PLANTING CUPS 02/24/2010
Today I want to show you what I did with my paper starter pots/cups.  I have cut a 2 1/2 gallon water jug in half. I plan on using it to house my seed cups till they are ready to put in the soil. First I cut off the spigot, then followed the seam around with a sharp knife.  Here is my kitchen table pushed up against the slider door with different containers full of my cups. I believe there 130 cups now.  Looking at the side of the box, you can see this box has a sweet pepper mix, that was planted 2/23/10. These peppers are red, orange, white, purple, and yellow. I have an old plastic bag in the bottom of this water box. I have it folded over the top and tucked inside to keep the moisture in. Plus, being black I hope it keeps the heat in so the seeds germinate faster.  These are the heirloom paste tomatoes. Hopefully they will be good for salsa, also.  I used a skewer to make little wells in the cups....  I poured the seeds into a cup I could easily pick the seeds out of one by one.  One seed per cup, please. If the seed doesn't come up with the other seeds, plant the cup again.  Then cover the little seeds with the potting mix.  Mark the date and what is in the cups, on the side with a sharpie.  Another tomato that I love are these...Super Sweet 100's. They are thin skinned cherry tomatoes and they are so sweet! These seeds are pelleted...which means they are coated with starter food and rolled into balls so they are easier to start. We shall see. I have never planted pelleted seeds before.  Here they are. See how funny they look? Sort of like yogurt coated tiny, tiny sesame seeds.  I also dated the seed packs and folded the tops over. That way, when I go back a few weeks from now to start more of the same seeds, I can get them 2 weeks apart. Why would I need to plant more of the same seeds, you ask? Just in case I plant these and it freezes or I want to stagger plantings so I have what I want all summer long. I hope to keep it going gang busters all summer. A few other things....water the pots from the bottom...it keeps the seeds from being disturbed. Don't let them dry out. Being in the dark my help the seeds start faster as long as you keep an eye on when the plants come up. If you don't get the 'dark' off soon enough, the plants will be spindly. I also read that if you blow a small fan on your seedlings a portion of the day, it makes them sturdier. It is like the wind blowing so the stalks get thicker. We shall see.... I have only planted peppers and tomatoes so far. Next up...black beauty eggplant, melons, cantaloupe, and cucumbers. The rest (I think) can be planted directly in the dirt. Like lettuce, kale, spinach, swiss chard, carrots (different colors) and a bunch of other veggies. I hope. SIGNS OF SPRING! 02/18/2010
 If you look closely between all the dead stuff, you can see the new life coming through. I posted a picture last year of this plant in full bloom. It has the most lovely lavender blooms.  Here it is in all it's splendor. See what I have to look forward too? Now I just need to cut off the dead branches and add water. I like the way spring shows us signs of the beauty to come. Spring seems to be full of hope for the future. It never seems to come fast enough for me. I guess my lesson is patience. | ArchivesAugust 2010 CategoriesAll |
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