuce didn’t come up — except for that tiny little one that sprouted next to the straw marker. I tried sowing my old Iceberg A seeds a few days ago, but they aren’t coming up either. That row must be jinxed.



ARTICHOKE — I was surprised to see the last two sprouting TPPP’s. I have to remember I may still have to cull weak or albino seedlings.

[applestar]

Update on the Key Limes. I accidentally left them in the garage intending to uppot them, and then got side tracked — they were not happy. (turned yellowish)


...one of my coffee seedlings is next to it, waiting its turn to be uppotted.

Subject: Applestar's 2017 Garden
Sat Apr 08, 2017 8:28 am

Newest babies to join my expanding citrus family collection -- a friend sent me a fully ripe key lime fruit from her tree when I mentioned wanting to try growing from seeds and lamented that I couldn't find any in the stores and the produce guy said maybe in the summer time.

After keeping the fruit -intact- in refrigerated storage, I extracted and sowed the precious seeds on March 8th in two different conditions for insurance. I usually tell people it takes about 4 weeks or a month... these were right on the money

[applestar]

Reviewing the old post, I realized — THIS must be the other Key Lime!
The sharpie rubbed off and I didn’t know what kind of citrus seedling was growing in this pot with the sedum. YAY!

[applestar]

Uppotted the lettuce and then evicted them to the Garage V8 Nursery so The Cauliflower Veronica that were uppotted in the TPPP would fit under the lights in WPL2. The “Spring Seedling Shuffle” or “Musical Chairs” has started for the 2018 season.

...I only had 8 Veronica seedlings, so I put a Broccoli Romanesco Italia seedling in the 9th TPPP marked with the wooden coffee stirrer.

The brassica seedlings will go out to the Garage V8 once they grow their true leaves.

[applestar]

When we get days like yesterday and today in the 50’s 60’s, it feels like the lettuce should be able to go out any time, but our low tonight is forecast to be 24°F. But starting Wed, the hi/lo are going to be ridiculously mild for the following week or so. I might try to harden them off and see what happens.

But typically, once they go out to the unheated, windowless Garage V8 Nursery, the ambient temp is constant 40’s to low 50’s at most, sometimes in the 30’s. And NORMALLY, outside temps at this time of the year are still below freezing or just starting the thaw/freeze cycle with sap starting to run. I wouldn’t expect them to grow very fast and could wait another two weeks before thinking about hardening them off.

If they were going outside — in coldframe or with other passive protection — they could get higher daytime temps from the direct sun but could also suffer from frost and freezing temps. I do plan on using at least hoops and row covers when they first get planted out.

I’m going to start another batch of seeds now that this first batch has been Uppotted to hedge my bets.


...in the mean time, I Uppotted the Broccoli Romanesco Italia, the one Limba seedling, and the rest of the kales — Dazzling blue and Red Chidori. For these I’m trying another recycled idea — I sometimes get eggs in clear plastic cartons that looks perfect for starting seeds, but has been limiting due to the shallow depth factor relative to the area they take up, and the floppy nature of the long egg cartons filled with moistened potting mix.

It occurred to me yesterday that if I cut the egg carton in two, 6 cells each, then place them side by side, they would be more manageable, IF there was a right sized container that would support them as drip tray — well guess what? There was such a container.

In order to gain the depth needed, last year, I tried cutting off the tops of the closed egg cartons and filling the entire egg spaces with potting mix. That was awkward to fill, and didn’t work too well when it came time to “pop them out” This time, I tried stacking the two halves after cutting off the “tops”. The seedlings will grow through to the bottom half. I may still have to cut off the top half to get them out, but hopefully not as awkwardly.

[SQWIB]

Looking good and don't let the weather fool ya, mid March could mean single digits, last year I jumped the gun with direct sowing

• March 19th

What is the Garage V8 Nursery?

[applestar]

You’re not kidding. I know it’s way too early.

Garage V8 Nursery — I don’t have a single dedicated space for keeping plants in my house... I steal a little space from here and there. I name all my growing areas. Sometimes this is essential because otherwise, I won’t remember where I put something. Also good to keep notes on individual micro-climate for ideal growing conditions.

In my windowless, semi-insulated, unheated garage, I have a 2-shelf space set up on top of an 80’s black lacquer and gold brass trim dresser with a matching huge mirror on the wall behind it. Here’s a pretty good overall picture from 2015:

[applestar]

I LOVE this time of the year, when I’m starting to think about what I might grow in the garden this year, and start armchair gardening with my sketches of garden spaces, last year’s garden journal, crop rotation charts, companion planting charts, ... dropping seeds starting with the early spring crop, flowers, herbs ....

My garden mapping process has evolved over the years — I do almost everything on my iPad now, but way back when, I started out using graph paper and onion skin/vellum overlays.

[pow wow]

Hello applestar,

I am enjoying your thread. It's bringing on the seed starting fever. I only have my Santa Cruz Begonia seedling right now. They're not really seedlings anymore, they were started in Nov.
I need to get my Pansy seeds planted this week and my Petunias very soon.

[applestar]

Various kales and first to be uppotted Veronica cauliflower on the left, Emerald Artichoke on the right:



...I decided since the artichoke seedlings have grown their first set of true leaves, then can be taken off the heating pad now and move to the garage to grow slowly until beginning of April when they should be able to start hardening off.

With the small heating pad+ thermostat freed up, I was able to start 9 varieties of peppers and 3 varieties of eggplants today



...I also started the sundew seeds from the seed fairy. They were nothing more than barely visible specs in the tiny zip bag, labeled 10 sundew seeds. I didn’t even attempt to count them but took out every spec of dust with a toothpick and pressed them into the top surface of the peat moss rinsed 4x with rainwater. They need similar bottom heat as peppers, so hopefully this will work.

[SQWIB]

I'm thinking about taking my Artichokes outside for the next 10 days since the weather looks accommodating.

[MoonShadows]

Looking real good @applestar! Your off to a good start. I'm like you. I love this time of the year. I feel like I'm getting ready for "opening night". Lights, music, action....I'm like a kid anticipating Christmas!

I started some seeds in the cold frames in my greenhouse last Saturday: lettuce, spinach, green onions (scallions), cabbage and Brussel sprouts. My jiffy pots arrived from GreenhouseMegastore. I bought 100 of them (4 x 4" square) for under $20. I used Cow Pots last year to start my outside vegetables, but I got an excellent deal on them; they are 5x more than jiffy pots wherever I looked this year.

I'm also making my own soilless seed mix this year. I found this "recipe" on the Penn State Extension website:
2 gallons Peat Moss
2 gallons Vermiculite
4 Tbsp dolomite lime
2 tsp slow release organic fertilizer

I am going to add: Wildroot Organic Mycorrhizal Fungi (15 species) Endo & Ecto Mycorrhizae Inoculant Powder Concentrate for Plants. This is found in many quality soilless seed starters.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B077C ... UTF8&psc=1

untitled.png (54.87 KiB) Viewed 1449 times

I just got a bunch of different flower seeds from Vermont Wildflower Farm including: lavender, butterfly weed, columbine, creeping thyme, marigolds, nasturtium, verbena, and zinnias. Vegetables will be: tomatoes, potatoes, corn, peppers, egg plant, cucumbers in addition to the ones I've already stated. I always have basil, parsley and oregano going inside. I'll start the seeds in my greenhouse on March 21. I am dying to start them now, but I don't want to start them too early. I can't move them outside until mid-May here in the Poconos.

[applestar]

Thanks for the tip about the myco — I might try it. Please keep us posted. 1-oz must be a tiny little baggie but I suppose it doesn’t take much?

... I have more updates

SQWIB’s cabbage reports got me starting some cabbages


- not many, but just a token amount to be able to say I grew some this year.
- Red Chidori kale didn’t sprout well in the last round, so I’m trying again.

...seed fairy sent me some White and Broadleaf sages and VARIEGATED plantain seeds to try growing, and they started to sprout. Yay!

[MoonShadows]

@applestar...Yes, the scoop, that makes a gallon, is really small. The entire bag is the size of a large family size kool-aid envelope. The 1oz bag makes 50 gallons when diluted, and you really only need a bit on each plant. They say 1 gallon is enough for 100 - 1 gallon pots.

What are you using for seed starter soil? It almost looks like a casserole in these last pics! What is that top dressing?

[applestar]

@MoonShadows — 1st group of Red Chidori and a some others had damping off problems, so I decided to go back to basics and try just vermiculite. I do have to plant them in more nutrient mix quickly, but they are sprouting well. With other recently started batch, I’m pressing the seeds in top of the potting mix and then covering with vermiculite as top layer.

...do you want to see my seed starting log?

- I’m not so concerned with overall germination rate, but like to note when first Sprouts put up above the mix. This helps me know what to expect -how long it takes them to start growing- from each kind of seed after sowing.

{ I clipped a handful of the 2-3” baby lettuce for a cocktail shrimp and sriracha mayo on Jewish rye sandwich }

- I had given up on the celery, but they are all sprouting after 12 days
- out of all those spinach seeds, and only TWO sprouted. They don’t do well outside either, and what little come up get eaten by slugs. Maybe I should just give up on growing spinach....
- looks like IcebergA lettuce seeds are just too old, and the Solanacea broccoli seeds are only just.

...Time to buy fresh seeds!

[SQWIB]

Looking good, I thought I had damping off on my Broccoli so I let it dry out, everything wilted then I bottom watered, we will see.

Hows the Artichokes, I'm gonna try and get mine outside by next week and put them through vernilization for 10 days or so.

[SQWIB]

@MoonShadows — 1st group of Red Chidori and a some others had damping off problems, so I decided to go back to basics and try just vermiculite. I do have to plant them in more nutrient mix quickly, but they are sprouting well. With other recently started batch, I’m pressing the seeds in top of the potting mix and then covering with vermiculite as top layer.

|

Do you use a fan, I have one set up to go on three times a day for half an hour to an hour, helps prevent damping off (sometimes), lets just say it gives a wider margin of error when watering.

The fan also stimulates the plant to sturdy up those stems, I'm sure you know that, but I just like to hear myself type

[MoonShadows]

I keep one of my fans in my greenhouse running on low 24/7.

[applestar]

I do use fans sometimes, depending on location. Most of the time, though I try to set up each location to create a passive thermodynamic air flow. I also tend to put them in the unheated garage as they grow, and the cooler temp forces stockier growth, especially for tomatoes IN THE 50’S, but it seems to work for the cooler season seedlings as well when the garage is in the 40’s.

I wanted to make my own starting/potting mix as usual, but I had a hectic fall/winter and don’t have the key ingredient ready/available — screened Compost or well established and ready to harvest vermicompost. I really think that is the root of the problem.

I’ve admitted defeat and ordered a couple of bags of premium organic potting mix to be delivered to a local hardware store. So hopefully I can rescue my sorry looking, slow growing seedlings and they will be ready when it’s time to plant them out. For the time being, I found last cup or so of tomato-tone which I can use to feed them with.

I have uppotted most of the cabbage and kale seedlings that sprouted in the vermiculite. Some of them are just sprouted and haven’t unfolded their seedleaves completely, but I’m shuffling the available spaces right now and resisting cleaning out/readying another shelf, so I stuck them in available spaces where the sage didn’t sprout.... if they survive, they survive, if not, I have enough.

Two of the hot peppers — Barker’s Hot and Hanoi Market have sprouted at 7 days.

[SQWIB]

I also tend to put them in the unheated garage as they grow, and the cooler temp forces stockier growth, especially for tomatoes IN THE 50’S, but it seems to work for the cooler season seedlings as well when the garage is in the 40’s.

That is good to know, Ill cut my heat back to about 60 when my eggplant seedlings are started, thanks for the tip.

[digitS']

I'm being inspired and that inspiration is needed because we all need that and it develops within but also from without.

AppleStar, you have already reminded me that I should be starting my celeriac seed. I find that it's a little easier to grow than celery.

Kale. Last year there were 4 types in my garden. They have all been there once or many times but not together. AppleStar has my favorite, the Portuguese. I've eaten Scotch since childhood and DW likes it a good deal. Russian is great but I've only grown it twice; fortunately, the aphids didn't bother it as much in 2017 as previously.

I thought, "ah ha, chidori kale!" But, that's an ornamental. "Well, there's this variegated plantain ..." But, I've eaten the weed plantain and didn't think much of it ... I will wait for reports .

Looking at my seed lists, the tomato patch will be crowded as usual but not one thing new. I have my fingers crossed for the peppers, as usual. The list has not one thing new. I'm hopeful that the garden center will have something new in the seed potato bins but it will likely be entirely up to them and they are very consistent in having not one thing new! Squash, I will be trusting old favorites and bringing back a variety that did well twice before but, otherwise, not one thing new!

In the ornamental beds there will be 4 new snapdragon varieties, quite a few new dahlias but in the veggies, not one thing new! Now before you say "artichokes" please know that I was born on the Monterey Peninsula and must have been frightened by fields of the plants as a small child . I don't know if artichokes would grow here but I'll allow others to grow them.

What are your ideas for something that inspired you in recent seasons and you are inspired to start now, or soon?

Steve

[applestar]

I’m going to try eating it, but maybe not so much the spring planting — we will see. I will definitely plant for fall crop later and try them in cooler weather/after a touch of frost as suggested.

Kale - Red Chidori Kale
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/ ... /kale_seed

Red Chidori Kale

50 days. Almost too pretty to eat, but we urge you to indulge! This frilly leaf kale has dark outer leaves and extra deep red central foliage. Plants stay compact for denser plantings. Cooler weather intensifies the brilliant color and also brings out its remarkable, sweet flavor. Whether planted in your vegetable or flower garden, you'll want to admire them, but one taste and you'll be craving more!

According to this website, this variety has the best cold hardiness, which has always been a problem here since we seem to get down to freezing temps with very few warning frost days at or after first frost. I think I will try to make sure they are protected at least with open sided plastic sheeting roof they recommend at this site — I think it says enclosed tunnel is not recommended because you want them to get chilled for best color.

http://www.takii.co.jp/flower/leaflet/FHB014_a.html

Both the outer leaves and the colored parts are dark scarlet, coloring is also somewhat slow, but the degree of shrinkage tightness is outstandingly excellent. Dwarf species with particularly large number of leaves. Cold resistance is the strongest among the crepe type.

[applestar]

I’m starting these sweet peppers and the Big Jim -not sweet- which I forgot about:

Chocolate Cake
Giant Sweet Devil’s Horn
Bill’s Striped (P-sweet -a )
Oxhorn of Carmagnola (P, sweet, red - a )
Sweet Orange Doux cross
Lipstick

Big Jim


Hopefully a whole bunch of new and old tomatoes, including Goat Bag which is reported to be better than Rebecca Sebastian’s Bull Bag.... as well as carrying forward my crosses and some of the superior performers from last year.

Several kinds of Nigella and Nasturtiums....

Later for warm weather crop, a new winter squash will be Greek Sweet Red, and an SVB RESISTANT summer squash Tatume for sure. Trying a melon called Sweet Freckles.

[lakngulf]

I decided this year to purchase eggplant and pepper plants instead of trying to grow them from seed in my greenhouse. It takes SO LONG to get them up and going for me. And I can use all the space for Cherokee Purple tomatoes, corn, beans and squash!

[applestar]

You are right about eggplants and peppers. Every year, it’s a challenge to get them going for me, though I am still going to try ...mostly for the hard-to-get varieties — 2 more have started to sprout today after 10 days — Goldfish (my orange fruited sport/mutation of the variegated Fish pepper, and Aleppo Syrian strain, which is supposed to be have an unusual sweetness along with heat)

[applestar]

Last fall, I sowed some seeds for fall/winter/overwinter crop... but life got in the way. They were neglected, I missed the chance to harvest before the arrival of The Deep Freeze, and I lost most of the fall-harvestables including Daikon and carrots which froze unharvestably solid (sometimes these survive enough to go to seed in spring). I had mostly given up on them all, but yesterday, I noticed a new stirring of growth under the covers....

- I believe most of these under the long netting hoops are North Pole lettuce... I also see a few spinach. That window and the black bag of wood shaving were my desperate attempt to add some kind of additional protection.


- What looks like purple Vienna kohlrabi in a weedy patch... and I was pressed for time and didn’t get a chance to peek under the double 3mil tunnel which was the bed that was supposed to have been harvested in the fall.


Reference: posted Oct 29, 2017
Subject: Applestar's 2017 Garden

I FINALLY had a chance to take some photos of my garden

I guess this would be my fall garden. I’m going to put hoop over everything to hopefully keep these greens going.

[applestar]

Waaahh

[Gary350]

Your black potting soil in picture #3 sure does look good I wish I had 5 dump truck loads of that in my garden. It is amazing how much stuff you have planted in pots & trays. I am just getting started planting seeds in pots & trays in my homemade potting soil I make every year form compose tree leaves, wood ash, garden soil. My cilantro is coming up. I have 96 flowers planted in 24 trays they are starting to grow..

[digitS']

Seed starting is something of a precise business. I was optimistic to try Coyote as a direct-seeded tomato in 2017. What a concept for this northern gardener!

My seed had been saved for this lightening-quick variety but hadn't been tested for germination. However, the total failure of any seed to sprout may be explained by the garden environment. Field sprinklers on 4" pipe is used and drops from those sprinklers fall heavily on the soil. Probably, the tiny seed was disturbed in their shallow location, washed to the surface or buried too deep by displaced soil.

I looked on that saved seed with suspicion this morning. Saved seeds for other varieties already sown are doing well, I'm pleased to say. What about this Coyote??? I still put some in the soil mix but went back to find seed sent to me by a friend and how this variety came to be in my garden. It is from plants grown in 2013 ... There was no problem with that seed 4 years ago ... my confidence level rose about double including that "original" seed in the mix.

Moments later! DW came by to see what I was doing and jostled my elbow! I spilled another variety of tomato seed in my saved Coyote batch! Well ... Starting seed is a quite a risky business for clumsy ...

digitS'

[applestar]

good luck digitS — May the Force be with you

[applestar]

~~~ Family stuff...family stuff...family stuff... endlessly going on in my life since end of last summer until now and foreseeable future ~~~~


Got hold of Coast of Maine organic potting mix to try (free delivery to local hardware store).

- Uppotted Some of the cabbages and kales yesterday
- Uppotted Hanoi Market (2) and Gold Fish (1) hot peppers
- Diamond eggplant sprouted after 23 days

- Started these tomatillos and peppers today. 6 seeds @ for each kind of tomatillo and 5 seeds @ for the peppers except Bill’s Striped for which I sowed another 5 seeds using a different seed starting method for total of 10.

Green & Purple Tomatillo
Chocolate Cake
Giant Sweet Devil’s Horn
Bill’s Striped
Oxhorn of Carmagnola
Sweet Orange Doux cross
NuMex Lemon Spice (3 seeds from runty Winter’17-18)

...I really wanted to start hardening off the older lettuce, kale, cabbage, and artichoke seedlings this past Sunday, but I’m afraid to put them outside and then forget to bring them in since weather has been so uncertain. I think we’ve had snowfall and snow flurries three days this week. Even today, snow flurries and gusty winds.

[SQWIB]

In the same boat with my Artichokes, Cabbages and Broccoli.



I would take a chance planting the cabbage and broccoli and hardening off the Artichokes if temps were 35°F and above for the low. The Maypops are a different story.



The Bok Choy needs to get in the ground ASAP, I may give it a go this weekend, at least try a couple.

[applestar]

...my lettuces, etc. are STILL in the garage...
The Black Rose lettuce looks amazing though. Other two varieties are Rosemary and Cos lettuce Valmaine.


Finally getting around to tackling the tomato seeds — I have to skip some usual steps and hope for the best, but I feel like I skipped a critical step when I started the pepper seeds dry, so I’m soaking the tomato seeds for 4-6 hours in chamomile tea first —

[applestar]

Started these tomatoes. Hopefully they will all grow

CHERRY - MY CROSSES AND SPECIAL INTEREST
Brown MF SGAX-S by compost
Buttermints F4
Coyote Rosa Bébé F4
Ladyfingers F4
Molten Sky F4
Wild Rosa F4
Helsing Junction Blues
Napa Rosé
Sweet Aperitif

SHORT, MICRO, AND DWARF
Jack Frost’s Early Love F5
Shimofuri #1 F5
Shimofuri #2 F5
MRxCF.F3.SFHX Short wispy white elongated pointed cherry F4
Micro Jochalos
Micro Pinocchio Orange
Dwarf Blazing Beauty
Dwarf Chocolate
Dwarf Chocolate Lightning
King Aramis (Dwf Grandma Oliver’s Chocolate)
Dwarf Lemon Ice
Dwarf Uluru Ochre

INDETERMINATE - SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP 1
Allons-y, Dr.X F4
Canestrino Della Garfagnana
Faelan’s First Snow
Goat Bag
Gold Medal
Manlinga 2015 <— I think this is supposed to be Maralinga (dwarf)
Zena’s gift

INDETERMINATE - SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP 2
Big Cheef
Blackberry
D.B. Cooper
Japanese Golden Pear
Maiden Voyage F4
Northern Lights
Pruden’s Black
Rebel Yell
===========================
Total number tomato varieties — 36

[applestar]

I’m using seedzip as well as Kcup methods. I wanted to do all Kcups, but I haven’t saved enough used cups — I guess need to drink more coffee!



...seedzip method IS more efficient and saves time and space when starting them, but they need to be monitored more closely/frequently to keep from drying out, and need secondary start in another container as soon as they germinate/sprout. On the other hand, only germinated seeds are sown in the starter pot/container, so it saves space under the lights....

[rainbowgardener]

SQWIB, artichokes, cabbages and broccoli are all very cold hardy. Mine have been planted for a long time and have gone through all these last freezes we have been having here at the end of the season.

that's a broccoli picture I took ten days ago. They have grown a lot since then. Leaves on the different plants are nearly touching.