Spring has finally sprung and the snow is melting away. Although we still have some snow cover in our yard, the grass has reappeared and so have the robins. The first day I saw them was April 1st. They were in our yard, exploring, and hoping for worms. I must say it was a welcomed site.
It's time again to start tomatoes. The general rule of thumb is to plant the seeds 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost in your growing region. Here in central New York State, the last frost has usually occurred by Memorial Day, which is the traditional planting time in our area.
This year I decided to only start heirloom tomatoes. Normally I also start grape and Roma varieties, but wanted to keep it simple this season. I will purchase a few grape and Roma plants at planting time.
I once again planted my favorite heirloom blend from Park Seeds, Rainbow Heirloom Blend.
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| Rainbow Heirloom Blend - Park Seeds |
This blend contains Aunt Ruby's German Green, Dixie Golden Giant, Black From Tula, Brandywine Red, Big Rainbow, and Cherokee Purple.
There are many blends available for you to try, or individual heirloom varieties can be purchased, It is really a trial and error process as to which heirlooms you prefer. I especially enjoy this blend.
Once again I used a seed starting tray and peat pellets to start the seeds. I find that these work well. The first step is to add water to the pellets so they can expand to the size needed for planting. Warm water works best for this process, which takes 10 to 15 minutes.
Once the pellets have expanded to about an inch in height, carefully tear back the mesh covering on the top to expose a bigger area of soil for planting. The seeds can then be place on the surface of the pellet.
Cover the seeds with potting soil to the recommended depth. For tomato seeds I use about 1/4 inch. Carefully tap down the soil and water using a spray bottle (fine mist) as to not disturb the seeds.
Finally, cover the tray with the plastic dome cover. Be sure to provide a few vent holes to allow for some air flow. Place in a warm location, preferably where the temperature is consistently warm. Once the seeds sprout, I suggest a sunny window sill for a few hours during the day.
In future posts, I will have photos of the onions, scallions, and leeks which I planted recently (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/03/its-time-to-start-vegetables.html) and are now growing nicely. I will also talking about planting herbs and using a greenhouse which is very beneficial especially in the cooler months.
Until next time.
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