Monday, March 25, 2013

Seed Starting

Well, they're in. May 15th is considered our last frost date here in our USDA zone 5/6 garden. Six to eight weeks ahead of that is about right for starting Tomato seeds inside. The ten varieties include a number of new ones for me. If you recall, we had a pretty bad wipe out last year from late blight. I swore to give tomatoes a rest but, here it is, the grief of last year a sad memory; hope rising in my heart no disasters claim this crop. My choices include shorter season plants with stronger disease resistance, some determinate (won't grow so big) and a patio variety. The seed houses are linked to location by clicking on their names.

1.  Tangello from Sunshine Farm of Kelowna, organic seed, deep orange color, determinate. Found at a roadside vendor in Mexico, sweet citrus flavour, firm, prolific. Bonus..50 seeds in the package.

2.  Black Zebra Cherry, again from Sunshine Farms. The "very rare" is always enticing don't you think! Determinate, heirloom but being very rare, only 25 seeds.

3.  Amish Paste, Annapolis Seeds here in Nova Scotia. Reliable, high yields of large plum shaped tomatoes, very dependable in Maritime gardens.

4.  Costoluto Genovese, also from Annapolis Seeds, one of my favourite tomatoes. It is an Italian heirloom, and just awesome in flavour.

5.  Incas Hybrid from William Dam Seeds, determinate, 65 days, organic, mature all at one time. I am hoping if late blight comes, these will give me early tomatoes. These are like a smaller paste tomato.

6.  Granadero, Johnny's Selected Seeds, organic, determinate, have been a good cropper for me previously. A really good paste tomato with strong disease resistance.

7.  Mountain Princess, friend supplied, Available at Annapolis Seeds whose catalogue states this is a large and early cropping tomato, perfectly round, red 4 inch fruits produced on 3' plants, an heirloom from West Virginia. Early to beat the blight I hope.

8.  Tomato Sub Arctic, Plenty, friend supplied but available at Reimers Seeds and Sustainable Seeds. This is one of the world's earliest tomatoes (beat the blight early or not?) Determinant and disease resistant.

9.  Andrina, patio tomato, friend supplied but now I wonder if it is Andryna which isn't patio at all. Stand by! The latter is a big'un.

10. German Gold, my seeds from our tomatoes, indeterminate, delicious, yellow beefstake. I've written about these before here.

So that's the line up. Seeds were planted two days ago; will be watching closely. As soon as they germinate, they go under grow lights inside.

As for outside in the cold frame covered raised bed, photo below. We have first leaves of spinach virflay (one of Niki's Pick's from her book Year Round Vegetable Gardener), and also Lolla Rosa lettuce and a few radish. The mache and tatsoi from last fall have to be harvested as they have leapt ahead, and the tatsoi wants to go to seed.  Soon new greens will go in there and I have a few exciting varieties to try. Can't wait.

In the raised bed with the hoop covers, the mizuna (purple and green) have germinated as has the arugula. If you aren't familiar with these greens, they are winter hardy in a cold frame and mildly spicy.

Remember, there is still snow on the ground, and below freezing at night. Today's daytime is about eight degrees Celsius.  It's warm under the hoops though. Must put the thermometer in there. Here is a trick I use when starting seeds at anytime outdoors but especially now in the coldframe.  I broadcast or plant the seeds in rows, making sure the soil is damp and then cover with a light piece of white fleece. It helps protect the seeds, keeps them a little warmer and also helps keep the soil dampish until germination takes place. Once I see the green leaves, depending on weather, I will remove the fleece. This time of year, this is all taking place under the plastic hoops or cold frame. You would be surprised how much the late winter and early spring sun dries out the top layer of the soil.

If you are considering building a cold frame, do it. Even though ours are plunked like coffins in the garden, I don't know how we did without them. Anyway, great directions for constructing one in The Year Round Vegetable Gardener and also Eliot Coleman's book Four Season Harvest. Mine is a little different, being a raised bed, the cold frame cover came later, and for my age, this is a better option. I wouldn't want to be on my knees, wiping off snow in the winter digging for plants but I expect carrots and root vegetables would do better with that type of cold frame than mine. It's all in what you want to eat through the winter or overwinter I guess. For us, it's greens.

23 comments:

  1. A nice line-up of tomato varieties. Mine are due for sowinng this coming weekend. Normally I would say that the weather is not yet good enough, but now that I have the Groe Light House I think it will be OK to sow.
    Tomatoes are one of those things I just HAVE to grow. They have a special attraction for me. My Dad was the same (though he normally grew just one variety - it was usually Moneymaker). Let's just hope for a year without blight...

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    1. Tomatoes are one of those things I have to grow too!! Thanks Mark for your comment. Moneymaker is a good tomato and yes, no blight would be wonderful. Can't wait to see your post on Growing under your lights.

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  2. I was just thinking the other day that it's about time I finally got started on my seed starting. Jody dragged the lights and tables down for me, now I just need to get the containers and go. Good idea trying a short season tomato to beat the blight. It seems to always hit late (as far as I now anyway). Received the new ladder today and work will begin stripping paint soon. Maybe next year, once work on the outside of the house is done, I can think about a cold frame close to the house for winter gardening. As always I'm a little jealous you're collecting greens already.

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    1. Yes it's time Marguerite. Thinking of spring chores too..started my list for the Captain ;-) Looks like Jody has his list already made.

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  3. I'm pretty sure we tried Black Zebra cherry a few years ago from an online Amish tomato seed vendor. I think we might try for somew large italian plum types this year. Great to see a return to the garden it feels like forever since we've been out there!

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    1. I am excited to try this Black Zebra as it shouldn't grow too big, and looks interesting but more important, hope it has a deep rich tart taste. The large Italian Plum types won't disappoint you, especially if you use them for cooking. Good growing luck..no blight we hope.

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  4. There's lots of varieties there which I haven't heard of before. It's such fun choosing which ones to grow, isn't it? There's just so many to choose from. I was going to start some seeds off at the weekend too, but couldn't muster up the enthusiasm after a big snow fall. They'll probably do better being sown at a later date anyway when it's warmed up a little, though I might get round to it this coming weekend with there being two bank holidays included.

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    1. Yes Jo, there must be hundreds if not thousands of tomato varieties.

      The snow is getting me down too, and a big rain would do the trick I think. Enjoy your weekend holiday.

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  5. Reading your list of seeds was like reading the chapter titles in an exotic travel book.
    All that industry, now, will yield wonderful results (and blog posts!) later.

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    1. Oh what a perk your comment gave me. Thank you. Beware of the blog posts later ;-)....I hope and pray choosing earlier types of tomatoes might be part of the answer. We shall see.

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  6. We too are just starting seeds in the greenhouse...but tomatoes on the kitchen windowsill, where it is warmer. So far 5 have germinated. We feel hopeful!

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    1. Hope Spring really is here Elizabethd. Bravo for five tomato seeds germinating. Thanks for commenting.

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  7. Your post makes me so excited for spring!! I just can't wait for those fresh veggies and fruit. :) We can see a lot of our yard and garden now....the snow is finally melting. I might even take the grill out this weekend!

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    1. Hope your weather held Staci. Sounds like a good plan with the grill!

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  8. We like Amish Paste too but no seeds sown here yet except onions, celery and celeriac under the grow light in a spare upstairs room!

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  9. Reading about your seed planting has gotten me excited to get going. The warmer, sunny weather today helped as well. Finally, it is beginning to feel like spring! Have a great Easter weekend Bren!

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    1. Thank you Jennifer..you too. The weather has been fantastic.

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  10. Your list of tomato seeds made my mouth water! Also I am ashamed that I haven't yet got into the garden to make a start at anything and your words and images gave me encouragement.

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  11. What a wonderful selection of tomatoes! They are one my favourites to grow, although it's much colder here in England, so my seedlings are tucked up in my spare room.

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    1. England certainly has had a cold spring. Best in the spare room until things warm up.

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  12. I am way behind with my sowing it has just been sooooo cold that even the broad beans in the greenhouse haven't germinated. Come on spring where are you.

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    1. We have had first true leaves on the tomatoes. All good so far.

      As for the broad beans..I sprout them inside Elaine..gives them a good growing chance..and once (just) sprouted they get transferred to the cold frame outside right away. Early Broad beans to follow with luck!!! (I do the same with peas..just let them sprout inside and they are on their way to the garden before they need hardening off and no leaves are formed..)Watch for pigeons and crow thieves though )))

      Yes, come on spring, but England is having a bit of a hard spring by the sounds of it, sadly. I hope it changes soon.

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