A Seed Saver's Garden

[Decoy1]

Yes, a lovely time, even though verging on overwhelming!

I’m interested in your tomato progression. It looks like you start with several seeds in quite small modules. What do you then pot on to and how many for each variety? Do you pot on quite quickly after germination or thin out first?

I’ve been starting in rather larger modules and then potting up either two or three of each variety but that risks using up more compost. Trying to refine methods at this stage is largely a question of economising on compost - and of course effort and space!

The labels look great, by the way. Did you buy the actual labels online?

 

[heirloomgal]

Yes, a lovely time, even though verging on overwhelming!

I’m interested in your tomato progression. It looks like you start with several seeds in quite small modules. What do you then pot on to and how many for each variety? Do you pot on quite quickly after germination or thin out first?

I’ve been starting in rather larger modules and then potting up either two or three of each variety but that risks using up more compost. Trying to refine methods at this stage is largely a question of economising on compost - and of course effort and space!

The labels look great, by the way. Did you buy the actual labels online?

It is the first time I've started the tomatoes this way @Decoy1 , having 6 varieties per 6 cell container. But I've found in years past when I started them in the standard starter pots it was so much soil, and then so much juggling space under lights. Fitting everything under lights is my main concern, and I'm not sure how successful I'll be with that! I'm hoping to keep these in small cells for as long as possible, which will depend on this mix (it's my first time trying this brand). I doubt they'll last more than 2 weeks in there, because the aggregate is so high. I do plan to thin each cell to 2 plants before the next pot up. I'll probably put both plants of each variety into a single starter pot then separate them once they can spend the day outside in the sun. I seldom ever grow more than 1 plant of a tomato variety, but I'm always nervous to thin to one plant because I've dropped them on their heads by accident enough times to know a spare is important! lol

Yes, so much a question of what's the most important thing to economize on - space, soil, time, labour. Alas, space is my limitation and what I'm always working around. I'd actually plant more right now, like all the marigolds I want to grow this year among the bean plants, but there is no space under the lights. And considering we had a blizzard yesterday, it'll be awhile before they'll go outside.

Do you mean the label material I use in the labelmaker?

 

[heirloomgal]

You'd think for how utterly famous Jurassic Park is, that they might have thought better of it. I'm increasingly of the belief that the ancient great flood was rather about this sort of thing, because you can't fix DNA. That woolly mouse, yikes.

Scientists say they revived dire wolf through biotech company's de-extinction process

Biotech company Colossal Biosciences said it has brought back the dire wolf, an animal that went extinct 10,000 years ago, through its de-extinction process.

abcnews.go.com

 

[Decoy1]

It is the first time I've started the tomatoes this way @Decoy1 , having 6 varieties per 6 cell container. But I've found in years past when I started them in the standard starter pots it was so much soil, and then so much juggling space under lights. Fitting everything under lights is my main concern, and I'm not sure how successful I'll be with that! I'm hoping to keep these in small cells for as long as possible, which will depend on this mix (it's my first time trying this brand). I doubt they'll last more than 2 weeks in there, because the aggregate is so high. I do plan to thin each cell to 2 plants before the next pot up. I'll probably put both plants of each variety into a single starter pot then separate them once they can spend the day outside in the sun. I seldom ever grow more than 1 plant of a tomato variety, but I'm always nervous to thin to one plant because I've dropped them on their heads by accident enough times to know a spare is important! lol

Yes, so much a question of what's the most important thing to economize on - space, soil, time, labour. Alas, space is my limitation and what I'm always working around. I'd actually plant more right now, like all the marigolds I want to grow this year among the bean plants, but there is no space under the lights. And considering we had a blizzard yesterday, it'll be awhile before they'll go outside.

Do you mean the label material I use in the labelmaker?

I can echo almost all you say here. I perhaps have a little more space under lights having expanded this season but there’s never enough. At the moment I’m starting zucchini and squash too, which take up more space, not to mention flower seedlings, brassicas, more cucurbits, peppers, aubergines etc. And of course soon beans!
,
Just like you, I usually grow one plant per tomato variety but don’t like to reduce to one too soon because of the possibility of the kind of accident you describe. I have some 9-cell trays and for tomatoes, once I think they need to be moved on, I’ve been using the 9 modules for three twos and one three, in other words I fit four varieties in a 9-cell container. That takes up marginally less space than eight separate pots. After perhaps another three weeks or so they outgrow those and need their own pot but as you say, they can by then hopefully be moved on, in my case into my greenhouse. I might even consider putting a neater in it in late April and early May if a frost is forecast. Moving a lot of plants in and out of doors is quite labour intensive and inviting accidents! So much juggling for the next month or so.

Interesting to compare methods. The labels I was interested in sourcing are the T-shaped labels you stick your printed labels onto. I use a lot of smaller T-shaped labels, 15cm I think, and some much larger ones (25cm) which are too expensive to use for everything but useful when I want to be sure that I know where something is. Otherwise I laminate simple maps/lists of where things are after planting out and clip them to a wooden frame here and there around the garden. But I thought your labels look to be a very useful middle size between my every day small ones and my few large ones.

 

[heirloomgal]

I chuckle a bit to read your reference to accidents during the import/export process of early summer with the transplants before they can stay out. That is so true, lol. And I have 2 reluctant teenagers to help me with this process (who rush, of course, toward completion) so it's 3x the people to drop things or bang plants together. And if DH is in there that's nearly a guaranteed inadvertent fatality of some sort. The comical side of early season gardening indeed. Somehow, most things survive it.

The labels in the photo I bought at a dollar store, 10 for $1, but they are quite small, about 6 cm. I'd love big tags for everything, but as you mention it's not cost effective for 100's of plants. I do spoil the beans with the bigger foot tall tags but even those T's are only 8cm across, and those are from the dollar store as well, 5 for $1. I've never found anything bigger in retail. Every year I add a couple more packets of them to the shopping cart, to feel less guilty and amortize the expense. Maps are such a good idea, a nice reference in mid-summer for what's what or just in case a tag disappears.

 

[heirloomgal]

My Schoënbrunn ground cherries really started to worry me with their slowness to sprout. Both Physalis minima and the Geltower ground cherries have sprouted, neither of which were my seed, yet my own 2024 seed had not broken ground? Today saw my first itsy bitsy sprout, thank goodness. I have not much experience with these other physalis species so I feel like I'm in the dark with them. Maybe it's the species.

'Tzimbalo' seeds sprouting! Grew these in 2023, and even they came up before the Schoënbrunn ground cherries. Truth is, I have no idea how to properly save seed for tzimbalo. I had just squeezed out the tiny fruits onto parchment, let dry, and then scraped it off into a jar. But the seeds were all glued together like they had dried in maple syrup. I guess I need to keep looking for information, but so far nada. But glad to see 100% germ rates on them. Way too many seeds got planted, clearly.

My overwintered fig tree continues - surprisingly - to grow more leaves despite having no real reason to start growing yet. I am just so glad I took a risk and bought it in the first place. I'm quite excited to see how it'll do this summer and how many figs I'll get. I definitely plan to repot and give it some better soil.

A story of 3 overwintering herbs. The Balkan Mint really survived the winter well indoors, and I would love to keep it going in a bigger pot for years to come now. I may even leave a little piece outside this fall and see if it can survive a winter. I think it looks actually better now than it did this summer, size wise.

The Winter Lemon Savory, which looked okay most of the winter looks a bit iffy now. I don't want to give up on it in case the top is just dying down and the root system is still good. I've been careful with water. I'm really hoping when it goes outside it springs back to life and I can transplant it to a bigger pot.

I may have lost the Iberian White Thyme. It looked okay most of the winter but it seems like it gave up now, just as we're nearing springtime. I cut back most of that dead top growth, and we'll see if there is any life down below when it goes outside. Feeling doubtful, but hoping to be surprised. No regrets though, it was worth a shot to see if it could be overwintered. I'm thinking in it's original environment it probably had a dormant period, so maybe green shoots will appear at the base.

My little onion bulblets from England are growing wonderfully, which is kinda totally thrilling. The lady I received these from got them originally from a lady who got them in France, where they grow on Île d’Yeu (a small island off the west coast of France) as well as on the Channel Islands, and are called ‘poireau perpétuel’ .

None of the other onions seeds are sprouting yet, except the Japanese winter onion. I planted some nodding onions as well, mostly for the pretty flowers. But I have no idea the germ times for alliums, so maybe they're pokey by nature. I think there was a couple other possible perennial types in there, which would explain the pokiness. Holding my breath.

Amazing how fast the 'Stampede' sunchoke sprouts greened up under lights. I guess I'll just have to tame these beasts in pots, and trim them back if I have to, to keep them manageable until I can put them out. I think I may get some Apios americana as well this year. Build up a little perennial veg collection. Apparently, the apios are remarkable producers. Yeah, perennial veg are a trend right now but I think if I can find the A+ species and varieties it is a good investment. How I wish now when I look back at my 17 yr old garden that I had planted more wisely with rose bushes, more peonies, more delphinium, more fruit bushes. All the things that take 5 years or so to start to really shine. But, I didn't know that then. I started from -0.

Planted at the same time - old seed versus newer seed. I'm not 100% sure but it seems like vigor drops in older pepper seeds along with the germ rate. I'm not complaining though, I'm just happy that they sprouted and I didn't lose them. There are not many pepper types out there I find, and these ones are not offered anywhere that I know of right now so I'm grateful for each plant that did sprout. It's amazing how utterly different tomato seeds are from the peps - if the tomato sprouts, it'll be a gangster no questions asked. Peppers? Some of them might need walking canes. With those grip things on the bottom.

 

[Decoy1]

The labels in the photo I bought at a dollar store, 10 for $1, but they are quite small, about 6 cm. I'd love big tags for everything, but as you mention it's not cost effective for 100's of plants. I do spoil the beans with the bigger foot tall tags but even those T's are only 8cm across, and those are from the dollar store as well, 5 for $1. I've never found anything bigger in retail. Every year I add a couple more packets of them to the shopping cart, to feel less guilty and amortize the expense. Maps are such a good idea, a nice reference in mid-summer for what's what or just in case a tag disappears.

Thanks for the further info. Your larger tags seem very reasonably priced for the size. I’ve only found large tags online here at twice that price, and for not quite as big as yours.

Maps is rather a grand term for what I do and it only works perhaps because I work in four foot plus long beds, so for beans, for example, I might have a row on the south side of the bed and another row on the north side. So my ‘map’ is two lists really. This kind of thing. My tags, being smaller, do often get lost or obscured by growth. But no method completely works and accidents and nature intervene!

 

[heirloomgal]

Thanks for the further info. Your larger tags seem very reasonably priced for the size. I’ve only found large tags online here at twice that price, and for not quite as big as yours.

Maps is rather a grand term for what I do and it only works perhaps because I work in four foot plus long beds, so for beans, for example, I might have a row on the south side of the bed and another row on the north side. So my ‘map’ is two lists really. This kind of thing. My tags, being smaller, do often get lost or obscured by growth. But no method completely works and accidents and nature intervene!


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Very nice @Decoy1 , what program do you use to create your tables? Google docs?

 

[heirloomgal]

Replanted the few tomatoes that either only sprouted 1 plant, or none at all. Wasn't many of those, but a few. Luckily my seed suppliers had sent me plenty of seeds so I had more than enough where it was needed. Feels so great to check that off the list - tomatoes - DONE!

Planted the martynia seeds, which I'm, SUPER curious to grow. I have no clue what those seedlings will look like; the seeds themselves were on the odd side, very bumpy surface, like a calcium encrusted cucumber seed. Collards and scarlet kale are up and reaching for the light too.

I'm considering planting some pepicha and quillquinna seeds as well. I grew the plants in 2021, and I don't know how long the seeds will last. Not easy to get ahold of those species either, so best to be on the cautious side. 30% of the cotton seeds have germinated, waiting on the rest.

Gorgeous sun in the sky today, and the snow has melted from the roads thank goodness. I can see a bit of garden ground finally!!!! Fingers crossed that by Monday I can see the whole thing, and the snow will be mostly gone!! April 11th is too far in the season to cope with this much snow!

 

[Decoy1]

Very nice @Decoy1 , what program do you use to create your tables? Google docs?

My stuff is all Apple so I actually use Pages which is their equivalent of Word.