Kale and Lettuce ready to eat !!! ... pic.twitter.com/ivut8uK6xl

— Organic Gardener (@backyardorgani1) June 5, 2017

Seed Orders For 2017 Outdoor Garden ... Part 2

This is part 2 of the post: Seed Orders For 2017 Outdoor Garden ... Part 1

I bought these seeds from Park Seed  Park Seed  during a sale and free shipping! They are Zinnias, Rudbeckia, Marigolds, Basil, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Coleus, Cosmos, Radish.

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Cilantro will be used to make pesto. cilantro pesto recipe

Basil will be used to make basil pesto. basil pesto recipe

Nasturtium will be used near the vegetables because they deter some pests and is a great tasting edible flower. Nasturtium .

Marigold will also be used because it looks good and deters some pests and attacks pollinators.
marigolds

Cosmos will be used to attract pollinators

Coleus will be used in shady areas. 

Seed Orders For 2017 Outdoor Garden ... Part 1

I try to order seeds early to make sure I have them. I put my seed inventory into a few categories:

1. Old seeds
2. Seed saved seeds
3. New seeds

I make sure I have plenty of seeds of the plants I want to grow. I tend to start them earlier than I should to make sure I have enough plants. I try to use up the old seeds and then use the seed saved seeds. I also grow about 50% more plants than what I need. There is nothing worse than a possible blank spot in the garden. Or not having enough of your favorite plants. It is better to have seeds left over than missing plants at planting time. 

I bought these seeds from Johnnys  Johnny's Selected Seeds   during a sale. They are Zinnias, Rudbeckia, Coneflower, Lettuce mix, Kale, Collared Greens, Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Broccoli, Cherry Tomato

The flowers are annuals. The collard greens, cherry tomatoes, lettuce mix, lettuce, swiss chard, kale will keep producing new harvests. 

I will use succession planting to supplement the broccoli and lettuce growth. 

As you can see from previous posts, I use a lot of zinnias and rudbeckia in the flower garden. They attract bees, blooms last a long time, and the plants can handle the local climate.  

Seedling Status 3/14/16

The process I use to start all plants from seed is basically the same. Go to the links below to see the sequence. I get good results from this process and have been using it for 10 years.

To see the seedling status on 4/26/16:  Seedling Status Post 4/26/16

To see how I start zinnias from the beginning go here: Seed Saving And Starting Zinnias

To see how I start lettuce from the beginning go here: Seed Starting Bibb Butter Crunch Lettuce

I also water the plants very sparingly every day. Remember to water the soil, not the plant. Cuts down on potential for spreading disease.

Full trays of the same thing are labeled with one name tag until they are transplanted into bigger peat pots. Then each plant is given a unique tag with its name and start date. You may have to shift things around in the trays and not labeling each one will cause planting errors.

I keep the lights on 12 hours a day using an automatic timer.

All seedlings shown were started on 3/14/16

Zinnia in the front, Calendua in the rear

Calendula left, Coleus foreground, Nasturtium in the rear 

Zinnias

Zinnias, Cabbage and Kale in  the rear

Bachelor Buttons

Cabbage, Kale, Cosmos, and Zinnias in the rear

Zinnias with Nasturtium in the rear

Nasturtiums

Nasturtiums and Broccoli

Tomatoes

Seedling Update - Lettuce, Basil, Purple Coneflower, More Marigolds, Watermelon and Squash - 04-16-2013

Continuation of the previous post.

Lettuce

Basil

Purple Coneflower

More Marigolds

Watermelon and Squash

Pictures Of Garden Seedlings - 02/19/2013

Here are some current pictures of the seedlings.

Cherry Brandy Rudbeckia seedlings.

Petunia seedlings.

Lettuce mix seedlings.

More lettuce mix seedlings.

Marigold seedlings.

Zinnia seedlings.

More zinnia seedlings.

Snow And Cold Weather But The Lettuce Still Grows

It snowed last night and the sun has been barely out all week. But the lettuce continues to grow in the plastic covered raised beds. I use 4 mil clear plastic. I use old political sign metal bent into shape t form the hoops. Clothes pins attach the plastic to the hoops and rocks hold the sides down to seal the edges. 

A little sneak peak to check on the lettuce. The snow acts as an insulator. 

This picture was taken a week ago when the sun was out for a couple of hours.

More shots of the lettuce. These were taken  two days ago.

I'll start harvesting and eating this crop next week.

Here are some seedlings ready to go.

Seed Starting Buttercrunch Lettuce Update #1

I posted about seed starting started Bibb Buttercrunch lettuce on 12/13/2012. I decided to post an update of how they are doing. Bibb lettuce is a good beginner lettuce to grow. There are my Bibb types. They all grow great. You get good results. It's a real confidence builder.

The covered Bibb Buttercrunch seedling tray.

The top is removed to show the seedlings starting to grow. You want to keep the peat pots moist but not dripping wet. I mist the seedlings every other day. I have to fight back my tendency to over water.

A close-up of the happy seedlings.

Another close-up. I will post more progress photos as they grow.

Garden Status 12/13/12

Two quick pictures of the lettuce still growing in the garden. The lettuce is covered by 4 mil plastic at all times. The black plastic cover helps store heat in the soil.  We don't get a lot of sun this time of year so the lettuce grows noticeably slower.

Seed Starting Buttercrunch Lettuce

I grow and eat vegetables from the garden year round so I constantly have to start new lettuce to replenish my supply.

Here is how I start my Bibb Buttercrunch lettuce.

I use peat pots to start my seedlings. I get good germination rates (>90%) and the peat pots are easy to plant.

First soak the peat pots to full size:

Fill a container with water. I usually use a bucket because I use a lot of peat pots.

Add the peat pots to the water.

Put another bucket on top with a weight to make sure all the peat pots are pushed into the water. 

It takes a few hours for the peat pots to soak in the water and grow to full size. Put the full size peat pots in a tray and let them set there for about 15 minutes. Excess water in the peat pots can drain out into the tray.

Take the seeds and slightly push them into the wet peat pot. Don't worry if you put more than 1 seed into each pot. You can thin them out later.  It takes a little practice o get the technique down.

Take fine, moist soil and sprinkle it on the top of each peat pot. Put just enough to cover the seed. The seeds are in the peat pots, covered, and ready to start.

Always label your seeds with the name and start date.

Cover the tray with a clear plastic cover and keep it indoors under grow lights.

Keep the peat pot moist. Leave the lights on about 12 hours a day. They germinate within a few days. The picture below shows seedlings about 2 weeks old.

Keep them covered until they outgrow the clear plastic cover. Continue to keep them uncovered under the lights. If roots start to stick out just sprinkle some soil to keep them moist and covered. Wait until the first true leaves are present before transplanting to their final location.

The lettuce will be full grown within 45-60 days. Just cut the head off or pluck the leaves and leave the roots.The lettuce will grow back.  Buttercrunch lettuce is easy to grow. It is an excellent foundation for any salad. The taste of freshly grown, organic lettuce, picked minutes before eating cannot be beat !

Flowers From The 2012 Garden 4 And Picture Of A Frequent Special Guest To The Garden

Some pictures from the past years:

Here is a picture of a frequent guest to the garden for the past couple of years. I first saw her as a little Bambi with her spots. Now she is all grown up and has a couple fawns of her own.  She always gives me the same look.

Lettuce and Bulls Blood:

Somewhere under the snow is a garden and a hoophouse:

Coleus:

Zinnias with raspberries in the background:

Buttercrunch lettuce:

Iris:

Mesclun mix: