Spring is here and I’m making plans for my 2014 vegetable garden. This is a picture of a few of my sunflowers from last year’s garden. It was quite productive. I’m planning to put more flowers into my garden and cut back on the peppers this year since I have a nice supply stored. My pepper focus will be belles this year for vegetable trays and the freezer.
I started my seeds this week and have several that have germinated already. I use my laundry room to start my seeds since they don’t need light to germinate. I like to grow everything from seed, because it’s cheaper than purchasing plants from a garden center and because it gives me a jump start on the growing season. Direct sowing everything can be quite challenging.
I purchase my peat pots on clearance each year from Big Lots or the Dollar Store and save them for the next season. Each pot is filled with a seed starting mix, I use Miracle Gro, watered from the bottom by placing them in a tray filled with water, and covering them with Saran Wrap, which helps keep the pot moist and assists with germination. Once the seeds have germinated, I immediately move them under this grow light to keep them warm and assist with growth. My grow light is 4 foot long, so I’m able to get quite a few pots under it, and I raise the light as they get taller.
Here’s my list of seed starts for 2014. I only plant vegetables that I will eat, can or freeze:
Fruit:
2 Sugar Baby Watermelons
1 Yellow Watermelon
2 Hales Cantaloupe
Misc.
2 Crookneck Squash
2 Zucchini
Tomatoes:
1 Mortgage Lifter
1 Paul Robeson
1 Tiffen Mennonite
1 Oxheart
1 Early Girl
1 Delicious
1 Cherokee Purple
1 Red Brandywine
1 Sweet 100
Herbs:
2 Spicy Globe Basil
2 Genovese Basil
1 Oregano
2 Dill (Use to make dill and spicy hot pickles)
2 Cilantro (Use to make salsa)
Peppers:
1 White Belle
1 Golden Wonder
1 Mixed (It will be a surprise)
1 Jalapeno
I will be direct sowing the following:
Greens:
Blue Lake Greenbeans (Pole)
Jade Greenbeans (Bush)
Butter Crunch Lettuce
Noble Spinach
Cucumbers:
Boston Pickling
Marketmore
Lemon
Salt and Pepper
Garlic (Already growing)
Red Onions
Carrots
Not sure I will get 100% germination, but I’m hoping for at least 80%. I currently have 1 1/2 flats on the heating pads to germinate and about 6 starts that have already sprouted under the grow lights. I’m hoping to have the 1/2 flat germinated by next week. Stay tuned.