We enjoyed a record breaking 72 degrees F on St. Patrick's Day. So, the momentum to get those little seedlings started was irresistible. A winter storm warning for TOMORROW doesn't stop us. It won't last now because the ground is warming up.
See the strawberry plants peeking through last year's dead foliage--they are truly evergreens.
I begin tomatoes in the house in my recycled yogurt cartons. I purchase Sweet 100 plants, however, as they are plentiful at local nurseries. My more unusual varieties did very well last year in our hot, short season. I am also a cucumber lover and start those inside. Zucchini is easy to grow and doesn't transplant very well for me, so I put them right in the big patio tubs as soon as it's warm enough (Memorial Day, unless covered outside). We have been raising veggies in a few patio tubs for the last two seasons and find it works very well--can move them around and cover easily if weather changes.
Tomato varieties: Pomodoro San Marzano Nano (Roma sauce type), Master F1 (beef steak variety), Black Master TM 34, Amana Orange (I love orange globe tomatoes--used to plant "taxi" but seeds aren't as available.) Orange and yellow tomatoes are generally low acid. We make lots of plain tomato sauce to freeze with any over runs.
Cucumbers include Asian burpless for their beauty, and "Marketmore 76" for slicers.
I use tons of parsley, curly and flat leaf, so we have one tub of each. Greek oregano--it's a perennial, but never have enough to dry! And summer savory is another favorite to dry.
And finally some small globe eggplants (Baluori EP 06) which have been hard for me to germinate, but I'm trying again. They require a longer season than we usually have, but let us hope this summer will be a long one. Eggplant flower buds are beautiful.
Thyme, Tarragon, various mints, lemon balm, and culinary sage are strong perennials and will miraculously provide for us on their own.
Seed starting tips:
I buy a new 1.5 cubic foot bag of Miracle Grow Garden Soil every season. About half is used for seed starts and the rest goes outside to augment patio pots, etc. Since we start seeds in the house, I never bring in outdoor soil--bugs, mold, etc., could be introduced.
My recycled cartons were cleaned at the end of last season. They have 3-4 slashes cut in their bottoms for drainage (use a scissor or small knife). For tomatoes, I fill half full with the dirt, and as the young plants grow and get "leggy" I just add more dirt to support them. 4 seeds planted per carton---then I know just how many germinated. In 6-8 weeks, depending on their size, I'll split the carton into two cartons and re-establish for a couple of weeks before transplanting to the garden. We'll show that process when time is right. Don't forget to LABEL the cartons.
Seeds need to be moist, but not wet. We will be out of town for a few days, so I mist them with a spray bottle of water, and cover with plastic to keep them warm and moist in the living room. They don't need sun until they germinate. Keep your fingers crossed!
I show the patio pots because we just turned over the soil after winter--it will improve with fresh air and sun and be ready for next month. All winter we dump our used tea leaves in these pots kept by the back door. Montana soil in this region is very basic (alkaline) and tea improves acidity.
Try some seedlings! Kids love to watch them sprout and grow.
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