Monday, February 9, 2009

Monday Seedling Update

My onion seedlings are still growing at their slow steady rate. Their little tops are bashing against the light right now, but it doesn't seem to bother them. No burning at all from the LEDs. The ones that are farther under the lights actually seem to be doing better than the ones that get more of the real sun. I think that is just a temperature issue with being too close to the window. The poor little onion seedlings are still shivering at night too close to the cold glass.

Last week we still had temperatures in the single digits at night, but warming is in sight. We got two days in the 40s over the weekend. Yeah. I read distressing articles of other bloggers about turning over the soil and planting their first transplants. I KNOW I won't be able to do this until March. I don't think I have ever been so impatient to dig into my soil. I think it is a bad side effect of blogging. I read all the other blogs in less frosty zones and feel if they are out doing it I deserve to be out there too.

So instead during our nice 'warm' spell this weekend we went to a handful of open houses in Arlington. My husband's comment was, "I'm so glad we don't HAVE to move anytime soon." We would both like to move there, but in our prefered neighborhoods the pickings are really slim.

9 comments:

  1. Great to see the seedlings doing so well with all that snow outside the window! Great contrast!

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  2. Oh my! I see what you're talking about. That's alot of snow in the background. What a bummer....Your LED system looks like it's doing a good job!

    EG

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  3. Yes indeed, your little onion babies do look happy. You need a little gardening vacation, perhaps a week in California where you can get as much dirt under you fingernails as you like ;). I could reserve a whole weed patch for you!

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  4. Your onions are doing great, nice and upright. I badly need to thin my yellow onions and the shallots still have their heads in the sand. I should put up some photos of them soon.

    Did you want to do a seed trade for the Australian YellowLeaf Lettuce? I have yet to order it but I will soon. I still need either some other lettuces or chard or any greens really. I could send you half the pack as I have limited space and lettuce really doesn't keep well for the following season.

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  5. Cute onion babies. I'm not starting onions this year indoors because of a million other projects but am wintersowing some alliums this year. Nothing yet of course. We won't be doing any digging around here until the end of March / early April so I hear ya.

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  6. Shibaguys, thanks, but what I really want is what you have - to run my hands through the unfrozen ground.

    EG, Yup I still have way too much snow. I'm hoping our short warm spell this week melts most of it as my trusty weatherman says we are doomed to below normal temps for the last half of February.

    Michelle, oh yes, that is just what I need. That's an offer right? ;> I love pulling weeds. I used to go to a friends house and pull her weeds until she moved to half way across the country, but she hated when I did that. I think she thought it was a criticism of her garden, but in reality it was just wanting to get my hands dirty.

    Dan, sure I'd love to trade. I'll send you an email.

    Ottawa Gardener, wintersowing alliums seems like a great idea. You'll have to put it all on your blog so we can see how it turns out.

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  7. You know, our plants seem to do better closer to the grow lights on the AeroGarden rather than the natural sunlight from the window, it is weird!

    Sorry to hear about your cold weather, we are experiencing a warm trend right now, it is almost 70 here today! But it is Missouri, so it won't last long.

    I love keeping up with your seedlings. I will be starting pepper, tomato, tomatillo, and eggplant seeds this weekend, I'm looking forward to getting my hands in the dirt!

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  8. Hi Daphne, Your onion seeds look great. I have been pricking mine out and giving them more space. Trouble is I can't bear to thin out the weaker ones, I hate to part with even one, so I have far too many, they all seemed to have germinated.

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  9. Jennifer, I hope your seedlings grow well. I really thought it was the cold that was hurting my little seedlings, maybe the LED lights are just very good.

    Maureen, I only pull out the really weak ones. I figure they won't grow well anyway. The others I leave.

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