For the last 3 years, I’ve started my tomatoes and peppers usually in March in either Jiffy peat pods or some other pods. They are under a clear plastic lid and on a heating pad until they sprout, and then they get out under the T8 light bank. After about 3 weeks, when they’re about 3-4" tall, I’d transfer them to 16oz drinking cups where they’d go back under lights until it was time to plant out in about a month.
Since we’ve had freezes in May the last couple years, I’ve decided to bypass the cup stage, and just plant them in the pods in mid April, and then just transplant them in the garden in May. I’m also doing this to save time, as there are other things to do with my time.
Part of the reason I’m doing this is that these plants are pretty tough, and should be OK to transplant directly from the pod tray. It goes back to what @thecityman and I were talking about last year when he thought they ought to do alright as little plants no more than a few inches tall. Of course the ground will need to be warm enough, and not too wet. Plus, it means they won’t be bearing as soon during the summer being that they’re smaller plants.
In a few weeks I’ll need to get out there and turn the ground with the tractor to prepare for the growing season. But it’s been so wet that I can’t really do anything like that now. We’re getting more rain today, and the ground is so soaked. It’s been an incredibly wet winter, and spring so far, I hope it will let up for a while so I can get some chores done. I worry about my trees and berry plants being subjected to all this water.
So, now I need to decide which and how many different varieties of seeds I have to sow.
Yes I will report. Interesting back story on the Strasberry. It was thought extinct. After the wall came down in Berlin it was discovered some home gardeners behind the iron curtain were growing it. Thanks to them I now have 2 plants. It’s a shame our relations with Russia have soured as so many unknown heirlooms have been surfacing from Russia. Often ideal for my Michigan environment. Luckily many have made their way here before the 2nd wave of the cold war started again.
The fall of the Iron curtain has meant so much. This winter I was talking to a member here from Bulgaria who lives in Northern Bulgaria and one strain of Morus nigra (black mulberry) grows well there. This country was behind the curtain. Anyway I got seeds and now have 2 seedlings growing. Nigra is the best mulberry out there but will not grow beyond zone 7. This gentleman is in zone 6 and this one nigra grows there, and I now have plants. It may be the only 2 plants of this strain in the United States.
I’m hoping one is a male so I can spread seeds of this new strain around to preserve it.
If not I can still with scion and budwood at least. For now I’ll keep them protected in the winter and experiment with clones to see if it can grow in ground here.
What a wonderful story! I have been noticing that a lot of unique heirlooms seem to be coming from Russia; it’s nice to know that so many varieties have been preserved - and it’s even nicer to find that they are making there way to new destinations! I look forward to hearing if you were successfully able to propagate viable seeds to continue its preservation.
Yes I will update the site on progress. The seedlings have stalled a little due to acclimation to outside. Still fine though, just slowed down from the stress. As soon as they acclimate they will pick up again.
I have about 25 mature pepper plants that will be going out this season. Most of them are Caribbean Varieties and all of them are hot besides the bell peppers. I also have 5 tomato plants that are going quite well.
Habaneros - Purple, Golden, Orange, Burning Bush, Caribbean Red, Brown, Red, Savina, White, Peruvian, Pink
7 pot - Yellow, Brain Strain Red, Lava
Scotch Bonnets - White Hot Peppers, West Coast Seed Co, Brown
Scotch Brain
Dorset Naga
Texas Crimson Bonnet
Bells - Red and Yellow
Kung Pao
Moruglah F3
Bahamian Goat
Aji Lemon drop
Fatalii - Yellow and White
Then I have one seed that sprouted three plants! There were two that had broken soil and another that was just starting to root and produce a stalk so I buried it back at the depth it originally was.
I hate to be a bummer but those apple trees are highly likely to produce fruit that is undesirable or not even similar to what you saw with the conjoined fruit. The selection process for good apple varieties takes years and with rigorous grafting, note taking and a lot of luck. I just chopped down an apple tree that sprouted from seed because the fruit was TERRIBLE. Super sour, mealy, tart, small, and thick skinned.
There’s a good reason why apples are grafted, if you wanted fruit that was the same you would get some scions from the tree that the apple came from.
I agree, but I like to grow from seeds anyway, only controlled crosses except for citrus which can come true or could not we will see. It’s much more fun with pluots, as the fruit will be unique and one never knows.
I should have two clones of the Nadorcott that I planted and two crosses. Looks like it’s either going to be Fine Clementine x Nadorcott or Nour x Nadorcott. Either way I’m excited to see the fruit in a few years time.
I was in Sarasota FL and bought the sweetest heirloom oranges from the Amish I ever had. One seed germinated out of only a few I found in the fruit. An old school orange with leather like skin. Still excited if I can get anything close.
Yes, I got them, but I decided not to grow them this year. I had some heirloom seeds that were getting old, and wanted fresh seed. Seems to happen every year, the oldest seed is grown.
So it is on a waiting list to be grown out.
No, and yeah they do take long! I just had a tangerine seed sprout this morning. And yeah was planted 5 or 6 weeks ago. What do you do to remove it?
Soak the seed in water for a few hours up to a full day, rub the slimy coating off the seeds with a cloth or paper towel, then begin to pick away at the pointy end of the seed. Eventually you should be able to get part of the casing to peel off and the rest of it should be very easy after that.
Ive never had luck growing tomatoes from seed. They end up too leggy well before I am able to even consider planting out. That or the menagerie of pets and kids I have end up knocking or eating or just destroying my project. My un-touched work space is in the basement and it has its own set of challenges (like the flooding twice in the past week because my plumber keeps rescheduling)
I am growing caucasian spinach and Echium "red feathers’ from seed, in pots, winter-sowing fashion this spring, though. (both are difficult to procure as plants even online, though now that I am growing from seed I did notice that one of the mass-market curseries is offering the echium this spring)
I will, this weekend, go out and broadcast some Pinetree lettuce mix in one of my beds. I usually do it earlier than this, but the weather has not cooperated (nor the plumbing)…
Gonna start my tomatoes, peppers, leafy veggies and herbs this weekend. Gonna be hard to figure out what I want to grow. I have prob 50 varieties of toms, and maybe 30 different peppers to pick from.
I cleaned out my hex planting pod trays yesterday. I have two trays of 72 pods each. Hopefully I won’t fill them all up…
Since it’s supposed to be sunny and dry through Monday, I’ll probably get the plots turned as well. Very busy time of the year!
My tomato seeds just started coming up. This year no more mister nice guy. I’m blasting them with an oscillating fan from the time they break the soil. Clip off lower leaves and potting up quickly… I think the more you baby them the worse they do.
