Yesterday I got around to another round of seeding. I had a flat that was mostly empty, but it had four rows of umbelliferae (yes I still use the old name) - some parsley, celery, and celeriac. They grow very slowly when they are small so they get started very early compared to most plants.
I filled the rest of the flat with soil blocks. I had 8 rows to fill up. I put in a couple of different kinds of black-eyed-susans, some gaillardia, and some edibles - lettuce and baby Asian greens. I think next week I'll start the major set of brassica seedlings. I don't want to start them too early as we still have a foot or so of snow on the ground. And after Tuesday we are getting more cold weather. Including one day that won't even get above freezing. So I'm afraid of starting things too early. There is a lot of melting that needs to go on. Oh and on Sunday we did finally set the all time snowfall record for Boston this year. I hope we don't do that again for a very long time.
I'm kind of wondering though if I should start them all on time and then just pot them up. I really hate the work of potting up. I tend to use my soil blocks and grow brassicas for about 3 weeks, then harden them off and plant them out. The less time under my indoor care the better for the plants. I have a tendency to forget to water and they grow so much better outdoors. I just hope the soil will be warm enough and the freezing temperatures will be gone by then.
You are way ahead of me with seed starting, but your Spring is usually weeks ahead of mine out here in the tundra. I did adjust my seed starting schedule out a week in case. The ground is also going to be very wet after this mess melts.
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ReplyDeleteOur weather here is so variable in spring I never know when I will be able to plant things. So I generally pot the seedlings up until I can get them planted, and hope they don't get rootbound while they are waiting.
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know that umbelliferae went by a different name these days. They certainly are slow and I always seem to lose a lot of them in the process. I'm trying winter sown celery and celeriac for the first time this year. I especially miss homegrown celery after the overwintered ones bolt in the spring. I'm wishing you a speedy end to winter this year! Enough already.
ReplyDeleteI just sowed my parsley yesterday - you are obviously way ahead of me on that front. I think that I may try to push up the sowing date next year by a couple of weeks - as you said they are painfully slow growers. I am, however, hoping to get a bit of a harvest from the overwintering plants as I'm waiting for the current ones to size up...that's the plan anyhow.
ReplyDeleteI have parsley underway and a few other basics, but with the cold weather here this week, I think I ought to slow down on seeding or I'll have too many plants with nowhere to go. Quick question on your soil blocks (and sorry if I missed it in a post) - do you just use soil from your garden or something lighter?
ReplyDeleteI use Vermont Compost Company's Fort Vee mix. Way back I made my own mix, but theirs works so much better. It is fabulous stuff. But I think it is a regional company and not generally available. I can't even get it easily here, but the New England Organic Farmers Assoc does a bulk buy every year and they are part of it.
DeleteOK thanks for the info. Was just wondering if doing soil blocks is a way to save money but I can't see garden soil being very easy to start seeds in.
DeleteI'm sure they are cheaper than peat pellets that you use. Though the start up cost is high. And you can't use plain garden soil. You need a light mix of compost/peat/vermiculite/sand/soil. Usually commercial seed starting mixes work fine. Or you can make your own cheaper. Recipes are on the web.
DeleteLike me some people love soil blocks, but some people hate them. I like them because they get rid of those awful little plastic pots that end up all over the garden. And they have the transplant shock of pots either.
The seedlings of these plants are really pretty. Celery and celeriac are two plants that won't grow for us but we are still picking last year's parsley
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