Keeping up

Yesterday I finished planting out the 25 peas, and direct-seeded spinach in front in three of the boxes.

Tomatoes

Much to my surprise, the tomato seeds have germinated.  I have planted three each into the AeroGarden starter tray: Sweet 100s, yellow pear, red roma and yellow roma.  I intend to cultivate two each into the planters.  That's an awful lot of tomato plants, but none of the tomatoes are big, which we just really don't eat.

Well, none of the yellow pear had germinated.  I planted them anyway, and started new ones in case they didn't take.

I also started alfalfa seeds in the large square sprout tray.

Peas

I have planted out 15 of the expected 25 peas.

Alaska:

These plants have started up taller than the other varieties, although planted at the same time.  Of the six I started, exactly 5 survived.

Organic Progressive:

All twelve of these that I started have survived.  I've planted 5, and may add more to the fifth box.

Black-seeded Early:

These aren't any earlier to grow; whether they produce sooner remains to be seen.  Of the twelve I started, I have only seven and have planted 5.  I meant to have two complete boxes of them, but that isn't happening.

I haven't planted out the Veggie Tales Alaskas yet, but besides being older seeds which aren't germinating as well, I so far see no difference from the other Alaska peas.

Seedlings

Today I have put some of the peppers into the new AeroGarden seed starting tray - 8 baby peppers.  None of the full size ones have put out a root.  I planted all the babies, but there were a couple without roots.

And all four varieties of the peas are all planted into peat pots.  This is what they look like today.

Tomorrow I need to start tomatoes.  It's already about a week late; but I'm hopeful that my methods will get them going quickly.

Seed Soaking

Starting soaking seeds today:

I'm doing four brands of peas: 10 veggie tales for two grow boxes, 5 Alaska, 5 dark-seeded early, 5 Organic Progress 9, and another 5 of those for Raederle.  They should all be ready to plant in just a couple weeks.  Mid April sounds right at this point.

Also peppers.  I didn't have enough last year, so I want to plant more, but in stages.  I'll start them all indoors at the same time, but them put them out one per week.  Six plants should be enough.

I'll do only one California Wonder, 2 baby yellow, and 3 baby red.  We use the baby ones more quickly, and they produce better.

Note to self for 2014

The four tomato plants worked well - Roma, Sweet 100's, regular yellow, and yellow pear.

Start spinach in window box planter way early.

Start 25 peas - 5 per planter - earlier. Don't wait for them to be ready outside by themselves.  Spray with fungicide before it even shows.  Plant new spinach in front of it.

Start pepper plants earlier.  They take forever.  Plant out one every two weeks four or five times.

Plant every week:

1 or 2 broccoli
One row of carrots (12 to 20)
One row of beets
2 lettuce
4 spinach

Do not plant:

Corn
Cauliflower

Seedlings

These were planted this month (March).  They will be well ready to put out when the weather permits.

This is just a portion of it, but there are four breeds of tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.

Vegetables

The spinach isn't doing well, and needs to be replanted.  The bell peppers never sprouted at all.  I need to try them in the sprouter (which has not worked for the spinach).

Herbs

The annoying background is tinfoil, which is needed to reflect as much light as possible.

There are 6 kinds of herbs here: garlic chives, coriander, lemon mint, rosemary, savory and thyme.

I think it's probably time to start flowers.