Transplant Talk

   Thanks to a string of windy, sunny days, most of the snow has melted.  The lawn and garden plots are still wet, but the raised beds look dry enough for me to begin cleaning them up and pulling out weeds.  Not much is growing outside at this point, with the exception of dandelions.  Those are coming along swimmingly!

   The tomato and pepper transplants are doing well.  The exceptions are the Chocolate Bell peppers (it was old seed, and none germinated) and Hungarian Italian Paste tomatoes (brand new seed, but abysmal germination rates; I planted 30+ and so far only two have come up).  Cream Sausage, Jewish, and Bellestar were slow to germinate but I ended up with a few of each kind, enough to put out in the garden and save seed at the end of the season.  Emerald Evergreen germinated like a champion even though it has been years since it was last grown.  Black Krim and Black Sea Man came up like gangbusters, too.

   Hungarian Italian Paste did so poorly that, out of frustration, I sowed some Auria as a back-up a few days ago.  I was hoping to have a determinate or semi-determinate paste tomato this year.  Last year, I tried growing Polish Linguisa and it was a write-off.  Despite being touted as early and prolific, the plants had barely begun to develop tomatoes by the time the first frost hit! 

   Update:  I have started Hungarian Italian Paste seeds three times since March 27.  As of today, I have one normal-sized transplant, one seedling 1.5 inches tall, and a third seed just showed signs of germination this morning.   I started Auria seeds April 19th.  I just looked at the tray and the majority have germinated.  Wow.  Four days.  I wish I'd planted Auria to begin with!

   The "Pineapple" sage surpassed my expectations and overwintered beautifully inside!  I always overwinter a bit of mint (not pictured), which looks scraggly and rough by the time late May rolls around and it can be transplanted outdoors.   Still, it rebounds nicely and overwintering clippings saves a lot of money.  At the greenhouses here, herbs tend to cost between $3.00 - $5.00 a transplant.

   The garlic bulbils (Spanish Roja, Persian Star, and Duganski) planted indoors as an experiment in late December have held up well.  They miss being under the grow light, I think, but the tomatoes needed it more.

    Starting April 11th, I began sowing some herbs (Summer savoury, Lemon Balm, curly parsley), flowers (Dwarf Sensation and Rubenza cosmos), and brassicas (Lacinato kale, Curly Blue kale, Brunswick cabbage, Cour di Bue cabbage, Golden Acre cabbage, Red Express cabbage, Snowball cauliflower) in milk-jug containers.

The kale (below) and some of the cabbage has already come up!

   New life in the flower bed!  I cannot remember what was planted in this spot.  It will be fun to see what emerges!