Ciao campers,

I've been a busy bee now that temps have warmed up and I can do some sowing indoors. So I have an actual update to add!

Currently, I have 30 varieties of tomatoes, 10 varieties of peppers, and 2 varieties of eggplants in jiffy peat pellet greenhouses on my south-facing windowsill. We couldn't do grow lights this year, so I take them into the back bedroom at night and leave the heater on low. It's about 25C in there, plus I also sacrificed my heating pad for the peppers while they were germinating. They really like that bottom heat.

Of the tomatoes, I have 3 seeds in each peat pellet, 2 pellets per variety, except for Opalka, a Polish paste variety (6 pellets). Of the peppers, 3 seeds per pellet, 6 pellets per variety. Of the eggplants, 3 seeds per pellet, 12 pellets of Violetta Lunga (Italian purple) and 6 pellets of Aubergine Blanche (white).

I have roughly 90% germination for everything but the Violetta Lunga eggplant which is at about 30% for some weird reason.

I'm planting a flat of various basils today in 2" cells with a clear plastic dome cover (instant greenhouse). I think I'll do 12 cells of Genovese Gigante because we like pesto so much, 8 cells of purple because it's tender and I lost a few seedlings last year before they ever made it out to the garden, 4 cells of minette, a bush variety, and 4 cells of thai, which grows like a weed and we don't use it as much as the others.

Whew.

So what's goin on in everyone else's house? LOL.

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LOL well thanks..I sort of "stole" the main raised bed for my tomatoes and eggplants because bf is adding another behind it for his corn and beans and Munchkin is getting his own potager this year..(4) 3' square raised beds with a bean teepee in the middle. He's so excited he can't stand it (5 yr old future master gardener).

The bed I'm using for the tomatoes is 12' x 18'. I'm planting 5 rows of 6 tomato plants 2' apart and 3' between rows. Eggplants will go in the extreme front..12 plants total, 1' apart.

I always sow extra seed in case of germination issues, CRUD, damping off, misc. household disasters and also so I have a few plants to give away.

Peppers are all going in a separate bed, 4 plants per "block".

I'll let you know how the madness turns out!!

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Wow! Impressive That's a lotta tomottas.

I'm drawing up my garden map this evening and then I'll be starting some seeds too. Love those jiffy pellets!
I thought I'd better map it out first -- last year I had way too many seedlings and I get kinda attached to the little guys...

I'm a pesto lover too. I had 7 different kinds of Basil last summer. The Thai is great in hot Thai curries and Vietnamese cooking. Pretty good in eggs too with a little chopped Thai pepper...yum!

Sounds like you'll have a great garden going.

Gisela

LOL Belle, well I'm orig from California and starting tomato plants from seed in March is the only thing that keeps me sane during the winter here. I remember planting tomato plants directly in the garden on March 1 in the Bay Area...USDA zone 19...I'm in zone 5 now..sigh.

I'll be giving lots of extra seedlings away, I'm sure. I plant 2 pellets of 3 seeds per variety for germination reasons. I have a lot of old seed so I'm never sure what % will end up sprouting and live through the seedling stages.

As for ground prep, I'm blessed to have a very strong bf who does most of the soil turnover and compost addition, bless his heart.

Most seedlings are 3" high or so, need to do more transplanting into 2" yogurt cups. Will probably augment with dixie cups if I can find a cheap source. It's hard to keep up with the seedling needs when we can only choke down 6 yogurts a day between the 2 of us. I just hope it doesn't end up turning me off yogurt forever after this season, LOL.

Cheers,
Julianna

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