To give them the best chance I can, I am pre-sprouting them on moist paper towels, in zipper bags, on the seed sprouting warming mat. I used seeds from 6 different packets. I also did the same with some 1-year old corn seeds, to test before actually planting them.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
Presprouting Beans. 5.17.15
Ning wants some Chinese beans. He has old packages of seeds. I dont know the age. Some packages are unopened. They are made with a plastic-impregnated paper, and have bern in a cool place.
Vegetable Seed Planting and Germination. 5.17.15
Image via vintageprintable.com |
About half of the squash and pumpkin seeds have germinated. I moved them from peat pots into slightly larger containers for root room. Same as sweet corn, I need to prep the garden bed.
Today I planted melon seeds:
Petite Yellow Watermelon 65-80 days
Blacktail Mountain Watermelon 65-75 days
Minnesota Midget Cantaloupe - 60 - 75 days
Sakata Sweet Asian Melon - 85-95 days
Edens Gem Cantaloupe - 65-80 days
So far only one outdoor bush bean has germinated.
It's still early to on-time for all of the squashes, beans, and corn. Corn was planted 5.12.15, beans 5.11.15, and squashes/pumpkins 5.11.15
Labels:
canteloupe,
melon,
squash,
Sweet Corn,
vegetable seeds,
watermelon
Tuesday, May 12, 2015
More Seeds Planted. 5.12.15
Seed starting stand, sunroom. 5.12.15 |
I'm not accustomed to planting squashes and corn indoors in containers. That may be needed here due to cool spring season soil and temps. Yesterday and today are cool and rainy.
I have planted most of the winter squash seeds, the summer squashes, green and yellow zucchinis.
Today I planted sweet corn, Trinity Hybrid, sold as a cool tolerant, early bearing variety that may work here.
LaCrosse Seed lists Trinity as "Trinity is a homozygous sugary enhancer bicolor with a clean compact plant, refined ear and good husk protection." Purdue states, Sugar enhancer sweet corn "has a higher sugar content and is more tender than standard sweet corn" also "Isolation Requirements All sweet corn types should be isolated from field corn pollen by a distance of 250 ft. or by a tasseling date of 14 days. Supersweet (sh2 ) varieties must be isolated from standard (su) and sugar-enhanced (se) types by a distance of 250 ft. or by a tasseling date of 14 days. If not isolated, kernels of both varieties will be starchy instead of sweet.". There is no nearby field corn. I also have seed for Early Sunglow Hybrid which is an su type. Continuing, "It is not essential to isolate sugar-enhanced (se) sweet corn from standard sweet corn: cross-pollination will not result in starchy kernels. However, isolation will permit the full expression of the sugar-enhanced traits. To maintain purity of color, white corn should be isolated from yellow or bi-color corn. Pollen from yellow or bi-color corn will cause some yellow kernels in white varieties. Pollen from yellow corn will lead to extra yellow kernels in bi-color varieties. Pollen from white corn will not affect yellow or bi-color varieties" So I may decide to either plant the Early Sunglow 2 weeks later, or distant from the Trinity. Complicated.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Mushroom box. 5.11.15
Last week I bought a mushroom growing box at Home Depot. Impulse. Followed the directions. Simple.
Today I noted the mushrooms are starting to grow. The label states ready to harvest in 10 days.
Today I noted the mushrooms are starting to grow. The label states ready to harvest in 10 days.
Vegetable Gardening in Raised Beds. 5.11.15
Raised bed planted with bean seeds and protected with fencing. 5.11.15 |
In this bed, I planted Roma and Yellow Wax beans. Also a small row of cilantro and some onion sets that were laying around already sprouted.
The cover is meant to deter deer and rabbits.
Tomato plants ready to set outside. 5.11.15 |
Tomato plants in the sunroom were ready for planting. That meant removing weeds from a second raised bed. I had prepped it during winter but failed to cover to prevent weed growth. The grasses were over 3 feet tall. I pulled, then used weed eater, turned the soil over and raked somewhat smooth. Planted tomatoes. Mulched with thin cardboard food packaging. Not pretty. that gets covered with straw or grass clippings later and will no longer show.
Tomatoes started in raised bed, cardboard mulch. 5.11.15 |
Labels:
bush beans,
cardboard,
kitchen garden,
mulch,
Raised Beds,
Tomatoes
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