Planting The Rest Of The Tomato Seeds. 26 Mar 24

 This is just a little later than last year.  I thought I was a little too early in 2023 and they needed planting outside before it was warm enough. Still, it was a fantastic tomato year.

I think this year could be warmer, earlier anyway.  Farm life LOL.

Here are the other varieties that I planted today.

 Varieties

New Big Dwarf  - Pink, basically a dwarf Pink Ponderosa.

Tanunda Red - my most successful red slicer, a gift.

SummerTime Gold - havent tried this one yet.  Dwarf golden.

Puck - very very dwarf, produces quite a few, very very early.

42 Day - this packet had FIVE seeds LOL.  Well, they have to make a living.  I haven't tried this one before.

Paisano - paste type, gift.

Plum Regal - paste, really good last year.  tift.

There's a red cherry type in there Sugar Rush, gift.

Dwarf CC McGee - has done well for me.  Yellow.  I'm growing to compare with the other yellow ones.

Planting Tomato Seeds. 25 Mar 24.

 Today I planted most of the tomato seeds.  There will be a few more tomorrow.

My beds have room for 11 dwarf or bush tomato plants.   This yearI'm not growing much more than that.

The slicers are all open pollinated, dwarf varieties.  They do the best for me.   Some are home saved seeds or old packets.  Some new varieties.

The paste tomatoes are about half heirloom Roma, half new hybrid.  The Roma are better flavor but smaller and less productive.

Varieties, mostly dwarf slicer except Reisentraub.

BrandyFred, Chocolate Champion, Reisentraube, Sleeping Lady, Tanuda Red.

Paste.

Roma VF, old seeds of Plum Regal F1, new seeds of Paisano F1

I will start more for my neighbor too, and a few more for my garden.  I need to choose between two yellow types, not sure which one yet.

The six packs in blue holders are Portulaca.  I left a packet in my pocket, which went into the washer md dryer, so only half as many as planned LOL.

My best performer of slicers is Tanuda Red.  First quality, huge, juicy, red, prolific slicer.  BrandyFred is less productive but so delicious.  Chocolote Champio  is up there too.  Reisentraube is a bit big for cherry tomato but excellent. I have not grown Sleeping Lady before.

They are on seed warming mat.

These are in re-usable seed starters.  After using, I wash them, then run them through dishwasher to sterilize them.  

Four O'Clock Seeds Planted. 25 Mar 24.

 I planted the Four O'Clock seeds (Mirabilis jalapa) today.  They soaked about 24 hours in plain water.  

This year, I'm starting them in re-usable silicone six-packs.  These are big seeds, so I just used potting soil and covered with a layer of seed starting mix. That will be better for evener moisture and makes a dent in use of peat.

The humidity cover is a plastic Amazon bag, repurposed.

They are on seed starting mat.   There were extra seeds.  I wrapped those in moist paper towel, wrapped in a plastic bag, and placed on heating mat too.

Which will work better?

Spring Flowers. 24 Mar 24.

 Some daffodils.  I like this idea of overwintering the containers in the vegetable garden, then moving to the front deck when blooming.

Hyacinths.  Something pushed the bulbs over during the winter.  Brilliant colors!

Some are just beginning to come up.  Maybe they are not OK?

Muscari.  When we had the old deck replaced, these were in a planter there  - 4 inches deep, under an awning so almost no water, and on north side of house.  For years.  I just laid the mats of growth on top of the soil in this rose planter.  And there they are!  Such resilient bulbs.

Leucojum.  These have been divided and moved twice.  The original clump came with the old house, so they are kind of a hand-me-down heirloom.

Helleborus.   These take virtually no effort and bloom like crazy every year.

Starting Some Four O'Clock Seeds. 24 Mar 24.

 I'm pre-soaking some Four O'Clock seeds to plant tonight.

I don't always get good germination with these when I buy the seeds.  Better with home-saved seeds.  I don't know why.  They do have a hard coat, and I pre-soak per directions.

Here are my notes from 2014.  My experience then was, they germinated better on a seed warming mat, on moist paper towel in a zip lock.  I'll try half of them that way and half in seed starter containers.

I'll see if I have some saved from last year and try those too.  My own are not variegated.

Just for fun, a highly vintage image of Four O'Clocks.