Porch Seedlings

What's left of my cool season vegetables (plus the Oregon Spring seedlings) are currently living on my enclosed porch. It's south-facing and gets sun all day. I've been cracking the windows during the day to start exposing them to a little wind and started leaving them open during the night a couple of days ago. So far, all seems to be going well!

I sowed this window box very thickly with spring greens as the seeds were 10 years old, but they seem to still be quite viable!

This is the box post-thinning with lots more space for the largest seedlings to grow.

Spring Forecast

I planted some peas at my mother's garden last weekend, and then of course it snowed. I haven't been back over there since then, but am guessing I'm going to need to reseed at this point. While that is super frustrating, what isn't frustrating is my 10 day forecast:

Temperatures are warming up and the rain is going to be finally replacing the snow!

Seeding and Seedlings

Welcome, and thanks for following my blog DeanO and Cassandra!

Well, I finally got around to seeding my spring veggies. (Most of them anyways...) I planted 12 cells of Little Gem Lettuce, 12 cells of Fordhook Swiss Chard, 6 cells of Organic Broccoli Decccio and 6 cells of Broccoli Waltham 29. I still need to start my cauliflower and spinach and get going on the summer veggies. I have to pick up a few more seed starting trays from my mothers house this weekend and then everything will be set!

My Walla Walla onions seedlings are doing well! I separated them out of the little bunches that popped up here and there. The only frustrating thing is waiting for my Red Burgandy onions to start coming up... Especially since they got sent late as a replacement for my backordered Southport Red Globe onions. We'll see how they do with the shortened season.

Before separation, this is the seedlings.

Now they have room to grow and even got a haircut!

My Orange Sun bell pepper plant from last year is showing new life.

And I know spring is on its way when my chives start coming back... Can't wait for warmer weather!

First Seedlings of the Year

These are the Walla Walla Onions started from seed in their first 3 weeks of growth.

These are the Hybrid Green Onions over the past few weeks.

Lastly, here are the Large American Flag Leeks that were planted the same time as the Walla Walla Onions and Hybrid Green Onions.

In other news, my backordered seeds came, but unfortunately the Southport Red Globe Onions are unavailable this year so they sent Red Burgandy Onion seed instead. I was a bit bummed since I was wicked excited for the Southport Red Globes, but the Red Burgandy will have to do. I planted them last night and will update with pics when they start to pop up.

I'm also going to begin the germination process for my hot peppers tonight. This year I'm growing Hungarian Hot Wax, Tam Jalapeno and Chinese Paper Lantern. My plan is to have 3 of each plant with the intention of planting only 2 of each variety due to my small space. I have my five overwintered bell pepper plants that are currently showing new growth, so no need to start more bells!

What I'm Growing: Onions

Now that the seed list is done and all of my seeds are here, I've decided to do a detailed rundown of all the varieties I'm growing of each vegetable this year. If nothing else, it will help me plan! First up is.....onions!

These are Southport Red Globe Onions, which many think to be the best keepers of the red onions. It is a medium-sized, long day onion and supposedly has a crisp and mild flavor. This is an heirloom variety that can be traced back to 1873 and originated in Southport, Connecticut. Its earliest known seed catalogue appearance was in Nebraska Seed Company's 1898 catalogue where it was sold for a nickel a packet. I'm pretty excited about this onion mainly because its original roots are so close to where I live now. One of my closest friends lives in Southport and it's only about a 3 hour drive from my apartment.

The second variety of onions that I'm growing are Walla Walla Sweet Onions. These were chosen mainly because there's almost nothing I love more than a sweet yellow onion. They aren't the best storers, but I know I'll be able to easily use them up before they start to go bad. This cultivar originated on the island of Corsica, off the west coast of Italy and can be traced back to the 1800s. It is said that a French soldier found the sweet onion seed and brought it to Walla Walla Valley in Washington state (hence the name Walla Walla Sweet Onion). These yellow onions are supposedly about 90% water and have half the sulfur content of most other yellow onions. The sulfur is what normally causes people to tear up while chopping onions, so it'll be interesting to cut into these later in the season.

First Planting of the Year

I finally got around to washing my seed cells and pots and carved enough time out of my day to sit down and put some seeds into soilless seed-starting mix.







I planted two 6-packs of Large American Flag Leeks, one 6-pack of leftover Celery Tango Hybrid seed and a small pot of Green Onions. I also broadcast sowed some Walla Walla Onion seeds in one half of the black tray. The other half will be planted with the Southport Red Globe Onion seeds I'm currently waiting for. Currently the tray is sitting on a heat mat by a window and the others are all sitting on a shelf right above one of my radiators. Can't wait to see some green sprouts poking their heads up!

SEEDS!

Above is my seed order from Pinetree Seed Co in Maine. I just love all the pretty envelopes! This order arrived pretty quickly. I placed my order on 1/24/11, it was shipped on 1/27/11 and I received it today (1/29/11). Not too shabby! 2 of my 24 items are on backorder (Black Eye Pea and Southport Red Globe Onion), but they should be arriving in the next couple of weeks. I will be starting my onions in the next few days. I'm not really expecting much as it is my first time growing them, but I am looking forward to the learning experience of it all.



These are the seeds I got from Dempsey Seed through their eBay account. I had ordered Tam Jalapeno seeds because the girlfriend and I really love to make poppers, but I just can't take the heat of most jalapenos. I heard about these from a friend and figured I'd give them a try. As a bonus they sent me Hungarian Yellow Wax Peppers that I had not heard of previously, but I'm pretty excited to give them a try. It looks like trying to find room for all of my peppers and tomatoes is going to be a little tough this year, but I'm sure I'll figure it out. I may end up containing some plants to pots on my front porch.

Cutting Down the List

I've spent hours agonizing over this list.... While I would love to grow all of these varieties, the space available to me just will not cooperate with those dreams.

On the chopping block:

Cauliflower - Going with Early Snowball
- Cheddar (58 days, hybrid, orange) $1.95

Celery - Using Celery Tango Hybrid seed left over from last year
- Golden Pascal (101 days, Heirloom 1930, fall and early winter harvest) $1.25
- Redventure (95 days, hybrid) $1.55

Corn - Holding off a year on my foray into corn
- Golden Bantam (78 days, Heirloom 1902, yellow, mild to no insect issues) $1.65
- Country Gentleman (Heirloom 1890, white, good storer) $2.25
- Stowell's Evergreen (Heirloom 1848, white, very sweet) $1.95
- Incredible (84 days, F1 hybrid, good main crop) $2.50

Cucumbers - Just doing a slicing variety this year (Spacemaster) from EG
- Boston Pickling (Heirloom Pre-1880) $0.95
- Homemade Pickles Pickler (54 days) $1.25

Eggplant - Going with Black Beauty and Pingtung Long
- Black Egg ( 70 days, cool weather) $1.35
- Slim Jim (60 days, Italian Heirloom) $1.35

Soybeans - Planting Envy because of lower price
- Beerfriend $1.95

Summer Squash - Using hybrid seed from last year
- Vegetable Marrow (56 days, British Heirloom, bush habit) $0.95
- Zucchini Black (50 days, Heirloom 1931, flavorful) $1.25

Tomatoes
Slicers - Got some seed from Engineered Gardener and may also order Mortgage Lifter and Aunt Ruby's Green
- Pruden's Purple (72 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate, crack resistant, 1 lb avg, meaty) $1.25
- Heinz Classic Processor (75 days, Indeterminate, 3" fruit, mature at same time, good canner, VF) $0.95
- Black Krim (69 days, Indeterminate, Ukrainian Heirloom, deep reddish black, large and very sweet) $1.35
- Pineapple (85 days, Indeterminate, orange and yellow stripes, 5" beefsteak type, 1-2 lbs, mild flavor) $1.25
- Coustralee (French Heirloom, Indeterminate, 1-3 lbs, deep red, balance between sweet and tart, large plant) $1.25
- Manyel (Native American Heirloom, 10-16 oz, yellow, zingy flavor, blemish free, 10-16 oz, early to midseason) $1.15
- Tigerella (55-65 days, English Heirloom, Indeterminate, red-yellow orange stripes, early, tangy, heavy yields) $1.25

Cherry - Planting Black Cherry (from EG) and Matt's Wild Cherry
- Currant Tomatoes (75 days, Indeterminate, very intense tomato flavor, come in yellow or red) $1.25
- Rainbow Cherry (65 days, Indeterminate, 1" mix of red, orange and yellow) $0.95


Paste- Still unsure on these

2011 Vegetable Seed Wish List (so far...)

I've been combing my seed catalogs trying to figure out what I want to grow and then shave the list down based on what I actually have room to grow. An herb list is soon to follow. Prices and notes are mostly based on the Pinetree catalog. Here's the list so far:

Yellow Bush Beans
- Pencil Pod (52 days, Heirloom 1900, black seed) $1.45
- Dragon Langerie (57 days, purple-striped pods) $1.75

Green Bush Beans
- Slenderette (53 days, good for freezing) $1.65
- Provider (50 days, New England strain) $1.50
- Black Valentine (52 days, Heirloom pre-1850, black seed) $1.50

Dry Beans
- Jacob's Cattle (83 days, Heirloom, white and maroon) $1.75
- Vermont Cranberry (85 days, Heirloom 1700, red) $1.95

Broccoli
- Nutribud (58 days, large heads w/ good 2nd growth, early) $1.25
- Waltham 29 (85 days, mid-sized heads with side shoots) $0.95

Carrots
- Lunar White (55 days, white) $1.25
- Danvers Half (75 days, Heirloom 1871, red/orange) $1.25
- Cosmic Purple (65 days, purple) $1.35
- Amarillo (70 days, yellow) $1.25

Cauliflower
- Cheddar (58 days, hybrid, orange) $1.95
- Early Snowball (55 days, Heirloom 1888, 5-6" heads) $0.95

Celery
- Golden Pascal (101 days, Heirloom 1930, fall and early winter harvest) $1.25
- Redventure (95 days, hybrid) $1.55

Chard
- Seafoam (53 days, mild taste) $1.25
- Bright Lights (50 days, colorful veins) $1.45

Corn
- Golden Bantam (78 days, Heirloom 1902, yellow, mild to no insect issues) $1.65
- Country Gentleman (Heirloom 1890, white, good storer) $2.25
- Stowell's Evergreen (Heirloom 1848, white, very sweet) $1.95
- Incredible (84 days, F1 hybrid, good main crop) $2.50

Cucumbers
- Boston Pickling (Heirloom Pre-1880) $0.95
- Homemade Pickles Pickler (54 days) $1.25
- Spacemaster (59 days, slicer, 3' vine) $0.95

Eggplant
- Black Beauty (83 days, Heirloom 1902) $0.95
- Black Egg ( 70 days, cool weather) $1.35
- Pingtung Long (66 days, Asian Heirloom, lavender, disease resistant) $1.45
- Slim Jim (60 days, Italian Heirloom) $1.35

Kale
- Dwarf Blue Curled Scotch (55 days, Heirloom 1863, compact) $1.15
- Dinosaur (53 days, Heirloom 1885, bold flavor) $1.25

Leeks
- Giant Musselburgh (aka Large American Flag, 130 days, Heirloom 1870) $0.95
- Carantan (Heirloom 1874) $1.15

Melons
- Honey Rock (90 days, Heirloom 1920) $0.95
- Minnesota Midget (60 days, small 4" fruit) $1.25

Onions *still need to decide on varieties

Peas
- Blackeye Pea (70 days, not cold hardy) $1.50
- Mr. Big (58 days, English pea, good freezer) $1.95
- Tall Telephone (68 days, English pea, space efficient, Heirloom 1891) $1.50
- Lincoln (65 days, Heirloom 1908, New England favorite) $1.50

Soybeans
- Envy $1.65
- Beerfriend $1.95

Summer Squash
- Vegetable Marrow (56 days, British Heirloom, bush habit) $0.95
- Zucchini Black (50 days, Heirloom 1931, flavorful) $1.25

Winter Squash
- Waltham Butternut Squash (90 days) $0.95
- Long Island Cheese Pumpkin (90 days, Heirloom 1824) $0.95
- Jarradale Pumpkin (100 days, blue/grey) $1.25
- Vegetable Spaghetti Squash (100 days, Heirloom 1890) $1.25

Tomatoes (this list still has to be severely cut down)
Slicers
- Pruden's Purple (72 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate, crack resistant, 1 lb avg, meaty) $1.25
- Heinz Classic Processor (75 days, Indeterminate, 3" fruit, mature at same time, good canner, VF) $0.95
- Aunt Ruby's German Green (80 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate, 1 lb fruit) $1.25
- Oregon Spring (68 days, Semi-Indeterminate, resistant to cool temps, 4" fruit) $1.25
- Kellogg's Breakfast (77 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate, large, orange beefsteak) $1.25
- Mortgage Lifter (77 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate, large with pink skin, very sweet) $1.35
- Black Krim (69 days, Indeterminate, Ukrainian Heirloom, deep reddish black, large and very sweet) $1.35
- Pineapple (85 days, Indeterminate, orange and yellow stripes, 5" beefsteak type, 1-2 lbs, mild flavor) $1.25
- German Orange Strawberry (85 days, Indeterminate, 8-10 oz, crisp sweet flavor) $1.25
- Brandywine (80 days, Heirloom 1885, Indeterminate, 10-24 oz, pinkish red, great flavor) $1.25
- Cherokee Purple (80 days, Heirloom 1800s, Indeterminate, 12-16 oz, rose-purple, green shoulders, sweet beefsteak) $1.25
- Coustralee (French Heirloom, Indeterminate, 1-3 lbs, deep red, balance between sweet and tart, large plant) $1.25
- Manyel (Native American Heirloom, 10-16 oz, yellow, zingy flavor, blemish free, 10-16 oz, early to midseason) $1.15
- Tigerella (55-65 days, English Heirloom, Indeterminate, red-yellow orange stripes, early, tangy, heavy yields) $1.25

Cherry
- Currant Tomatoes (75 days, Indeterminate, very intense tomato flavor, come in yellow or red) $1.25
- Rainbow Cherry (65 days, Indeterminate, 1" mix of red, orange and yellow) $0.95
- Black Cherry (80 days, Indeterminate, Brandywine flavor) $1.35
- Matt's Wild Cherry (55 days, Indeterminate, high yielder, from VT, will produce until frost) $1.50

Paste
- Peron (68 days, naturally disease resistant, 8 oz fruit, meaty, good keeper) $1.25
- Opalka (83 days, Indeterminate, large with dry texture and few seeds, bull horn shape) $1.35
- Polish Linguisa (78 days, Heirloom, Indeterminate, NY state origins from 1800s, heavy yields) $1.25
- Speckled Roman (81 days, Indeterminate, uniform, disease resistant, red w/ orange stripes, dense) $1.35
- Martino's Roma (Heirloom, Determinate, 2 oz paste tomatoes, end rot resistant, early midseason to frost) $1.25
- Oxheart Pink (80-95 days, Heirloom 1925, 1.5 lbs, meaty and almost seedless) $1.15

Any help with seeds or feedback on varieties anyone has grown in the past is greatly appreciated!