Seedy Saturday - Seedling Update and 'Plans'

Come on, warm up already!

Of course, give me a few weeks and I'll be complaining about the heat and humidity.

Well, I do have to complain about something.

Anyway, things are going on outside the house.

I have a tiny compost heap going.



I am dumping my scraps from the kitchen, along with a little compost and grass clippings. I really don't have anywhere else to do a compost heap (yet).

Last Monday, I braved the winds and slightly chilly temperatures to start two long pots of sugar snap peas.

I have two different types of sugar snap peas in here, neither one is supposed to need trellising. We will see.

But I am so excited about my potatoes. I have 5 tubs/buckets/trash can filled with potting soil and topped off with some grass clippings. 

I made the mistake of sprinkling some radish seeds on top of the soil because I didn't think the potatoes would get to the top of the soil so soon. I dumped grass clippings on top for the last 5-6 inches as the leaves started emerging. 

Normally, having grown potatoes in the past, I usually pile on straw/hay/soil/whatever to cover them up until they reach the top of the container. This year I am trying a slightly 'new' technique in that I planted them and then went ahead and filled the pots with potting soil (until I ran out). I placed grass clippings on the very top to fill up the containers.

This technique I found on a YouTube video from UK Here We Grow. They do their potatoes this way so you don't risk breaking or damaging the potato as it is growing. Makes sense to me and I don't have to worry about filling it in over the season. What I am also hoping is it also increases my crop. Can't wait.

However, inside things are going green...

The lemon tree is rebounding from winter and I have harvested the lone lemon. But it looks like I will have several more in the coming months.

This is just one branch. I think I have about a dozen baby lemons on the tree. I really want to be able to place it outside in the coming weeks for the summer.

My first of the two lettuce pots are ready to start clipping out a few leaves at a time for my salads. And a nasturtium is growing away. I will leave it there. When it blooms I can add the flowers to my salad. I'll have to thin out the lettuce as they grow bigger, but I can eat them as I do so.

My Totem Cherry tomatoes are growing nicely in their self-watering jar. Some of their kind (3) are growing in the container where I have sowed chives - which aren't germinating!

Those three plants will be joining some additional ones upstairs in about a month to head to school for Lady K's class to plant and have one to take home.

Echinacea takes forever to germinate and grow! But I am hoping the top 4 cells will finally produce some "Mellow Yellow" and I can save seed from them. The bottom two cells, brimming with seedlings (oops, I think I overseeded) with Lemon Bee Balm. I really want those to not only add color but to attract bees to my 'crops'. 

On the left, the three cells are my Mexican Sour Cucumbers, which I have found out are the 'cucamelon' my neighbor was talking about wanting to find. I have sowed some more seed this past week. But these are needing to go outside soon. 

The other side is Lemon Basil and a couple of tomatoes. There is nothing like brushing your hand over basil and getting that scent which is heavenly. A pot or two of these will be going to Savvy's house in the coming weeks.

And speaking of going outside...

Pumpkins! 

For some reason, I decided to plant pumpkins and they are taking off.

Ok, I know I planted them for Lady K, a Jack O'Lantern variety and a Sugar Pie Pumpkin (for me to cook with). Now that I am faced with them, where to put them?

Actually, I have a bare spot in the back yard where I put grass clippings last year and started dumping more clippings this year. I am going to get some stakes and twine and make a 'bed' there. My soil is red clay - as in I can build a house with this stuff - and I am hoping the grass clippings from last year will help loosen it up and keep it better draining. And that the pumpkins will like it. 

I'll 'rope' it off and hopefully, those walking by on the sidewalk nearby will admire and not harm my pumpkins. I don't have a fence around the back yard.  And Mr. Bunny doesn't nibble. Maybe sprinkling some red pepper around them. 

Cilantro, dill, another lemon basil and three broccoli round out this flat of seedlings. The cilantro is mainly for Savvy. I'll keep a little for making salsa.

Upstairs...

Catnip in the white cups, along with some flowers (I think) and in the back corner, two types of zucchini and watermelon.

My San Marzano tomatoes (which I allowed to get a bit of sunburn) and zinnias. I really, really, really want the San Marzano tomatoes to do well so I can put away a lot of tomato sauce. So is Savvy.

Basil which will need up-potting soon. Can't have too much basil. I will probably freeze them in cubes or dry it this year. And hopefully, save some seed.

Here is everything from kale to peppers which will soon be ready to up-pot. Hopefully, there are more peppers coming up soon. And another 'pot' of lettuce.

My 'Montana' hollyhocks and echinacea are SLLLOOWWWLLLY coming up. Grow damn it!

More Totem Cherry tomatoes and also waiting for Red Robin tomatoes coming up for the school kids. They will be just right come the end of April.

'Cat Grass' for the kitties. I think I need to plant more in the container. Just didn't come up as thick as I wanted.

And finally, my 'babies'!

My heirloom tomatoes. 

They are looking so good. I can't wait until I can get them planted in containers outside and watch them bloom and set fruit.

So I need containers for outside planting now. I'll use buckets from Lowe's and some larger Rubber Maid-type bins. Cheaper than buying containers at the garden center. And potting soil and compost. A trip to the local recycling area where I can buy compost is in order. Especially since...

These followed me home!

So today, I will be soaking two sets of nasturtiums, morning glory and a moonflower. Tomorrow I'll seed the rest of them.

But for now, a trip to the post office to mail a package, a stop at the store for milk and sugar and a stop at the garden center to get an idea of what I will plant at the school on Tuesday. Did I mention I volunteered to fix up the two planters in front of the schoo?