Some Seed Info

Before I get to the photos I promised in my previous post, nearly forgot that I wanted to post some info about the seeds I finally planted last night!

I don't think I mentioned this, but I actually started a whole bunch of seeds way back in April, but they got a trampled one day when I put them out in the sun, and 99% of them died. The one that survived that hadn't germinated yet, is that one dead-looking watermelon.

So, I finally re-planted those seeds and planted some new plants. WARNING: be prepared for a very long list of plant names, estimated germination dates, and estimated harvest dates.

I've decided to add a couple of photos to spice up all this text. Here is the diagram of the seed starter:

I realize that you can't read any of the text written on there, so don't stress yourself, I'll be going through all the seeds I've planted from right to left. The lines on the diagram are for multiples of the same plant.

EDITED TO ADD: "I've actually decided (midway through writing this post) that I can at least spice it up with photos of the seed packets. A bit of a taste as to how the harvest will look like."

So! With no further ado, we start with the Sweet Banana Peppers! These are completely not spicy, but should have a bit of a tart taste to them. I'll be planting these with the pair of bell peppers that I've got already started.

Sweet Banana Peppers:

Planted: 23 June

Estimated Germination: 3-5 July

Estimated Harvest: 1 Sept

Next, I've got two Eggplants. They're an heirloom variety called Black Beauty, a 1902 favorite. From the description on the seed packet, "Rich, deep purplish black fruits can grow to enormous size. Tender and tasty at all stages." Well, I've got to say, that sounds promising!

Heirloom Eggplants:

Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 3-7 July

Est. H: 4 Sept (?)

The cucumbers are next! I got the seeds in a Patio Vegetable Garden set that also included, Tomatoes (Best Boy Hybrid), Basil (Mammoth), and Lettuce (the Heatwave Blend that I've already planted). They are the Space master variety that supposedly only needs half the space of standard cucumbers. I had success with them last year even though (due to issues with contractors), they never got to their "real" home.

I had two of them planted already, and ready for transplant, but after an accident (I will got into that next post), I lost one, and the other may not survive. So, I planted three new ones.

Cucumbers:

Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 30 June-7 July

Est. H: 18 Aug

I planted one Cherry Tomato. Next year, I want to get the Tumbling Tom variety, that's made specifically for hanging baskets. This year, I'll try to plant my Supersweet 100 VF Hybrid in a hanging basket, and see how well it does. The packet boasts: "Unique salad type with amazingly high yields of super sweet 1-inch fruit with higher content of Vitamin C than any other tomato. Indeterminate plants bear until frost, each branch producing more than 100 fruits." Wonderful!

Cherry Tomato:

Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 30 June-3 July

Est. H: 27 Aug

Now, I've got some herbs that I keep meaning to plant...for the past year or more....and never get to it. I started with Basil. I have three different packets of Basil seeds. I decided to start with the oldest one. I won't even mention the year of the seeds, but if they grow, they grow! Basil is a very versatile herb, I'm sure I'll find a TON of things to do with it...if it grows.

Sweet Basil:
Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 30 June-3 July

Est H: unknown (a soon as the leaves are big enough! I'm guessing about 6-8 weeks?)

On to a difficult herb: Parsley. It takes FOREVER to germinate, from 21 to 28 days. So...about a month before I even know if it works. At least the seeds that I'm using are fresh. The good news is, that we use a lot of parsley, especially come the holiday season. So, once it starts producing, I think it'll grow quite well.

Planted:23 June

Est. G: 14-21 July

Est H.: ? (unknown. I think it'll take at least 8 weeks after germination, so around the halfway point of September)

Dill!!! Always a fun herb to have in the garden. I'm sure the garden grown will be so much better than the store-bought kind. Also, you can easily pick seeds from the plants...or so says the packet. Looking forward to this one.

Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 30 June-7 July

Est. H: packet doesn't say. I'm thinking about 6-8 weeks after germination here as well.

Sage! These seeds happen to be organic heirlooms: "aromatic garden". This is another herb used for cooking and seasoning, and supposedly can be used to make a tea. We'll see about that one...

Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 30 June-3 July

Est. H: 22 Aug-1 Sept

And now...last but not least: Snapdragons. Definitely one of my fave flowers. I'm using the same seeds I planted last year, and they were beautiful! The packet calls them Tall Rust Resistant Mixed Colors. I'll probably put these with my Mom's flowers, possibly in the window boxes on the front porch.

Planted: 23 June

Est. G: 3-8 July

Est. Bloom: I give them about 8 weeks after they germinate.

And to top things off, a photo of the windowsill garden seed starter I'm using, all planted with seeds!

In case anyone is curious, I use compressed peat pellets (the 36 mm size). They are wonderful for starting seeds, compact to store, and great for transplanting. The net-type covering is biodegradable and the roots can grow right through it. Sometimes, I will peel it off, if I can do that without injuring the roots, sometimes I'll leave it on. Plants grow great both ways.

That's it for now. This post took me a lot longer to put together than I though. So, I won't be getting to photos of the garden tonight. Seeing as, by the time I'm am finishing up, it's too dark outside to take decent photos. So, I'm leaving the photo update for tomorrow.