This time I tried 3 different types of sauce tomatoes, which I process and freeze in the summer and freeze for winter use. I go through a lot of those. "Roma" and "San Marzano" always seems to have a lot of blossom end rot, which none of the others have. Last year I added more lime, but there was still blossom end rot. So this year I'm trying 3 other types of paste tomatoes: "Big Mama" hybrid from Burpee, and "Ranger F1" and "Heinz 2653" from Territorial seeds. I'm holding on cherry tomatoes, because there are always lots of started plants of those in the Spring anyway. There are also my favorite, "Better Boy", and some others for early crop ("Beaver Lodge 6808 and Glacier") which did seem earlier last year, and some experiments.
For peppers, my favorites last year were the Jalapenos, which were productive and earlier than some of the other chilis. I'm trying a different one, sold as "Early Jalapeno", I had too many cayennes, so just one cell of those, and Sweet Banana, Bird Thai, Mini Bells, King of the North, Peter Pepper, and Tabasco. I think the Tabascos are later but would like to make Tabasco sauce this year if they do produce.
I also threw in some hybrid Collards (Hi Crop F1) and Brussels Sprouts (Franklin F1). I've never grown Brussels Sprouts before, and I don't know when they are best planted, but it wont hurt to experiment.
Hi Daniel, do you tease apart seedlings in a single cell to make several transplants, or just snip off weaker sprouts? Also, does the larger 4x8 cell tray let you go from tray to garden without an intermediate transplant step? Jack
ReplyDeleteHi Jack,
ReplyDeleteI do tease apart extra seedlings and plant them. That works very well for tomatoes, which grow more roots from their stems, but also works for others. Then I wind up with more seedlings than I wanted or needed :-) The larger cells work fine. I usually use smaller ones, but this was all they had at the store. Transplant shock hasn't seemed like much of a problems for me.
Its nice to have you back. Looking at your seed packets make me work harder. You are an inspiration to me.
ReplyDeleteThank you Lance. Gardening keeps me going.
Delete