Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Here's What's Growing

It is officially April, and while it still looks and feels a bit November-ish outside, indoors it feels like Spring.

The seed starting station is lit and full of started plants.  I am excited about many of them, particularly my storage onions.  They are off to a very sturdy and healthy start--I took advice from one gardening friend to start them in little peat pellets, and advice from a local CSA farmer to give them repeated haircuts to strengthen them and keep them from flopping and molding.  So far, it is all working!  If they make it until I can plant them, this would be the first year I will have successfully done onions from seed.  It's only taken me five years of trying...
Anyway, the variety I chose is called Copra:

They are a standard yellow storage onion, and the ones I got to grow last year held well into February (which was when I ran out of my onions for the season).


I also have some different tomatoes growing, including this fun one:
 
It's called "Hilly Billy Potato Leaf".  Yeehaw.  I do love bicolored tomatoes, and I've never tried this one.  I'm also hoping for luck with Silvery Fern Leaf and Orange Jubillee tomatoes, as well as Hinklehatz peppers.  I just love that name.  Apparently, it means "chicken hearts" in Pennsylvania Dutch.  From the picture on the seed packet, they do look a little like chicken hearts.  Hopefully, they will taste like peppers.

I'm planning on starting some kale soon, and likely some Asian cabbages.  Don't worry, flower fans, I haven't forgotten about the eye candy.  I have a whole little flat of Seashell Cosmos started, and soon will be starting a couple varieties of morning glories to grow over the mailbox.  And with any luck, the snow will continue to melt and the seed potatoes will arrive, and springtime will go on in its' glorious way.

3 comments:

  1. Our seed potatoes are getting some nice starts on them. We hope to get them planted soon.

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  2. Interesting looking Hilly Billy PL tomatoes. Please let us know how they taste. I have indoor seeds started for carrots, lettuce & onions...and lots & lots of flowers:-) The carrots are labeled as having a taproot & resent being transplanted. But then I hardly ever stick to the recommended guidelines when I'm planting;-)

    I plan on experimenting with companion planting this year. Will try planting some lovely Geraniums around the Cherokee Purple tomato plant. And encircle the Brandywine tomato with Calendula flowers. Are you trying (do you practice) companion planting too?

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  3. I almost forgot to get a second batch of Cosmo flowers started...thanks for the reminder! Happy planting:-)

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