How does your garden grow? Seeds, seeds, and more seeds!

Spring! Really! It is!
I’ve been chirping that it should be spring for the last few months, but now I have backup.

However, still too cold to put seeds in the ground here in New York, and besides, the reason I got no chicory last year? Squirrels. Rampaging hordes of them. The bastids. Birds, too. Hungry and sharp eyed, and totally watched where I planted seeds and went and scratched them up, then gobbled them as Mark’s Mum Sue reported to me from the window. Grumbles.

So, the answer?

Seedlings!

Heirloom Golden Beet Seeds, very limited quantity
plant 1/2 in. deep. 3 week interval plantings until late summer. 55-70 days to maturity. Greens are best when four to six inches tall. Beet roots are generally most tender after growing for 40 to 50 days. The best size is between 1-1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. As beets get larger, they tend to become more fibrous. When harvested, leave at least one inch of foliage on the root to avoid bleeding during cooking.

Heirloom New Zealand Spinach seeds, very limited quantity
(Tetragonia expansa):likes heat! soak 2 days seeds in water before sowing. sow 2 weeks before last frost. Young stem tips can be picked repeatedly throughout the summer.

Heirloom Coriander/Cilantro/Chinese Parsley seeds, very limited quantity
(Coriandrum sativum) Wants full sun; hates being transplanted. Plant in warmth—after last frost, 1/4 in. deep. Takes 7-14 days for germination. If planting in containers make sure at least 7 in. deep. Sow every few weeks. Leaves, stems, and seeds are used for flavoring. Harvest leaves ~12 in. high. Seeds ripen quickly. Keep an eye on the harvest or it will shatter on the ground. Place cut seed head into a paper sack and let them dry in a cool, dark spot. Store in the fridge. Take larger leaves to ensure productivity.

Heirloom Opal Basil seeds, very limited quantity
(Ocimum basilicum) Wants full sun. Hates frost and cool winds. Companion plant with tomatoes and peppers. 7 days to germinate. Water base of plant, not leaves and stems. Pinch out flowers [until wish to go to seed]. Harvest topmost leaves first, and pick only a few leaves from each plant. Dig up and take indoors basil before frost. Basil can help discourage the fruit fly!

Heirloom Miniature Bell Pepper & Buran Pepper seeds, very limited quantity
(Capsicum annuum)

Heirloom Black From Tula Tomato seeds, very limited quantity
(Lycopersicon lycopersicum) Sow 1/4 in. deep. Plant 6 weeks from last frost. At 2″ tall transplant to ground. Might need support. 80-85 days to maturity from transplant. Cross pollination rarely occurs with tomatoes except for potato leaf varieties. Do not save seeds from double fruits or from the first fruits. Pick at least one ripe fruit from each of several plants. Squeeze seeds and juice into strainer and wash, spread on a paper plate and dry.

Heirloom Flame Lettuce & Sunset Lettuce seeds, very limited quantity

Dwarf Grey Sugar Asian Vegetable Pea seeds
Wants full sun. Plant in early spring, 2 weeks later & late summer, 2 weeks later. Plant 1/2-1 in. deep. 7-14 days for germination. ~65 days maturity. Do not plant in the same spot 2 years in a row.

Bloomsdale Spinach, Long Standing seeds
Goes to seed in heat. Sow 3/4 in deep. Germinates in 6-14 days; 42 days to maturity. Wants full sun. Plant early spring & for every 2 weeks until 50 days before ‘hot’ weather. Harvest entire plant, not just leaves. Sow again in July-Aug for fall crop.

Bright Lights Swiss Chard seeds
(Beta vulgaris cicla) Wants full sun. Plant 1 in. deep. Germinates in 7-10 days;55 days to maturity. Begin cutting at 6″; cut outer leaves & leave 1-2″ above ground; new leaves will continually appear.

White Half Runner II Bush Beans seeds
(Phaseolus vulgaris) Wants full sun. After last frost, sow 1.5 in. deep. 6-14 days for germination; 60 days to maturity. Plant in 2 week intervals.

Chinese Mustard seeds
(大 芥 菜 Da4 Jie4 Cai4) Transplant seedling when it has 3-4 leaves. Can harvest whole plant or individual leaves—will grow back. Becomes more pungent with maturity; does not like heat.

Eureka Hybrid Cucumber seeds
Plant 1 in. deep, place 4-5 seeds in a hill (this does actually make a difference!). Germinating takes 6-10 days. 57 days to maturity.

Dill seeds
Wants full sun. Can use both the seeds and the leaves for flavoring. Plant in cool weather. Sow every 10 days or so. WIll grow to 3 feet tall! Thus you may wish to plant in back of your garden. Plant close together so they can support eachother. Don’t plant near caraway, fennel, or angelica. Cut dill often to keep it from going to seed. Can dry in microwave, on paper towel, high 3 minutes. Discard stems, crumple leaves and store in airtight dark place. Once seedheads begin to form, it’s time to stop cutting dill for fresh use. Allow the seedheads to develop and dry completely, then cut them. You’ll be able to remove the seeds easily with your fingers.

Dwarf Choi Sum seeds
(矮 腳 白 菜 芯 Ai3 Jiao3 Bai2 Cai4 Xin4) Sow 1/4 in. deep. 7-10 days to germination;30-40 days to maturity. Sow in early spring, mid summer, and fall. Eat the stems, flowering shoots, and leaves. Harvest at 4 in. tall. Cabbage moth might be an issue—plant mint, peppermint, dill, rosemary, sage, and/or thyme near/surrounding it to ward them off.

Garlic Chives seeds
Wants full to partial sun. In the early spring, plant 1/4 in. deep. Will germinate in 8-12 days; taking 60 days for maturity. Harvest when leaves big enough to chop. In fall, strip off all remaining leaves and freeze or dry for later use.

Tangy Mesclun seeds
[2 parts Salad Bowl lettuce and 1 pair each of Black-Seeded Simpson, Simpson Elite and Oakleaf lettuce, Arugula Rocket, radicchio and chervil] This mix hates heat. Sow indoors; preferably near a cool, sunny window. Sow 1/2 in. deep. Germination is 4-10 days. 45 days to maturity. Plant in 10 day intervals. Plant again in late August for autumn crops. Harvest larger leaves to the ground.

Tendergreen Mustard seeds
(Brassica junec) Sow in early spring 1/2 in. deep. Germinates in 6-8 days; 35 days to maturity. Plant every week until hot weather; start again ~august 15th and go until month before hard frost. Snap off larger leaves when 4″ tall. New leaves appear on cut plants. Harvest the seedpods in late summer before they dry, and allow the seed to ripen in the pods. Store the seed in airtight jars, away form strong light.

Sugar Ann Snap Pea seeds
(Pisum sativum) Wants full sun. Sow in early spring 1.5 in. deep. Germinates in 6-10 days;matures in 56 days. Plant again in 2 weeks, 2 weeks, late summer, 2 weeks, etc. Produces 2.5 foot vines—would like staking. Harvest when seeds have just begun to swell in pods. Do not plant same spot 2 years in a row [at least].

Tyee Hybrid Spinach seeds
Tends to go to seed in heat. Sow 3/4 in. deep. Germinates in 6-14 days; 37 days to maturity. Wants full sun. Plant early & for every 2 weeks until 50 days before ‘hot’ weather. Harvest entire plant to ground, not just leaves. Sow again in July-Aug for fall crop.

Oregon Sugar Pod II Snow Pea seeds
Wants full sun. In early spring, sow 1.5 in. deep. Will germinate in 6-10 days; matures in 68 days. Plant again in 2 weeks, 2 weeks, late summer, 2 weeks, etc. Grows to 24-30 in. tall; does not require staking. Harvest when seeds have just begun to swell in pods. Can be frozen happily. Do not plant again 2 years in a row in same spot.

Lavender seeds
Wants full sun. Plant in early spring, 1/4 in. deep. 21 days to germination. Harvest sprays of branches just before or after flowering/opening and spread on a screen in the shade or hang in upside-down bunches until fully dry. Propagate by cuttings in the spring or summer. Prune severely in Fall. Lavender generally transplant well but will usually not flower much during the first summer following transplanting. The best times to transplant are late autumn/early winter and very early spring. Water plants well before moving them to a new position. Cut back and trim damaged roots and remove any flowering material if still present. If the plant is tall or spindly, cut back to encourage more lateral growth. Using sand for mulch around the plant keeps the plant clean, promotes good drainage, and reflects light back up into the plant, thus creating more heat. Heat creates more fragrant blooms.

~ by delectablesustainability on March 18, 2008.