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Currently, I am in the spring manic phase of seed starting. I am planting far more seeds than I could ever grow, and potting up as many seedlings as I could possibly have room for. Some seeds germinate easier than others. As yet, my Pulsatilla, Cleome, and Campanula carpatica have been a no-go. Currently, they are sitting on the garage window sill in hopes that fluctuating temperatures might help do the trick. The only thing that is growing in these pots so far is moss!
My Saxifraga mix seeds are potted and in a ziploc bag in my fridge until May 1. The package says they need cold stratification to germinate and I've had success with the refrigerator in the past. So far, no guests have noticed the little pots of dirt in baggies in my fridge...The pretty little green and pink-leafed plants are Coleus Kong Rose. These were fairly expensive seeds, but luckily, all germinated easily.
Of course, it is still rather cool and snowy outdoors, but I am quite proud of my lettuce and herb project. These are growing very well indoors and I uploaded a picture of a basement-grown salad I made last weekend.
I didn't grow the cucumbers and tomatoes, but the basil, parsley and lettuce were all homegrown. I do have 3 grape tomato plants under the lights though, and they're going to be planted outdoors in June. Hopefully we'll get to eat vine-ripened tomatoes this year, though that is a real challenge in this climate. Last year, we picked nearly all of them green to save them from the first frost. The season is just too short for tomatoes, unless they get a real head-start.
7 comments:
I am so envious of your salad greens! Good going with growing all of them - sometimes we have the same problem with tomatoes here. If we have a coolish summer, followed by an early frost - ouch! This year I am determined to start some earlier than I usually do.
I wonder what's up with your campanula et al. seeds ... hopefully the garage will do the trick. I have been terribly lazy and haven't even planted my seeds yet. I usually plant them too early, so this year I figure I'll leave them till later. (always err on the side of procrastination, I say!)
Yes, I usually have the problem of starting seeds too early, with all sorts of ungainly huge plants taking over my place by February.
I even started a raft of clematis macropetala from seed 2 years ago then had to scramble with this all these rapidly growing vines everwhere! In this case, procrastination is a good thing for me...
Wow, you are way ahead of me and my little experiment! This is really the first year I have done much with seeds. I should probably try to work in some extra lighting, but my biggest problem right now is not spindly plants but keeping the cat away from them. Oh, and I would love to grow coleus from seed like yours. Maybe next year.
The pussywillows are just out down here in Ontario too (zone 5b). I bet your home grown salad was delicious. Wow, you sure will have lots of plants with all those seeds you have planted. I have added you to my Canadian garden blogroll. Thanks for visiting. Happy Gardening.
As long as you don't have fruit flies in zip lock baggies you should be o.k.
:)
Ha! No more Drosophila experiments here. But I do have little flies stuck on hanging sticky tapes in the basement. The really great days are when I get my hair stuck among the dead flies.
Just planted my seeds ... a few are already sprouting! Yes!
Hope you had a good weekend!
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