black Friday seed planting

Everyone's at the mall and I'm planting seeds! I planted seeds for some herbs that I plan to grow on my kitchen window sill in February and March. I also planted arugula that I plan to grow in the garage under lights to add to our winter salads. I have not planted at this time of year before - so don't take my word for it that this will work! But I love to experiment.

Photo two days later: the arugula is up. Why do I always plant arugula so dense? I need to move this tray to the light shelf now. There is hardly any light from the sun these days. I just wanted to watch them sprout on the windowsill.

seed viability

I've been looking through my seed viability records. I've only kept records 2 years and we're not very far into this year yet, but this is what I have for how long my seeds last.

Arugula  5+ years   (3 years)
Beets     3-4 years   (4 years)
Cabbage  6 years    (4 years)
Endive   3-4 years  (5 years)
Leeks     3+ years    (1 year)
Onions    2 years     (1 year)

I put the viability that High Mowing Seeds gets in (). I guess my numbers are pretty similar. They keep their seed under ideal, very consistent conditions and they have lots of data. I suspect they define less than 50% germination as not viable. I don't have much data, like only one 6-year-old cabbage package that sprouted fine (but I don't know the %) and 7- and 8-year-old packages that failed.

I'm looking forward to see what I get for my tomatoes. It always seems like they last a very long time. High Mowing Seed's chart says 5 years.

organizing seed packets

I'm so excited - all the seeds I ordered this year have arrived! Yeah! Almost as fun as planting them is putting them away in my seed organizer.



To store my seeds, I have a plastic box with a lid that holds standard-sized, heavy, 1-inch expanding envelopes. I have 20 of these envelopes. Each I've labelled with a type of vegetable. I have Bush Beans, Pole Beans, Roots (carrots, beets, etc), Flowers, Tomatoes, etc. Each seed packet goes into the appropriate folder.

I love the way this set-up works. It's easy to find my seeds and easy to return them to their spot.



Hannah, who runs the Vegetable Garden at Elm Bank (Wellesley MA) uses this approach and showed it to me. Rather than one box, she has at least ten of them!

I like to show my seed collection to gardeners and make the point that seeds last a long time. Most last at least 5 years. Tomato seeds can remain viable more than 10 years. A few seed types are short-lived, like carrots and onions. But it saves a LOT of money, and is fun(!), to save seeds year to year in an organized system. I enjoy building up a collection with lots of variety.

So now I have my seeds set, I've cleaned up some planting trays, my shelves and lights are up. The next step is getting my hands into dirt and planting. Ahh.... My calendar says to start onions and celeriac next week. But I think starting a week early can't hurt....

germination test of old corn seeds

I'm doing a germination test of my old corn seeds. They were "Packed for 2009" - 6 years old. Any bets on whether they'll sprout?

6 yr old onion seeds didn't sprout...

How long do seeds last?

I've given up on my 6 year old onion seeds. :-( They didn't sprout this year. Time to throw out the package. I think also last year they also didn't sprout. It may have been the previous year (4 years old) that was the last time they came up. And that year, they took an extra week to come up.

Onions seeds are one of the more short-lived types. Its often recommended you only use them the season they are packaged for. Other short-lived seeds include corn, leek, onion, parsnip, and spinach. Hmm, I haven't bought spinach in ages. Mine have saved very well. But I agree with putting parsnip in this list and I'd add carrots here. I have some 5 year old popcorn seeds I was thinking of using again this year. I'll try a test germination on paper towels to see if there's any life left in them.

Long-lived seeds include beets, all brassicas (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kohlrabi), chicory (endive, escarole, radicchio), cucumber, kale, lettuce, melons, mustard, peppers, radish, rutabaga, sunflower, tomato, and turnip. Long-lived means 5-10 years if kept cool and dry.

sorting seeds

There's a blizzard outside today - a good day to sort seeds.

I got out my seed basket, sorted the packets by type, and then selected the ones I want to plant this year. I've accumulated so many seeds that I really don't need to buy any this year. I'll get some new carrot, beet and summer squash seeds. Also some broccoli and zinnias. But mostly I'll try to use up the old seeds and not buy more - easier said than done....

I'm thinking I'll plant a section of garden for the chickens to forage in and direct sow my old greens seeds at 2 week intervals. (I read about doing this in the Territorial catalog last night.) I must have 50 packets of lettuce, escarole, etc seeds.

I checked the seed planting calendar at the link on my sidebar then sorted out the seeds that get planted at the same time. I wrapped these together in a rubberband labeled with the date for planting. Im almost ready to go! In the middle of February, I'll start planting (11 weeks before my last frost) - the onions and celeriac go in first. I have a month to get my seed shelf and lights set up.

first seed order of 2012 season

I was quick to inventory my seeds this year. Unlike previous years, they stayed pretty orderly this year in their rubber-banded groups. A group of cucumbers, a group of tomatoes, etc.... I have a box of about 200 seed packs, 1-5 years old. I placed an order at Johnny's this evening. I wanted to get it in before they run out of any of these varieties.

Basil, Nufar (OG)-Packet
Beets, Chioggia Guardsmark (OG)-Packet
Beets, Blankoma-Packet
Beets, Merlin (F1) (OG)-Packet
Cilantro, Calypso-Packet
Cucumber, Diva (Treated)-Packet
Edamame, Butterbeans (OG)-1/2 Pound
Edamame, Envy (OG)-Packet
Onions, Pontiac (F1)-Packet
Parsley, Giant of Italy (OG)-Packet
Peas, Maxigolt-Packet
Peas, Strike (Treated)-Packet
Scallions, Guardsman-Packet
Sunflowers, Maximilian-Packet
Sunflowers, Teddy Bear-Packet
Tomatoes, Cherry, Sun Gold (F1)-Packet
Winter squash, Waltham Butternut (OG)-Packet
Winter squash, Buttercup (Burgess Strain) (OG)-Packet

Pea, Lentil, and Vetch Inoculant (OG)-1 Unit
Soybean Inoculant-1 Unit

new seeds

I got a few new seeds on vacation in Europe. The little nasturtiums look very sweet on the package photo. The pumpkins look nice too - Bright orange with nice ribs. I was reading through the German on the back of the pumpkin package and mentioned to my son - gee, they get to be 70 kg. How big is that? He paused and looked at me, then to make sure he heard right, he asked again. Yes, 70 kg I said. Well, Mom, that's more than 150 lbs. Hmm. That's pretty big.

We'll, I didn't realize I was buying a giant. I'll plant a few seeds and see what comes of it. Maybe they'll take over my garden. I don't think so - I'll put them on the edge. The nasturtiums should be nice.

The little pepper is called Iddy Betty Bossy. These are peppers we bought at the supermarket and my son loves super hot peppers. He asked that I grow them. Peppers are particularly good for saving seed as they generally breed true (if they aren't hybrid). So I planted one of them.

mail ordered seeds

Here are seeds from my last mail order. I am trying seeds from an Asian seed catalog for the first time: Kitazawa. They look really interesting!

Also a bunch here from an old favorite: Botanical Interests. I love their plant drawings. I was pleased to spot their Komen for the Cure seeds - Celebration in Pink cosmos. An over-sized package with a donation to breast cancer research. I bought extra so I can share, since bc research is my profession.

organizing last year's seeds

I got out my seed basket, spread out all the seeds, stacked them by the type of vegetable, and then wrapped the little stacks with rubber bands. The basket is all organized and ready to go now.

My first seed order arrived yesterday and I added these to the basket. I'll be setting up my lights and starting up a few seeds soon.

seeds in the mail

I often get requests from small seed companies to check out their seeds. Here are packages I received from Urban Farmer. Shirley poppies, Roma tomatoes and Large leaf Italian basil.

The packages are recycled magazines. They have a nice website to check out. Here's a link: http://www.ufseeds.com/

I looked up the poppies on google images and found: this link. Beautiful! I also looked up when to plant and it says fall or spring. I will save a place to put these seeds this fall.

gift for a friend

This is a beautiful book that I was given to review. It has wonderful pictures and seems perfect for my friend and her very young girls who are budding gardeners. I also gave them broccoli and pea seeds, since broccoli is their favorite vegetable. They are container gardeners with a rooftop patio, so I'm interested to see how these will do for them. Its time to plant both now!

The Family Kitchen Garden: How to Plant, Grow, and Cook Together (link)
By Karen Liebreich, Jutta Wagner, and Annette Wendland
(Review copy from Timber Press)

planting seeds - 8 weeks BLF

Pepper, Numex Joe E Parker (Johnny's)
Pepper, Thai hot (Botanical Interests)
Pepper, cayenne, Amelia's (hand collected)
Marigold, Petit mix (Johnny's)
Marigold, Fireball (Johnny's)
Canterbury Bells, Cup and Saucer mix (Burpee)
Gaillardia, Sundance bicolor (Burpee)
Cosmos, Sensation mix (Burpee) 2 flats
Aster, Purple burst (Burpee) 2 flats

a few more seed packets

Home Depot has big racks of seeds out now and I couldn't resist buying a few more.....

seed sorting

I'm getting ready to plant!

Today I sorted my seed packets. I made a pile for each planting date and wrapped these with rubber bands. A pile for 12 weeks (before last frost), one for 10 weeks, one for 8 weeks etc.

I also stopped by my local True Value hardware store and got a bag of soil and some seed trays. I got my old stand by soil - MiracleGro seed starting mix. For trays, I got 4 large trays (no holes) and 4 packs of 1x1.5 inch planting cells. These are my favorite planting items, though there wasn't any choice at the store I went to. I don't think they've put out their seed planting stock yet. Most gardeners don't start so early I guess. (They probably wonder what's my problem...)

The first seeds to get planted are the onions and celeriac, which get planted at 12 weeks before last frost. I may also plant a couple very early tomato seeds soon. And maybe a few flowers, like lavender.

I'm so excited to be planting soon!!!!

seeds have arrived!

The seeds of a new garden!

All my seed orders came today. So many exciting new things. I'm pleased I remembered to order inoculant - for peas, beans, broad beans and soy beans. And the green plastic mulch looks interesting.

Territorial send a free packet of carrot seeds to grow for the food pantry. A very nice thought. This is a perfect vegetable to donate. (I brought butternut squash last year, which worked out well, too.)

the seeds of a new garden

I walked by a display of fresh new seeds yesterday and couldn't resist. I got packets of Heavenly Blue morning glory, cilantro, Mammoth and Bouquet dill, and Boston Pickling cucumber seeds. So my garden is starting!

I'm planning to set up my plant lights and shelves soon. Maybe next week. The earliest crops don't get planted til mid February, but I'd like to try growing sprouts, which I've never done. Maybe even some winter lettuce in containers.

I haven't yet put together my seed lists for mail order, but I've seen some interesting things in the various catalogs and email ads. I'll start a wish list here so I remember:
- Romanesco broccoli
- Chinese broccoli
- sweet potatoes (I'll probably start my own slips)
- potatoes (Russet Burbank, Dark Red Norland, All Blue)
- summer squash (Costata Romanesco)
- Long Island cheese pumpkin

Beantown Seedsavers Seed Collection Event this Saturday

>> From: Erica Lafountain
>> Subject: Beantown Seedsavers Seed Collection Event 11/7 12-2
>>
>> The Beantown Seedsavers are a new group of people with an interest
>> in encouraging local seed saving to develop a source for diverse,
>> acclimatized, disease resistant plants that are delicious,
>> medicinal, and/or beautiful.
>>
>> If you have saved seeds in the recent past and would like to share
>> some of them with others, please come to the Beantown Seedsavers
>> Seed Collection event on November 7th from 12-2. Please bring the
>> seeds in an envelope or baggie to the corner of Lamartine st. and
>> Chestnut terrace near the Stonybrook T stop in Jamaica Plain (see
>> directions below).
>>
>> At the drop off: We will ask you to fill out a form with some
>> specifics about your seed, or you can save time by downloading the
>> attachment from this email and filling it out ahead of time.
>>
>> After the drop off: We will create a SEED LIBRARY by dividing your
>> seed into small portions (each with the information you provided
>> about it, and directions for saving it) and making the seed
>> available in the early spring to anyone who would like to try
>> "growing out" and replenishing the seed.
>>
>> We would especially love to see any seeds with cultural or genetic
>> significance, ex: a vegetable from abroad that grows well here, a
>> tomato that seemed to survive the blight this year, or anything
>> that you think tastes especially good!
>>
>> Get seeds, get involved: If you would like to be contacted in the
>> spring when the saved seed library is open to anyone, or if you
>> would like to be part of organizing the library, events, or related
>> workshops please send me an email to let me know:
>> Erica.LaFountain@gmail.com.
>>
>> Directions: The drop off will be hosted by the garden at the corner
>> of Lamartine St. and Chestnut Terrace, across the street from the
>> Southwest Corridor Park by Stonybrook Station. If you're coming
>> from Stonybrook station on the Orange line, you can just follow
>> Lamartine St. with the park to your left (going towards Green St &
>> Forest Hills). Chestnut Terrace is a little dead-end residential
>> street that will be on your right about a block from the T station.
>> Your notice our garden with the kale and leeks and lots of
>> woodchips. There is drinking water and bathroom access within
>> walking distance at the Brewery complex.

harvest celebration plans

I posted a new sign on my gate today. (My son says no one will ever read all that.) But maybe they'll read the free food part.

I'm really excited that Gretta Anderson, a farmer from Shared Harvest CSA, will come a speak. Her topic will be "Late Blight: Sharing the collective experience of local organic growers this summer". I can't wait to hear what she has to say. (I may FliP and post it, if she doesn't mind.)

I got a fantastic box of free seeds in the mail today. From Botanical Interests. Out-of-date seeds. Beautiful packages. They donated 65 packages of all different types. I'll hand them out to everyone and they can swap if they want.

I heard rumors that gardeners are saving big zucchinis for the giant vegetable contest! I wonder how big a zucchini can get? I'm hoping my big pumpkin will win. I thought I had a good chance until this afternoon I spotted a really big pumpkin in a nearby plot - much bigger than mine. Oh well.

seed swap day

I'm organizing a Seed Swap Day and Harvest Celebration at our Community Garden on Saturday, October 3. Stop by if you are in the area. If you want to donate free seeds or prizes for a giant vegetable contest, let me know!