pepperhead212's 2023 garden

[pepperhead212]

I haven't done much outside, so far, but it got warm out today! If it didn't get to 60° today, on February 8th, it was very close! I went out there, and did as much as I could, it was so nice out. I cleaned up a lot, and took the shelf supports out of 3 old SIPs (at least 8 years, maybe older), that started breaking, when moved last season. They actually lasted one season longer than I thought they would, as they were breaking a little last year. I started making 2 more SIPs last night, and those shelf supports saved me cutting more of those, the PVC doesn't degrade. I made two of these same 18 gal tubs from Ollie's last year, and had a cardboard form, to make them quickly.
Recycling the shelf supports from old SIPs. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also trimmed some of my herbs - the marjoram is starting to get some new leaves, so I trimmed all the dead stems off up top with the cordless trimmer, then cut the totally dead branches off the sage, as well as the outer ones (the large plant got over 3' in diameter!), leaving the inner clusters on it. It is getting some new leaves in the center already. And I got a pleasant surprise while doing that - my rosemary, which I thought may have died, from a 7° temp we had before Christmas, is getting a bunch of green, in the lower stems! I cut all the dead branches from it, and much of the inner branches have signs of life! I have a rosemary plant in a large pot on my back porch, which I thought I was going to have to plant in place of these, but it looks like I won't be doing that!
Rosemary coming back, with greens on 2-8, after it looked dead, from a 7 degree low, before Christmas. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Sage trimmed way back, with all the outer stalks, and totally dried clusters removed. A bunch of new leaves starting out in the center. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I gave my neighbor a laugh when she saw me smelling my hand, repeatedly, when I was trimming those herbs.

I've got some onion and shallot seeds started, but that's all inside, so far. I've got a bunch of new tomatoes this season, and a few peppers. Plus, I just ordered some Maui Purple pepper seeds, and this is one I grew for years, but the saved seeds just weren't working. I'll be curious to see if this is the same pepper.
https://www.bountyhunterseeds.com/produ ... le-pepper/
.

[imafan26]

I can't keep sage alive. Mine is barely hanging on. I can keep it going for a while but it does not do well in the rainy season.

[pepperhead212]

I finished those two SIPs today, after going to Harbor freight to re-stock on a number of items. I cleaned the watering tubes from those old SIPs, that I took apart, then cut the screen to cover the shelves and line the wicking columns. Here's one of them.
Finished SIP, with screens cut out for the wicking columns and shelf. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The hydroponics is going crazy! I usually just harvest a couple leaves per plant, as it doesn't take much more as a salad, or something to add to a soup or a curry. The bok choy has to be harvested, as it is is flowering. The arugula bolted early - always a problem for me, no matter what variety I grow. But I cut it totally back, a week or so ago, and it seems to be growing, w/o any flowers.
Bok choy, just started to flower, so I'll harvest all of it soon. Epazote on left, getting huge. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Leaf lettuce and mizuna in the hydro, almost covering the cilantro. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Wasabina mustard greens, in the hydro. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Here's my list for the tomatoes I'll be trying this year. If any of the old seeds I'm testing don't germinate, I'll probably just fill them in with other favs. I've usually had good luck with old tomato seeds, but you never know. The ones I tested I marked with *.

I'll be starting them around April 7th, or maybe a couple days later. 4-3 was even a little too early last year, since I've been getting unusually cool early parts of May, after very warm Aprils, the last few years.


Cherry, and other smallish types:

Old favs:

Bumblebee Purple
Green Zebra Cherry
Sprite Grape *
Sunsugar F1 (really the only of these cherries I've grown recently, though I've grown the other 3 previously)

New:

Ambrosia Red Cherry *
Brandywine Cherry *
Matt's Hornet
Pearly Pink Cherry *
Piglet Willie Black
Prune Verte Green Plum


Larger:

Old Favs:

Amish Gold Slicer *
Brandyboy F1
Oaxacan Jewel (last year's best keeper)

New:

Aunt Gert's Gold *
Aunt Lou's Pink *
Calli Orange
Dragon's Eye *
Grub's Mystery Green
Hippie Zebra
Juliet F3
Pink Boar Salad *

Here is my final pepper list for 2023. As usual, my old favorites list is longer than the new ones, unlike my tomatoes, where there are few perfect ones, for this weather.

Old favs:

Aji Dulce
Aruna
Chocolate Habanero
Hanoi Market
Jalafuego
Jalapeño M
Jyoti
Maui Purple (new source, but listed as milder than my old ones)
Superchili
Thai Dragon (I'll see how this compares to others I've grown in the past with this name)
Thai Vesuvius

New (mostly)

Big Mic
Datil (very late ages ago, but hopefully they have improved it, like many chinense varieties)
Hawaian frutescens
Japanese Yatsufusa
Joe Parker
Pimienda de Pedron
Pumpkin Pie Spice NuMex/Jalapeño
Wartryx (only superhot this year)

Most of those new varieties will need covered, along with the Jalapeños and Hanoi Market, as they are the types prone to pepper maggot flies.

The chinense varieties I'll start in mid-March, but everything else on April 1st. At first, it seems like that is too late, but at the end of April, they take off, and if I planted them any earlier, I'd have to transplant them to larger pots for a week or two before putting them out.

And here are the eggplants I'll be growing. I have 3 green varieties - still trying to find a replacement for the Hari variety I got from seedsofindia.com years ago, but it eventually changed (still the same name, but flowers changed color, and much smaller fruit), and it was definitely a hybrid, so I'll see if I can find an OP variety that's similar. The String from last year, and Ichiban are the only oldies - everything else is new.

These I'll start in Jiffy Pellets - last year they grew faster than I ever had any EPs grow, and I transplanted them to the larger pots - 18/tray. I'll start them on 4-1, as the usual start about a week earlier got them too large too fast!

Ichiban
Chinese String

Batac
Choryoku Green
LA Long Green (grew years ago)
UH Long Green

[imafan26]

If you are looking for an earlier eggplant you can try Millionaire. It matures earlier than other varieties about 54 days vs 75-80 days. It is a long purple variety and has some of the same qualities as Ichiban.

I have grown Choryoku, Louisiana long green, and UH long green. They are prolific but I find them to have much firmer fruit. I like the green varieties because they stay softer on the plant longer than most of the purple varieties. While these are still edible when they are harder, I like them to be softer longer. They are less bitter and seedy than most of the purple varieties.

[pepperhead212]

imafan I tried Millionaire way back in the early 2000s, at a time when Ichiban was dropped for a number of years from all catalogs, and all of them were offering Millionaire and another one (I don't remember the name, but it was eventually gone) as "improvements". They definitely weren't, at least for me - definitely later, and like most others, also not heat resistant, and stops producing in the heat waves that are all too common here! Ichiban also stops producing, but I still grow it because it is the absolute earliest EP I have ever grown, with the first fruits in 35-40 days from transplant. Eventually, it came back on the market, after about 5 years. The same thing has happened now with Neon - another favorite of mine, heat resistant, and incredibly productive, and delicious. It is definitely a hybrid, as I tried the F2 seeds, and they were ok, but not the same, by far. They actually stopped the Neon seeds years ago, too, but it came back just as I was running out of seeds! Don't know why this happens, but I have to keep trying, until I find some OP varieties, then I can save my own.

[imafan26]

You must get hotter than I do. Eggplant only stops producing for me because it gets cold, not because of heat. But, normally we only get to 91 degrees in August. Then nothing wants to grow.

Aswad and Rhapsody are supposed to be the best heat tolerant varieties. They are round eggplant. I don't like round eggplant much because they have to much surface area in the cut eggplant. I prefer the thin and small eggplant, like Pintungg long which requires the least cuts to prepare it. Florida High bush, Orient Express, Thai long green, and Pintungg long are heat tolerant but not to extreme heat. Petch is very heat tolerant because it comes from India, but it is very seedy.

I remember Neon, but I never tried it.

[pepperhead212]

It definitely gets hotter here - last season I got 11 heat waves - most just days, but a few longer. And most EP and tomatoes are ok at 91 or 92, but when it gets to the mid 90s, or even higher, most stop producing. That Chinese String did well last year - I got some seeds from someone in Georgia, where, of course, it is hotter than up here! I have tried over 40 varieties of eggplants (might be up to the 50s now!), and I keep trying new ones! Aswad is one I tried, but wasn't fond of it, as it didn't produce much, plus I'm not crazy about the large ones, but prefer the Asian types. Someone I know in Florida grows it, as she says that is heat resistant there, along with another (I don't recall the name), whereas she eventually has to stop growing tomatoes in the heat, and grow a second season, late in the summer.

The good thing about the heat, is that my peppers love it! Okra likes it, too, along with most of those Indian vegetables.

[imafan26]

Rhapsody is parthenocarpic. It is not an Asian long eggplant as it has a thicker body.

The way I get around heat is to grow parthenocarpic varieties. Since they require no pollination they don't have as many issues with blossom drop, humidity interfering with pollen or heat set. Parthenocarpic varieties can still be pollinated. It usually results in weird looking fruit, but the fruit set does improve with pollinators in the mix.

Most of the temperate crops stop producing here unless I get partenocarpic or heat tolerant varieties. The temperature where the temperate crops start to get finicky is 85 degrees and that temperature will be exceeded from May-October on most days.

The varieties bred in the tropics are heat tolerant, so it is probably why the Indian bred eggplant does so well in the heat. Epic, Traviata, and Nadia did the best in heat tolerance trials. Nadia was the least heat tolerant of the bunch, but over the long term was the most productive. Pintungg long is a very slender variety that is heat tolerant, but I don't know if it will take extreme heat.

[Vanisle_BC]

2021 my tomato harvest was 115lb. 2022 it was 23lb! The entire summer here was very hot and completely dry - high 30's, even over 40C, (~ 100F) and zero significant rain (after a cold wet spring when nothing got a good start.) I wonder what this year will be like. Very different I hope, but so far spring temperatures are below 'normal'.

[imafan26]

It really is hard to say. Right now, the drought seems to be abating, but extreme weather persists.

I grow more cucumbers than tomatoes so I can't say my tomato harvest was stellar. I only grew three plants and they were determinant so they do not have the yields of an indeterminate, but it was enough. 2022 was exceptionally dry. It showed in my water bill. Right now, it is raining so much some plants are relishing it while others are facing an early demise from disease.

[pepperhead212]

I did almost nothing outside today (besides going up to the Mexican grocery store in town). Still too wet out there, with more rain coming. I harvested much of the greens in the hydroponics - not sure what I'll make with it, but probably one of my Indian dishes.
Hydro greens, 3-12 Red kale, wisubina mustard, mizuna, arugula on the counter. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Those "test" tomato seeds I started on 3-4 had 5 of the 9 varieties sprout, but the Aunt Lou Pink, Brandywine Cherry, Pearly Pink Cherry, and Ambrosia Red Cherry are the ones that didn't have any sprout. I'll still try them, but I'll figure out something to fill both the pots in the trays, plus the outside spots, if they still don't germinate.

Yesterday I mixed up some fresh seed starting mix, and added it to the leftover from last year, then "cooked" some of it, heating it to 200° in the oven in some foil pans, then cooled them overnight. Today I mixed some micorrhyzae with it, and moistened it with some Bt israelensis, to prevent fungus gnats.

Today I started a bunch of brassicas, and tomorrow I'll start my chinense peppers - the slowest starters. I have a half tray with just two "feta pots", holding 4 and 5 Jiffy Pellets, for those peppers, and I have it on my griddle (with the pilot lights under it, serving as a heat mat), and a thermometer in one of those pots with the Jiffy Pellets, and I'll have to finagle with the heat, before planting the seeds.

Here are the brassica seeds I just planted: 3 kohlrabi varieties; Winner and White Stem bok choy; Merlot Napa; Big Head Stem Mustard; Mizuna, Green and Beni Houshi; Misome; Chijimisai; Senposai; Green Boy Komatsuna; Wasabina Mustard Greens; and Red Russian Kale. Kohlrabis I planted the most of - the rest are all cut and come again, so for just me, 2 or 3 of each is way more than I can use!

[pepperhead212]

Here's one you'll like - my pepper seeds are soaking in my Instant Pot! It holds the temp around 90°, set on YOGURT mode, adjust 3 times, which sets it for fermenting sweet glutinous rice - a lower temp. It sets for 24 hrs, but I just re-set it the next day, if still using. With these, I'll drain them, and put them in the Jiffy pellets, in their warm half tray.
Pepper seeds, soaking at 89.6 degrees in the Instant Pot. Set in YOGURT mode, and hit adjust 3 times, and it goes to 24 hrs on low. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also direct deeded some snow peas, sugar snap peas, dill seed, and some tomatillos. I tried these tomatillos because I figured I always get volunteers with those, from fruits falling last season, and for a few years I'd simply use those. But the fruits eventually get smaller, so I figured that if I start with the seeds I buy, the plants should produce like the ones I start inside.

[pepperhead212]

First mint of the year!!!
First mint visible, first day of spring! 3-20 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Patch of mint, first day of spring. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

It was probably out there yesterday, but I didn't go out yesterday. And I look EVERY day I'm out there!

That bed will be covered in a month.

[pepperhead212]

Today it was nice out, and I got a lot done! I pulled down about 19' of nylon string trellis, that had a branch fall on it, but it was coming apart, anyway. This time I got some 6' 6" high, while the old was 5'. This will be great for the pole beans. This is that "high density polyethylene", which lasted a lot longer, which surprised me. I have some that smaller tomatoes, tomatillos, and eggplant have been hanging on for the last 8 years, and while there are some breaks in it, it's still doing well. Not easy to handle, especially for one person, but I managed! Eventually, I'll get some cheap pvc and screw it onto the tops of the wood supports, in case any of those branches fall.
on left, new trellis for the pole beans, six and a half feet tall. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also turned my water on today - hopefully for the last time, as it is not supposed to freeze anymore. I also put up my new rain guage - something else I had to wait until no more freezing for. The plastic on the old one started cracking more than I could save it anymore. It lasted 8 years, I think, and I saved the base for one last year, with epoxy, but couldn't save it anymore. I rubbed it with some uv blocking polish for cars, but I thought maybe it will help with this.

Before it got dark, besides the usual cleaning up I did, I got all my irrigation lines attached to the trellises (some of those things they are attached with always break off in the winter, from the cold, or whatever, and I get them all back to normal, then take the end caps off all of them, and flush any dirt out each, saving the water in a sprinkler can. Then I put the caps back, and everything is set up. This year, like last spring, has been dry, so I might need the irrigation early again.

[pepperhead212]

I see my first pepper poking through of those 5 chinense types - one of the oldest ones, an aji dulce. It was just after 5 days from planting them, and the overnight soaking. The others shouldn't be far behind.

[pepperhead212]

Here's how that sprout turned out, just 5 hours after I first saw it.
First pepper from the seeds, planted 5 days ago. Aji Dulce, another sprouted right next to it. 3-24 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Earlier today I saw another sprout in the second pellet with 2 more Aji Dulce seeds. Later today, I saw another sprout on one of the 3 pellets I started Datil seeds in.

[pepperhead212]

I got my pepper seedling strip tray ready today. I fill it with vermiculite, then remove about 1/4", then wet it with some hydrogen peroxide - 2 tb in a quart of water. It soaks up almost the entire quart, before it starts dripping out. Then I put it on that warm spot in my kitchen - the griddle with 4 pilot lights under it! lol Then I cover it, and tweak the temp, by using spacers underneath, until the temperature is about 85-90°. I put the habs I started early on the back, on a thinner spacer, and got the temp right quickly. Friday the rest of the seeds get soaked, and Saturday I strain each batch out, rinse them, then place them in those rows with a pair of tweezers, then put the rest of the vermiculite on top, and moisten it. Then cover and wait!
Setting up the pepper sprouting tray, with some vermiculite, leaving 1/4 inch to cover later. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Update: I just checked the chinense peppers I started early, and one of those Wartryx seeds is just poking through, on just the 10th day, which isn't bad, for these things! All 4 of the Aji Dulce germinated, and only one of the Datil has sprouted - still no chocolate habaneros, and I planted a bunch of those, since they are older.

[pepperhead212]

Friday night I set out all the pepper and eggplant seeds to soak overnight, most in the KNO3 solution, that I've used for years, but a few in a KSO4 solution, which I saw did a little better when compared to the KNO3. I am trying two peppers in each, that I have a lot of seeds from, and an old EP that didn't have any germinate, a couple of years ago, to see if the sulfate solution works, but I am not holding my breath.
All of the seeds soaking until Saturday morning. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Yesterday morning I planted all of those pepper and eggplant seeds that I had soaking overnight. Drained, rinsed, and planted, then put another quarter inch or so of vermiculite on top of the pepper seeds, moistened that, then covered. Two that I have a lot of seeds from, plus those old Neon EP seeds I tried in the sulfate solution, so that will be interesting to see if there is a difference.
16 varieties here, plus the 4 chinense varieties planted early.
Vermiculite, with the pepper seeds planted, after soaking, rinsing, and the top 1/4 in added after planting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I got a little done outside, but mostly inside - cleaning, and organizing the shed and back porch, where most of that gardening junk is. I got two of my Jr Earthboxes out in the holders on the deck - there is still a parsley plant, plus cuttings from sweet marjoram and Syrian oregano, that I put in here just in case I had a winter that killed them! I do this every fall, and they root every time, though I have never needed them yet.
Jr Earthbox, with parsley, plus some cuttings of sweet marjoram and Syrian oregano, overwintered on back porch. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

Going all out on your pepper starts. You are ahead of me. There is still too much rain and too cold to get good germination or I will get germination but bacterial death is soon to follow.

[pepperhead212]

I set my tomato seeds to soak overnight - they'll be planted in the morning. And I just saw the first eggplant seeds sprout this morning. I took my greens seedlings outside, to make room, but didn't plant them due to that storm coming having some bad winds.

I just saw the first tiny sprout on the tray tonight - not sure which kind, but I'll look tomorrow. I also got a chocolate habanero - the first one - and another wartryx. I had actually given up on that chocolate hab, and tried soaking some seeds (along with red savinas - my second favorite) in KSO4, to see if that works.

[pepperhead212]

A lot of my tomatoes are coming up now, as well as the peppers; almost all of the eggplants have germinated. The experiment I am doing with a different soaking solution (17.4 g KSO4 : 500 ml water, compared to my usual 15.2 g KNO3) is showing faster germinating for 3 seeds of one variety - I put about 10 seeds in each solution, of 2 varieties I had a lot of, so I could compare them. The 3 of the KSO4 soaked seeds are totally sprouted, and nothing visible in the KNO3 soaked ones. The other ones I had a good number of, that I'm testing, are frutescens peppers, which are usually slower.

[pepperhead212]

I got a lot done again today! It got up to 83°, but very breezy, so it was comfortable all day. The sun was out constantly, so yesterday I dug out my sunscreens; fortunately, I haven't needed any insect repellent yet. KOW They will be here too soon. Tomorrow is supposed to get to 86°, so AC will probably be going on for the first time of the year. The allergy season is raging now, unfortunately, and low humidity is making it really bad.

Today I uncovered most of my sub-irrigated planters, and put them in place in the back - the ones on the side and front are for peppers and okra, so I'll do those last.
The SIPs for cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here's the double row of garlic, with the SIPs in that trellis row to the left.
Starting to get my SIPs out from the tarp covers. Still have the side and the front to uncover, but that's for peppers and okra. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Almost all of my tomato seeds have germinated, except some of those old seeds I tested before, that didn't come up. I planted a lot more of all of them, but today I got some of the extras of similar varieties, and put them in the pots for the ones that hadn't come up - if any do germinate, eventually, I'll put them in their own pots.

[pepperhead212]

I uncovered the rest of my SIPs yesterday (despite that heat, which was tempered again by the strong wind), which was 7 more Earthboxes, and two homemade SIPs; also went around and made a list of the covers that need replacement, and the sizes. Surprisingly, only 7 need replacing, out of all those - I actually went around and looked again, to see if I missed some!

I also got my last seed order today (sound familiar, anyone? ); this one from the deal Pinetree had a while ago. I got a new lettuce variety - Tropicana - that was sold pelleted, which was the first time I'd gotten that from there. I'll see how long it goes w/o bolting, and how it tastes. Also got a new variety of basil I saw - Mrihani - and I'll see how that turns out.

Today I went up and transferred a few more peppers to the pots - only two empty pots, the two I have left for those Hawaiian frutescens peppers, I got seeds for in a trade. They are usually a little slower, so I'll wait a little longer, before putting something else in the pots. The Jyoti seeds are the only other ones I didn't get a single sprout of, but they were old, and I put similar Thai peppers in those pots. Most of the varieties have already at least one set of true leaves, and I have all of the starts for the unique peppers, that I always grow, plus a few new ones.

Had more tomatoes that didn't germinate, but I expected this. Only one new one - the Grubbs Mystery Green doesn't have a single start in the 3 pots, so I went through and transferred 2 extra Prune Verte Green Plum and one extra Green Zebra Cherry to those pots. Sometimes moving the soil around slightly triggers the seeds in there, so with these, as well as the others, I transferred extra "similar" seedlings to, if I see any seeds popping up, I'll I'll make a new pot for those. A certain friend of mine likes when this happens, because they get my extras!
I got seedlings in all of the pots now, and maybe this weekend I'll be getting my 3 basils started. And soon - maybe another week - okra, and all the cucurbits, get started in peat pellets.

[pepperhead212]

Got a lot done today, and once it was dark, I did some stuff I've been neglecting - I harvested a bunch of greens from my hydroponics today - some mustard greens and mizuna that were just starting to bolt, and some leaf lettuce and Russian red kale, that has not bolted since they were planted in early November. Arugula was the quickest to bolt, and the least productive, of all these cut and come again plants.

I stripped the kale from all those thick stems, and crammed them in the Instant Pot - got over 3 qts, which I steamed, and when cooled some, I blended smooth, in the VM. Got a little over 2 c, then rinsed the container and lid, and added that to the purée. I'll make something with it tomorrow - got too late to cook tonight. I did make a smoothie, however, with some of that kale, before I cooked it.
Russian Kale, from hydroponics, from 2 plants, in a 12 qt bowl. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Half of a smoothie, with an apple, banana, a bunch of pineapple, coconut flavor, a little yogurt, chia seeds, and 2 kale leaves. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Today I transferred two smaller peppers in the pellets - a Datil, and a Wartryx. The datil doesn't seem to be getting any more sprouts, but I have 2 more in one pellet, plus at least one I planted later in the vermiculite - also a Red Savina, though I'm still hoping for a chocolate hab - my favorite of the medium hot habs.

Top L - Datil. Middle Wartryx. Both put in the larger pots today, like the Aji Dulce before. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I started my 3 varieties of bitter melons, by starting them soaking in GA-3, and soaking them 24 hrs, then putting them on the paper towel folded up in the petri dishes. Those, and these soaking dishes I'll keep in the Instant Pot, in the yogurt mode, but moved to the 24 hr mode for the cooler Jiu Niang mode, which warms it at around 90°. Using it for this and peppers, I just re-set the timer for another 24 hrs, for several days. Here's a plate with the soaking seeds, after just 2 hrs, and up to 86.5° already.
soaking the bitter melon seeds in the Instant Pot, to keep them warm - works for hot peppers, too. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

And here are those bitter melon seeds in the IP again, on folded up PTs, in petri dishes, about 89°.
the seeds of the 3 varieties of bitter melons, sprouting in the IP, at about 89 degrees. 4-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I transferred my eggplant seedlings and flower seedlings, started in pellets, into pots, covering with seed starting mix. This took 3 weeks since planting - the eggplants a little smaller than when I put them in pots last year, but about a week less time, so far. The flowers and eggplants had a lot of roots growing out of the pellets, esp. the Mexican Sunflowers. One of those is the largest of any of the plants in 3 weeks, yet last year, they were the slowest growing of the flowers I started. As for the eggplants, the Ichibans, though they were the oldest, which is why I planted 3/pellet, had ever seed germinate, though the last one was a little small, since I transferred it to a pellet, where some LA Long greens didn't germinate. And I just a few days ago started some of those, and the U of HI long green, and all 3 I had left of String EP seeds, as with those, only one each sprouted! The Batak, and Choryoku green, like with the Ichibans, had every seed sprout, when I planted 2/pellet. The Batak and Ichiban were the largest, though all had a lot of roots coming out of the pellets.

The flowers I started in the slightly smaller Ferry Morse chia pellets, and the roots were coming through even more on those, and a couple of them looked like something was growing in them, yet nothing coming up in them! I've had that happen with squash seeds, before.
A Batak eggplant seedling, 4-23, started on 4-1, getting ready to put it in a large pot. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

9 of the eggplant seedlings in Jiffy Pellets, put in large pots, 18/tray. 4-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Mexican Sunflowers on L, Queen Lime Blush Zinnia in Middle, and Peruviana Zinnia on R, just transferred to the pots, 4-21, the late Ichiban in the lower row. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Mexican Sunflowers, starting in FM chia pellets, showing the roots. 4-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And here are the flowers, all transferred to pots. Only 4/6 Mexican Sunflowers germinated, 5/6 of the Queen Lime Blush zinnias, and 6/6 uniform size Peruvian zinnias.
Mex sunflower and zinnia seedlings, with the pellets transferred to pots, in a tray with eggplant seedlings. 4-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I finished the drip lines out front and on the sides today, and leveled the last few SIPs, before the sun got over to those areas (the reason I didn't finish all that, on those hot days!). It started getting very windy and cloudy, but eventually got sunny again, so the rain wasn't coming early. I came inside anyway, and got the okras, melon, bottle gourds, and cucumbers soaking, and later this evening I'll put them in that tray of Jiffy Pellets I set up and soaked yesterday.
okras, cucumbers, melon, and bottle gourd seeds soaking, before putting them in the Jiffy Pellets this evening. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

Here are the larger types of peppers (the plants, that is) - some Thai and Jalapeño types, started on 4-1. The ones on the full tray are a little smaller, but all are growing well, and will be ready by mid-May to put out.
Peppers, 4-22, started on 4-1 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I started the tomatoes a little later, as they have been getting too large by a week or so into May, when they'll have to go in. A few smallish ones, in pots that had no seeds sprout, and I put in some favorites, to fill the spots.
Tomatoes, 4-22, started soaked overnight on 4-6, planted 4-7 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

And those seeds I soaked earlier:
Jiffy Pellets, with the soaked seeds for okras, melon, bottle gourd, calabash, and cucumbers. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

And here are the rest of the peppers. Had to wait until today to photograph, because I had watered it last night from the bottom, and couldn't move it for a while. The larger ones in the lower R are Jalafuego, and Big Mic (not Mac) - a new one to me.
And here are the rest of the peppers. 4-23. As with the tomatoes, the small ones are ones I filled pots with later, for which certain varieties had no sprouts. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

You are way ahead of me. I haven't planted peppers in a couple of months. The rain made that impossible. I had to cull the ones that had bacterial spot. Only a few survived. Now, I can start hot peppers. but probably only the bull horn sweet peppers. Bells don't do well in the heat.

[pepperhead212]

I finally gave up on the pepper seedlings - after that jyoti sprouted after 3 weeks, that was the last I held any hope for. Usually, I stop it even before this - maybe a little more than 2 weeks. But I still had 3 that had no germinated seeds, until that one. No big deal, as I have got all the pots filled with the extra seedlings - that last jyoti was a surprise.
Finished with the pepper seedlings this year. Vermiculite went into some more potting mix. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I just checked those bitter melon seeds for the last time today (once early, and once late, every day), and one of the hybrid whites is starting to pop open in just 4 days! That is incredibly early, for these things.
Hybrid White bitter melon, starting to sprout after just 4 days in the IP. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

My basil seeds are all germinating now, and a bunch of volunteer dills all over. Here are some of my perennial herbs coming back strong. The old rosemary wasn't totally killed off, but I dug it up and planted the one I had in a fabric pot, "back up plant", and this season I'll start another one, as a back up. The Syrian oregano also got killed almost entirely from the two 7° nights, which didn't bother it other years - I covered the clump with a very thick layer of dry leaves, but it didn't help this year. But, I took some cuttings, as always, and rooted them (easy to root) and kept those as back ups, and they are growing quickly.
Sweet marjoram, 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

My large leaf sage, coming back strong, 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Italian sage, grown from Renee's seeds, years ago. Coming back, after cutting totally back, for the winter. 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Rosemary, getting a lot of new growth after a lot of rain. 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

About half of the mint bed, showing the peppermint (larger leaves) getting stronger this year. 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Regular chives, slower than the garlic, and I planted a bunch more new seeds, coming up in the area. 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Some of the clusters of garlic chives, with several more elsewhere. 5-2 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[imafan26]

Looks good. Garlic chives is easier for me to grow than garden chives. I divided my garlic chives and a I started a few sets of garden chives that I transplanted into the tower. So far they are doing well. I just need them bigger before I can divide them.

Hawaiian peppers need at least 68 degrees to germinate, they will germinate better at 80. They are not resistant to bacterial spot so it is better to grow them when it isn't so wet. Here they are perennial and will last a few years in a pot.

[pepperhead212]

Those garlic chives grow as weeds, around here - like many things you describe in your area! It started in my herb bed, next to the regular chives, but they would spread, like crazy, plus re-seed, while the regular didn't seem to spread nearly as quickly. It took a few years for me to get them out of that bed, and I put them behind my shed, and they spread around elsewhere, so I have far more than I can ever use!

[imafan26]

I have almost always grown them in pots. They do flower, but I cut the flowers off so they have not reseeded. I did have one clump in the ground but the clump expanded for a few years, then after it got to be about 8 inches wide the center started dying out and the leaves got smaller. The roots were a very think mass. It was too far gone to save it once it got to that point and I started another from seed. I have kept them in pots since and when they get to the point where they are remolding the pot sides, I divide them.

There are some plants that are supposed to be biennials but don't act that way in my yard. I have never had a parsley bloom, At the end of the second year, the root starts to resemble a parsnip and gets thicker and the leaves shrink, but it does not bloom. Kale should bloom in the second year, but it never has. I had a Toscano kale get 5 ft tall in a pot with 3 arms, but it never bloomed. The arm broke and it rotted the plant out.

I used to think that once green onions bloomed they were done. Then I realized that young onion plants were blooming too. It turned out it's cold that causes them to bloom not age. So now, I treat the green onions and leeks as perennials. I just cut the tops when I need to use them and divide them. I only replace them if the black aphids attack them or the leaves get so fat that they are too tough to use. Although they do bloom and make seed, The don't reseed that easily. They also don't make a lot of seed so I have to collect a lot of seed heads to get seeds.

[pepperhead212]

Everything is taking well, with no problems on any of the tomatoes or flowers. Today I took my last tray out of the kitchen (finally) - the one with the pellets I have been putting sprouted asparagus seeds in. I pulled all my asparagus out of that row last fall, because I gave up on those things. They were over 4 years old, planted from bulbs, which were supposed to be almost all male, but whatever they were, they never improved - the sprouts that would come up in spring would flower (or whatever you call that) before they could be used at all. But I decided to buy some purple asparagus seeds, when Pinetree had their sale a couple weeks ago. The package said 25 seeds, but it had 31, and I got 26 to sprout. And just yesterday, some started sprouting in the pellets, so today, I 'tilled, and planted them.

[Vanisle_BC]

Good luck with the Asparagus, pepperhead. We had our first harvest today. The bed is 10+ years old, abt 4x8 feet with eight Jersey Knight grown from seed; advertised as all-male but one isn't, and one may have gender issues . I intended to dig those two up (skinnier spears) but never did. Then I thought I'd remove all the berries every year - I've read there's a danger of the bed getting choked by self-seeding. But that's a huge task and didn't happen. The flowering plants are impenetrable, with hundreds of berries. Anyway, self seeding hasn't been a problem. I mulch with leaves and maybe the J.K. seed are infertile. My previous un-mulched bed, With a different variety (Mary Washington?), became impossibly choked.

Today's haul will be oven-roasted with mushrooms; but usually the spears don't make it to the cookstove. When not eaten out of hand they are served in salads or as fresh veg. on the side.

I've begun -hopefully- reviving some overwintered peppers and one ?tomato. They aren't showing any enthusiasm yet but 'we'll see'.