Planting Peppers/Springtime Birds

Today I planted some peppers, which will probably be the last of the vegetables I will start inside this Spring. Even though we are getting another blast of winter as I write this with four inches of snow so far tonight  and white out conditions, the calendar does point to Spring.

Bull Horn Pepper

Burpee Hot Pepper Mix

The first variety I planted is the Bull Horn Pepper, which is a sweet pepper that grows to be about six or eight inches long, and ripens to deep red or bright yellow,  This is an Italian variety which I thought I would try for something different.

I also planted a hot pepper mixture from Burpee, which includes an equal mix of the following varieties: long red cayenne, large cherry, Hungarian wax, Anaheim chili and jalapeno.  This a mixture which I have used for quite a few years.

To plant the peppers, I used a seed starting tray with peat pellets as I described in my March 25th post, "It's Tomato Starting Time" (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-tomato-starting-time.html).

Meanwhile, the Spanish yellow onions and leeks that I planted (see my post on March 8th, http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-time-to-start-some-vegetables.html) are doing quite well:

Finally, some photos of Spring birds, well at least two out of three.  The winter ones are still hanging around. The way the weather is tonight, the Spring birds may make a U Turn and go back South:

Dark-Eyed Junco

Common Grackle

American Robin

.
 Until next time.

It's Tomato Starting Time!

Welcome back, and thanks as always to all who read my blog.

Finally it is time to start tomatoes, at least here in central New York State.  The general rule of thumb is to start them about 8 weeks before they can be transplanted into the garden.  This will give the plants ample time to reach decent size by then.

As mentioned in a previous post, I use a seed starting tray with peat pellets to start tomato seeds:

The peat pellets provide a good seed starting medium and they are easy to use. All you have to do is add water, and a few minutes later they will expand to look like this:

The peat pellets are covered with a mesh material to hold them together.  I tear back the material and flatten out the soil to provide a better planting surface to place the seeds on.  In the photo above you can see which ones I have "modified".  

The next step is to carefully place the seeds on the peat pellets.  I usually place 6 to 8 seeds on each pellet:

After planting the seeds, cover them with about one quarter inch of a good potting soil or seed starting mix. Gently water to moisten the soil that was just placed over the seeds.  The best way is to use a spray bottle which will gently moisten the soil without washing it away.

Be sure to label the tray with the varieties that you planted.  It will be impossible to differentiate the tomato varieties if they are not labeled.

Finally, gently firm the soil with your hand and place the plastic dome on the seed tray.  Place in a warm location.  A sunny location is not necessary for germination, but a few hours of sun here and there will probably speed up the germination process.  I try to pick a location where the temperature remains pretty steady throughout the day and night.

You are probably wondering which varieties I planted.  In a previous post I wrote about which ones I purchased.  Below is what I planted today:


The first variety I planted is the Tomato Heirloom Rainbow Blend from Park Seeds:

Contains Aunt Ruby's German Green, Dixie Golden Giant, Black from Tula, Brandywine Red, Big Rainbow, and Cherokee Purple.


Next is the Artisan Blend from the Jung Seed Company:

Unique Appearance - Exceptional Flavor
Whether you're a master chef or a home cook, you'll love all the options these tomatoes bring to the table. The breeders of Artisan's focused on combining excellent flavor with unique colors and shapes. The results are these beautiful and tasty, round and elongated, striped and blushed cherry-type fruits that range from 1.5 to 2 inches in size, resist cracking and keep well. Indeterminate plants stay healthy and extremely productive over an extended period.

The third variety I planted is San Marzano, which is a good Roma type tomato, great for making sauce:

Finally, I planted an Italian bunching tomato called Grappoli Corbarino, which is also a paste tomato that I wanted to try.  I found these seeds at the Christmas Tree Shoppe:

It finally looks like the weather might break later this week and weekend with temperatures finally reaching the normal range for late March which is in the forties.  I will most likely get out my portable greenhouse this weekend.  I should be able to get my onion plants out in the greenhouse during the daytime starting next week, especially if is sunny.

Until next time.

Final Worldwide Great Backyard Bird Count Results/Photos

The final worldwide results from the 2014 Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) are in.  It was another record breaking year for the GBBC as far as the number of participants and the number of checklists submitted.

  Below is a clip from the GBBC enewsletter I received this week:

So why all the fuss about counting birds?  While it may seem insignificant and unimportant to some, conducting various bird counts including the GBBC can help answer important questions such as:

Some more interesting data from the 2014 GBBC:

Did you really enjoy the GBBC and wish you could could continue counting birds?  One avenue is one I previously wrote about in my February 25, 2014 post (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/02/worldwide-great-backyard-bird-count.html) which is Project FeederWatch (http://feederwatch.org/), also sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.  I am currently participating in this program which runs annually from November through April.

Still want to observe and count birds all year long?

Well, you are in luck!

Check out eBird (http://ebird.org/content/ebird/) which is also sponsored by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I will be investigating this program over the next few weeks.  More information to follow.

Finally, some photos including another nice sunrise at my home:

Northern Cardinal

Blue Jay

Dark-Eyed Junco

Sunrise at My Home March 13, 2014

Until next time.

Bird Photos/Project Feeder Watch Results

This past weekend I participated for the first time as a member of Project FeederWatch.  I recently signed up and received my welcome kit and registration materials.  As you may recall, I first introduced you to Project FeederWatch in my post on February 25, 2014 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/02/worldwide-great-backyard-bird-count.html).

Bird counts during Project FeederWatch consist of two days counts separated by at least five days.  The counts work well for Saturday and Sunday counts each week.  The counts, however, can be done on any two consecutive days during the week, as long as there are five days between each two day count.  This current counting season started in November of 2013 and will end on April 4, 2014.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology gives you your money's worth with the materials they send to you after receiving your registration fee.  You will receive a packet of information including the two posters below and a 20 page booklet filled with information on how to participate in the counts.  Also included is in-depth information on feeding birds and much much more.

Below are the results of my two day count including March 15th and 16th:

And finally, a few photos from the weekend:

Blue Jay

Mourning Doves

European Starling

I'm wondering if anyone noticed anything unusual in my bird count listing above?

Look again.  Hint:  Think Spring!

Yes, it surely is a sign of spring with the robins and red-winged blackbirds returning.  Interestingly enough, I saw both of these on Saturday when the temperature was around 40 degrees.  On Sunday, neither were to be found since the temperature only reached the low twenties that day.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a good photo of either species this time.

Until Next time.

Herbs/Vegetables Are Sprouting!

• Herb Update

In my February 9th, 2014 post (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/02/planting-herbsmore-bird-photos.html), I described how I planted some herbs including basil, chives and parsley.
I wanted to replace the herb plants from several years ago, which were starting to show their age and weren't too healthy anymore.

Unfortunately, the basil and chives seeds I used were two or three years old, and didn't germinate very well. The parsley seeds, however, I bought new since I was out of them.  I broke my own rule of thumb of never using seeds that are more than one year old.  Actually, this was a good test of my theory.  The parsley, which I planted on February 12th, is coming nicely:

Parsley

Now that I have replanted the basil and chives (planted March 4th) , they are starting to sprout:

Basil

• Vegetable Update

In my March 8th, 2014 post (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/03/its-time-to-start-some-vegetables.html), I described how I planted onions, scallions, and leeks indoors.  The seeds were actually planted on the 4th of March.

The seeds are sprouting nicely, and will quickly be on their way:

Yellow Sweet Spanish Onions

As the weather slowly warms up over the next few weeks (hopefully), I will be able to put the onions, scallions, and leek plants outside in my mini greenhouse.   The greenhouse I have is similar to the one shown below:

This can be used even if daytime temperatures are in the 40's, especially if the sun is shining.  The temperature inside the greenhouse in those conditions will be in the 60's.  Usually early in the season however, the plants have to be brought inside at night as temperatures often dip below freezing.

More on the greenhouse in future posts.

Until next time.

Vegetable Garden Planning Software - An Online Solution

In my post on January 15, 2014 (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-great-garden-planning-tool.html) , I talked about a great online garden planning tool that I have been using for several years.  It is the Vegetable Garden Planner by the Jung Seed Co., and can be found at : http://gardenplanner.jungseed.com/

This plan is a web based software which is priced reasonably at $25 per year.  It is a great way to determine how to plan out your garden and to keep a good record of what you plant each year, where you plant it, and even notes about each variety.  The program is available for a free 30 day trial for you to evaluate it.

In my earlier post about this program, I showed a generic view of what a garden plan would look like using the software.  Today I thought I would share with you my plan for one of my vegetable gardens for the 2014 growing season.  Of course this is an early draft subject to change.  Gardeners are known for making changes as the time grows nearer and we start the planting process.

Following is a link to the plan for my "Lower Garden".  As I mentioned in earlier posts, I also have a second garden, the "Upper Garden".  You may notice some empty spots in the lettuce section.  This is done purposely to allow space for subsequent plantings throughout the summer and also for the thinning/moving of some lettuces such as romaine.  I usually plant at least two plantings of lettuce and sometimes also Swiss chard.

http://gardenplanner.jungseed.com/garden-plan.aspx?p=474036

So get busy planning that vegetable garden.  There is still plenty of time!

I hope my garden plan will give you some ideas.

Until next time.

It's Time to Start Some Vegetables Indoors!

Even though Old Man Winter refuses to loosen his grip on us this year, the calendar says it's time to start some indoor sowing here in central New York State. Early March is a good time to start onions and leeks (or any cold tolerant vegetable) indoors, since they can be transplanted into the garden by mid May at the latest.  I will start tomatoes and peppers in a few weeks, since they are better suited for transplanting toward the end of May and even early June.

You may recall that I wrote a post on winter sowing (outdoor) on February 4th (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2014/02/winter-sowing.html).  At that time I planted several types of lettuce and also leeks and scallions.

Today I decided to start yellow sweet Spanish onions, more scallions, and a
variety of leeks I have never tried called Lincoln Leek.

For indoor sowing, I suggest using a seed starting tray with a lid and a good seed starting mix.  As I have mentioned before, it is not a good idea to use soil from your garden since since the seeds/seedlings are susceptible to any bacteria, molds, and fungi that it may contain.

• If the seed tray was previously used and is dirty, wash with mild soap and water as needed and rinse thoroughly.

• Fill about three quarters full with potting mix.

• Moisten the soil using a kitchen spray hose or watering can.

• Pat down the soil lightly to create a level and firm planting surface.

• Spread the seeds evenly on the soil.  In one container I planted yellow sweet Spanish onions, in the other I planted scallions and Lincoln leeks, using a piece of plastic to divide the planter.

• Cover the seeds with potting mix according to the directions on the seed packet.  For onions and leeks, one quarter inch of soil is appropriate.

• Again add water being very careful not to disturb the fine layer of soil covering the seeds.  I suggest using a spray bottle with a fine mist.

• Cover the trays with the clear plastic cover which acts as a humidity dome.  This will keep the soil moist until germination occurs. To prevent too much moisture, I drilled four small holes in the cover to provide some ventilation. 

• Place the trays in a warm place in your home.  During the daytime, a sunny windowsill works great to warm the soil which will speed germination.  At night, I would suggest moving them out of the window to a warmer place.

• Check the trays every few days to make sure the soil is moist.  If not, use the spray bottle to moisten.

In future posts, I will write about how to care for the seedlings once the seeds sprout.

Until next time.

Simply Bird Photos - Enjoy

Enjoy!

North American Cardinal

House Sparrow

North American Cardinal (Female)

Dark-Eyed Junco

North American Cardinal (Female);  Dark-Eyed Junco

This week I started some vegetable seeds indoors.  Stay tuned for details.