Seed Catalogs

While preparing my posts to review last year's growing season, I've been planning for this year as well. The catalogs have been coming in since December, and they always put me in a good mood reading/daydreaming about the new varieties I'd like to try. Although I have been doing review posts for websites and products that I like in the past year or so, my assessments are always brutally honest. So here are my current thoughts on seed catalogs, completely unsolicited.

This first group are my current all-around favorites for lowest prices combined with best selection of Heirloom and unusual varieties. Very few seed packets are listed in these catalogs for over $3, some are even less than one dollar!

 This group are also reasonably priced at mostly less than $4 per packet, and also have a wide variety of Heirloom and hard-to-find seeds. Johnny's has a fine selection of flower seeds, as well as equipment and supplies for an all-out nursery operation (in case your hobby gets out of control :)

 This last group have the same reasonable price ranges at most for under $4, as well as specialty varieties.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy perusing the main stream vendors like Park Seed, Jung, Gurney's, and Burpee/Cook's Garden. But I've noticed a real spike in prices (at Burpee/Cook's especially), and I find myself gravitating more toward old-school Heirloom varieties with all the scary GMO seed talk out there. One last price consideration is packet size-some list by weight, some by number of seeds. But when you see a price of $4.25 for a packet of 15 seeds, it doesn't take long for the eyes to wander...toward a better deal!

Spring Is The Word

That word doesn't guarantee warm weather, however. We are due for snow in the next 24 hours, so I thought I'd gather some flowers for an indoor show... ...there are so many blooming...

....quite vigorously!

Who put the bees out? Me, I sure did... :) My mason bees are ready to start filling their nest tubes and pollinating my cherry blossoms, and I really appreciate it!

Nice big spider hanging out in my "junky" spot next to the garage. I sure like all my bugs!

Indoors the seedlings are quickly getting crowded...

...reminding me of the awesome 4-tier, 4 light shelf system I was drooling over in a catalog awhile back. Ah well, someday.

Meanwhile there are pretty bulb blooms to enjoy....

...and some early blooming perennials to appreciate. After all....

....gotta get in my flower happiness while I can before the snow flies!

Is it June yet?

Seed GROW Project Update

The good news is: my wintersown nasturtium has re-sprouted...
....the bad news is: none of the others have. Not these recently "direct-sown" seeds, nor the indoor-under-lights-seeds.

Ah well, take the good with the bad, I say :)

"I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project, thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds."

Holy Germination, Batman!

My indoor seed-starting project began on April 16th, and just two days later I already had germination!
The next two days brought even more....

...in all the trays except peppers. The first tomato to germinate indoors was 'High Carotene' ...

....and by the 20th I've begun thinning! I seem to have over-sown this row of okra with a couple different basils. So far the okra seedlings seem to have transplanted well into a bigger pot to grow all together.

In my wintersown tray outdoors I have lift-off with my SeedGrow project nasturtium 'Spitfire'...

....despite low temps below freezing at night. I'm enjoying wintersowing more and more, but for "fast action" you can't beat a heat mat and indoor lights!

"I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project, thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds."

To Soak Or Not To Soak

That was the question when I prepared to start seeds indoors under lights, especially when it came to the nasturtiums. This packet came right out and said to do it... ...but this one didn't. (Funny how different seeds for the same plant can look so different.) I figured that soaking them can't hurt ....so I did. (Plus I have the wintersown ones that were not soaked to compare somewhat, though growing methods differ.)

There! These were set in a tray that went on the heat mat, so I'm hoping they'll germinate soon. (Still nothing from the wintersown seeds.)

I have two more varieties of nasturtium that I'll direct sow outdoors later, and I will soak them...

....but I decided to go ahead and try some of the 'Alaska Mix' and 'Spitfire' soaked seeds out right now in small pots.

Let's see what happens :)

"I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project, thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds."

It's Go Time

On Friday it was time to get my indoor seed starting underway. This is a couple weeks later than last year, but still 6 weeks before our frost-safe date, so what the hey. A few seeds were pre-soaked overnight...
...and I decided to try a row of sweet pea 'High Scent' with filed seeds to compare to the soaked ones.

I'd never filed the seed coat before, hopefully I did it right (at least I have the pre-soaked seeds in case this doesn't work out.)

Just like last year I'm using this heat mat under the trays to assist germination, but I don't have the same insulated metal mat to put under it. I improvised with aluminum foil, although it may not be necessary...just makes me feel better to cover the wooden boards with something to insulate and reflect the heat back.

And away we go! There's six 36-cell flats in all, with five on the mat and one for seeds that need "cooler germination" sitting nearby. One flat is all flowers, one all peppers, one all tomatoes, and three a combination of flowers, herbs and veggies.

My handy fan is ready to help strengthen the stems of emerging seedlings, as well as keeping the soil surface somewhat drier to prevent damping off. (I don't turn it on until there's germination.)

Here sets the "cooler germination" tray. I figured it can sit here about a week, then I'll move it under the lights but off the heat mat surface so it will be somewhat warmer but not too much.

How can they fail with this crowd cheering them on? :)

On a side note, check out my new orchid pot! I've priced these online at over $20, but found this one on sale locally for $4.45!! Self discipline and patience pay off after all!

Breaking wintersowing news: a tomato has germinated!! This is cherry tomato 'Stupice' from Czechoslovakia, listed at 52 days. All I can say is wow!

Some other wintersown seedlings needed to be thinned....

....like cabbage 'Caraflex'. That's better. It always bugs me not to "save' the culled sprouts, but it's just part of the process.

I have no qualms about "sacrificing" flowers though... ...to enjoy in the house of course! Got my spring on now for sure! :)

Breaking News at Millertime!

We interrupt the review of 2009 garden adventures for this breaking news: Spring is making a stand at Millertime in a big way! After nearly 2 weeks of highs in the 40's and 50's with lows above freezing, I have germination in my wintersow trays! Perennial lupine 'Sunrise' for one-how exciting! I had left the lids intact with no holes, and had the trays on the porch. Time to put holes in the lid and set the trays out to get exposure to rain now that I have germination! (Conventional wintersowing wisdom has the tray lids with holes and trays out in weather from the start, I have done it both ways with decent results.)To put holes in the thin plastic lids, I selected a drill bit designed to cut holes specifically...

....and it worked out rather well! I didn't get any tears or jagged holes unless I got impatient and pushed too hard.

I did have to pick up these little cutouts, no big deal.........there! Out amongst my "pot graveyard" for now. We have quite a cold snap settling in today though.......and I hope some of these seedlings don't freeze out! Along with the lupine, my broccoli 'Packman' has germinated....

....alyssum 'Benthamii'....

...and cabbage 'Caraflex'. If the lows in the teens and 20's over the next few days don't kill them outright, maybe the temps will stay higher after that. (Yea, it is way too early to believe our freezes are over, but I can dream :)

Elsewhere around the yard there are lots of leaves that need raked, but it's a tad early to remove all the cover from the flowerbeds....

....but some piles accumulate from raking the yard only. I also got some planting done...

...perennial Dame's Rocket from my mom (she is in zone 5 where temps got them growing well already)....

...also this blue, brushy-looking sedum. (I'm not sure of the name).

Winds died down in the evening enough for the first fire of the season...

...but only in my fire pit. (Way too dry to burn anywhere else.) Hooray spring!