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Mid Week Garden News
| Posted on February 24, 2010 at 11:02 PM |
It’s Wednesday and time for my customary mid-week blog entry. Nothing overly exciting to update you on but I do have a few little bits of garden related news to share.
- First, I received an email on Tuesday letting me know that my bare root raspberry plants have shipped and should be here by Friday.
- Second, the lettuces, kale, and pac choi that I planted out in the greenhouse last weekend are all doing fine.
- Third, the horizontal pea trellis support I erected on Sunday suffered some damage earlier this week. I had placed a plastic cover over the whole structure and we had some heavy rain on Monday night, which pooled on the flat top of the structure and put a lot of weight on the rather flimsy end supports. Two of them gave way and broke. They are easily replaced and I will pick up the wood and take care of it this weekend. Hoop covers definitely work better in rainy weather as the rounded tops shed the water when we get heavy rains.
- Fourth, the big round of tomato, broccoli, swiss chard, and celery that I started on February 13th is doing really well. Lots of plants have emerged and are growing on.
- Finally, the super early tomatoes (Siletz) that I started on January 22nd and the second round of lettuces (Merlot), kale, cabbages, and pac choi that were started January 30th and February 6th have all moved up to the overflow light area… weaning off of bottom heat. The early tomatoes were repotted last weekend and do not seem to have suffered too much from transplant shock.
Here’s some photos I took tonight of the super early tomatoes, lettuce, kale, cabbages, and pac choi.
Everything is progressing along. Hopefully the raspberries will arrive before the weekend, so I can get them planted up in the light of day. How are things going in your garden and seed starting?
Categories: Seed Starting, Vegetables, Transplanting
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17 Comments
Loving all the seedling photos! Your early tomatoes are doing really well. The one I started looks a little sickly, I hope it gets out of its funk soon.
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Thomas
11:49 PM on February 24, 2010
Looking good! I started a few tomatoes this past weekend, a bit early but I just couldn't help myself. Our daily lows are in the low 30's right now. Hopefully, this is an indication that the weather is starting to warm up slowly. When will you plant out these tomatoes?
Dan - These tomatoes looked a little peaked right after I transplanted them - but then perked up. (thankfully!) A few of my paste tomatoes (Oroma) are wanting to stretch but the majority are looking good.
Thomas - The super early tomatoes will be pampered. They will continue growing under lights for quite some time, probably go through one more repotting, and then move in and out of the green house (day) and shop (night) for a while and ultimately will be planted in four very large containers I received from my sister. They will grow in the containers in the greenhouse for a while before finally being moved to the great out of doors once it is really warmed up and safe for them. Hopefully they will be way ahead of the traditionally started and planted out tomatoes.
Thomas - The super early tomatoes will be pampered. They will continue growing under lights for quite some time, probably go through one more repotting, and then move in and out of the green house (day) and shop (night) for a while and ultimately will be planted in four very large containers I received from my sister. They will grow in the containers in the greenhouse for a while before finally being moved to the great out of doors once it is really warmed up and safe for them. Hopefully they will be way ahead of the traditionally started and planted out tomatoes.
You know you're making my planting finger itch, don't you? Instead, I'll be pulling up my garden on Saturday and transporting the greens home. I pulled a couple of lettuces for Cookie tonight, and they came out of the soft earth easily, with no root damage. I may get lucky and be able to transplant some of the ones I must pull, if they don't freeze during their two nights in the cold country!
Annie's Granny - I am keeping my fingers crossed for you that those lettuces make it successfully and live to be replanted in Washington. I am wondering if you could put a bucket of some moist potting soil and just heel them in to the damp soil - cover the bucket and then transport them that way?
They all look great! There is lots coming up over here. No tomatoes yet, though. Maybe next year I'll attempt the Siletz.
They will be encased in a damp pillowcase, and carried home in a large picnic cooler. That's how I keep my lettuce fresh and crisp in the fridge, should work for traveling.
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stefaneener
12:47 PM on February 25, 2010
It's so exciting. I can't wait to move them all around and eventually out. I have high hopes for the peas.
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Daphne
03:57 PM on February 25, 2010
Everything looks great. I can't wait to have more little seedlings popping up soon. It isn't too long until I start everything.
hsheather - It's always encouraging to see anything starting to sprout!
Annie's Granny - I bet that would work pretty well. Lettuces are pretty transplant hardy anyways.
Stefaneener - I must say that I really start feeling satisfied when the "moving them out" phase starts to kick in! The steady flow of new seed starting, juniors, semi grown, and hardening off seedlings almost gives a sense that we are in control of this whole thing, which (of course) - we are not!
.Daphne - You have been eternally patient despite those of us in warmer climates tempting you with our parade of early seed starting. You are a rock!
Annie's Granny - I bet that would work pretty well. Lettuces are pretty transplant hardy anyways.
Stefaneener - I must say that I really start feeling satisfied when the "moving them out" phase starts to kick in! The steady flow of new seed starting, juniors, semi grown, and hardening off seedlings almost gives a sense that we are in control of this whole thing, which (of course) - we are not!
.Daphne - You have been eternally patient despite those of us in warmer climates tempting you with our parade of early seed starting. You are a rock!
Nice to hear about the raspberries!
The lettuce from Jan. could go from their seed tray to the garden right now - this el Nino is great for me!
The tomatoes are still growing in their 4" pots - not ready until early April at this point.
The lettuce from Jan. could go from their seed tray to the garden right now - this el Nino is great for me!
The tomatoes are still growing in their 4" pots - not ready until early April at this point.
Jim G - We are all getting a jump on spring this year thanks to our mild winter. I am still being cautious and putting items under some cover and protection as it is early to be planting things like the peas and spinach.
Reply
Sustainable Eats
12:33 AM on March 01, 2010
Your tomatoes once again look amazing while mine are puny. But not quite as far behind you as I was last year. Do you water from the tray underneath or do you water from the top? Someone told me to bottom water which I did today and the dirt sucked it all up, they are almost swimming now.
Sustainable Eats - These are my super early tomatoes (just a few of them) that I started at the end of January. They are over 2 weeks ahead of the main pack of tomatoes I started mid February. The main batch are still quite puny and just starting to form true leaves. On the watering, I almost always bottom water with the exception that when I give a kelp emulsion tea drench, I use a sports water bottle and carefully water each cell right at the root zone so I do not splash water all over the young plants. Bottom watering is much more gentle on the plants and ensures a thorough hydrating of the soil.
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Sustainable Eats
10:49 AM on March 01, 2010
Do you just let them nearly dry out before bottom watering again? For some reason I thought they would only suck up as much water as necessary.
Sustainable Eats - I try not to let them totally dry out in between watering as it stresses the young plants, but I do let them get relatively dry before watering again. I usually fill the tray and immerse the bottoms of the seedling cell packs for 15 to 20 minutes checking to be sure that they are all well hydrated before then draining off all the excess water. If you leave them in the water too long they will essentially drown. The water displaces oxygen in the soil medium.
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Sustainable Eats
09:58 PM on March 01, 2010
I'll shoot for 15 min next time. Good thing I didn't totally drown them all!
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The following items are currently available for harvest in our Modern Victory Garden:
(Last Update - February 4, 2012)
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- Kale
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