Seedlings!

I planted seeds on Easter and placed them in the ‘seed oven’ under the sink. We noticed they sprouted on Wednesday!  Purple sprouting broccoli and mixed lettuce. 

Tiny Tomatoes

The tomato seeds I planted on Saturday spouted, one on Wednesday and two more yesterday.  These are Golden Jubilee, from Matron.  I'm hoping for a really long summer so it won't matter that these are just getting started. 

I'm hoping for sprouts from the Queensland Blue pumpkin seeds.  Since I cannot find my seed starting book, I checked some internet sources and confirmed that squash & pumpkins don't want light to spout.  I've left them in the warm spot under the sink. 

Now to keep this indoor garden pest from from finding them.  Actually, I'm keeping them under a clear cover to keep them warm, yet near the kitchen window.

Seed Oven

For seeds who don't want light to germinate, this is where I have the most luck.  It is under my kitchen sink and warmed from the heat duct that runs underneath the space.   I just have to check it every day to see if anyone has sprouted because all of the seedlings do want light.

And for my friend in Kansas where the temperature is in the 90's - it's not here! We still have the heat on.

Lead Tomato of 2010

Here's the only baby tomato that sprouted so far. I think I need to move to round two with the seeds. The peas were also being stubborn. Brought them in to the house, from the garage and now several more have sprouted. I hope to keep them safe from my indoor garden pest... and then get the peas in the garden very soon.

We're back!

Both me, and some sprouts: I was out of town Jan 30-Feb 7 and then had a visitor Feb 7 until today. The chives are loving the mild weather. The visitor wasn't so crazy about the rain (even with the sun breaks).

Above, are some lettuce seedlings from a greenhouse planting in late January.

Is this a sunflower seedling? It is in the greenhouse, also.

I got in the King County Conservation District native shrub order, but didn't get my vegetables ordered before I went out of town. So that's what I'm off to do now!

It's Time!

My neighbor spotted this volunteer sunflower in my garden last night. To me, this signals the time for planting more sunflower seeds as needed. Last year, we found the first ones in late April.

I think this will be a red & yellow petaled flower, like this one.
It could be all red, like this one. I can tell because the stalk and leaves have darker shades than all yellow sunflowers.

Plant Progress

Molly - Look what your black willow cuttings are doing! Do those little white roots mean I could have my own shrub?


Most of the the Sungold tomato seeds planted last Sunday sprouted by Wednesday. The rest by Thursday or Friday. I think every seed planted did sprout. Not bad for 2007 seeds.

Being warmth lovers, I start them in the "oven" under my kitchen sink, but must be sure to move them to light when they sprout. Some of the tomatoes stayed in the oven longer and are now leggy. Hopefully, they'll work it all out.

Just today, however, I witnessed my indoor garden pest in action. Maria edited out one of the tomatoes in the pot. I should be thankful. It is so hard sometimes to thin the crop. Instead, I'll try to divide the seedlings which probably stresses them. I didn't expect them all to sprout so I planted 2 or 3 seeds per pot. Matron's post reminds me that I must plant peas asap!

Broccoli Babies

Here are the winter sown broccoli seedlings in their milk jug. There are some lettuce, chard and (one )nasturtium seedlings up also. About time to plant some other varieties.

Also, for the past two nights, I've been hearing the Pacific Tree Frogs singing their little hearts out. Not yet in our little garden pond by the patio, though. He always arrives quite late.

Winter Sowing Update

Post-dark check reveals seedlings!
See Feb. 9th post here.

Next Round of Sprouts

Here are the lemon cucumber and rouge vif d'etampes pumpkin seedlings from seeds planted May 13. There is also one delicata squash seedling but the romulus zucchini have still to sprout. One cosmos and 3 marigolds have also sprouted. I plan to start some pumpkins and squash outside soon. I'm starting some inside and some outside to see if there is any difference in how well they grow. Our weather stays cool this time of year and these warm weather vegetables might like spending a little time inside.

Winter sowing results

Here's an update on the "winter sowing" experiment shown here. I now have lettuce, Swiss chard, broccoli, spinach and nasturtium seedlings. Popped their top tonight so they can get a little further adjusted before the move to the ground. This was quite an easy way to go. They received plenty of light outside yet were a little more protected than if they were sown in the ground. Very portable too! They've been sitting next to the house on the deck until recently. I don't see slug/mystery bug damage like I see on the peas in the garden. Thanks for the idea, Angie!

Seedling Update - Inside & Outside

Here are the March 24 planted tomatoes, anise hyssop, and spicy globe basil. As cute as they are, today is the day the baby tomatoes were potted up and moved out to the garage. What low temperature do you think they'll tolerate? They lean too much in the window and I'd rather they stay under the lights in the garage.
Big brother tomatoes here, were started March 3. They've been in the house ever since their purple screams, but I hope they'll now get comfortable in the garage under the light. As a side note, see the stone semi-circle and pipe out the window? The pipe is 4 feet, same as my beds. The stones are currently somewhere I don't want them so I'm considering using them as end caps for the garden beds. As they are, it has been a struggle keeping a clear line between the end of the bed and the grass. Straight ends would be more practical for grass trimming, but I think I'd like the curves.
The outside winter sowing experiment has had some good results. (I do take the caps off on the sunnier days.) They do get more light being outside. They are also should be better adjusted to the temperature patterns outside.
Lettuce seedlings and my first Swiss chard (Bright Lights). All my other lettuce seedlings were planted out in the garden last weekend, so these will be the next wave.
Spinach and broccoli here. My earlier seeding (inside) of spinach didn't sprout so I'm glad to have some here. Earlier seedlings of broccoli were also planted out in the garden last weekend.

The other seedlings now up in the milk jugs are nasturtiums. So far, the older seeds of catnip, chamomile and columbine haven't sprouted.

Inside today, I did plant some more seeds to go in the "oven." Hyssop, spicy globe basil, fennel and more nasturtiums.

So now I'm going to go curl up with a blanket. I've been cold all day. Hopefully, tomorrow won't have such a cold wind blowing and I can play a little in the newly rototilled space.

How warm?

Just a quick note tonight. If you stop by on Friday, note the temperature (to the right) and post it in a comment. It's going to be an usually warm one, and I'll be inside, so you can help me re-live it later. Saturday should be a nice gardening day too.

In the winter sowing experiment on March 24, I'm seeing little lettuce, spinach and broccoli when I peek in through the top. The inside seedlings in that same post have sprouted tomatoes, basil, spicy globe basil, and anise hyssop.

In the garage, the lettuce and peas are growing roots out the bottom of the pots so they can walk themselves to the garden.

In the garden, I'm seeing volunteer borage seedlings throughout. There may be also some bachelor button seedlings.

Oh, yes. After a few cold and quiet nights, frog and friends are singing again.

Beware of Baby Tomato Tricks

Sweet little (tricky) tomato seedlings...

~March 3 - sown and soon sprouted.
~March 17 - inspired me to add a fluorescent light in the garage and they moved out with the other seedlings.
~March 22 - shivering, purple tomato seedlings come back inside (I think they held their breath to turn purple and get their way...)~March 24 - potted up in good potting soil, and a little kelp meal to see if that will help their phosphorus deficiency...

~March 25 - two came inside, one stayed out in the garage to see if it was just the lack of food or the low temperatures that was causing the purple.
~March 27 - the one lone baby in the garage is more purple this morning:
So now all three are snuggly tucked inside the house! We'll try again when it warms up more. At least the peas, broccoli and lettuce aren't complaining about life in the garage.


Reminds me of Emily, the stray cat that moved to our deck, then the patio, then the garage, now the house (but she still likes having her own room in the garage). Apparently, we're softies.

Lights, Lettuce, Tomatoes!

What did the tomato inspire? A little light for him and his leaning lettuce friends!

We have had a shop light hanging above this window in the garage. It has only worked occasionally. While we were out yesterday, we picked up a replacement and some extra chain. Here are the early testers (moved from a house window) just after the light was turned on: Below, is later that evening:
And, today, the word has gotten out... "There's a party in the garage and someone brought LIGHT!"
The white pot was just brought in from the barn. In it is an old fuchsia with new sprouts. The little man showed up yesterday evening. Dear husband must have woken him up. Everyone knows a gnome with a job to do finds less time for mischief.

Wish the replacement curtains (for different window) I picked up today worked as well as the replacement light. Oh well.

So, any seedling lighting tips?

Inspiring Tomato

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Here is one of the sweet Sungold tomato seedlings. I'm so proud of him putting out his first real leaves in spite of some not ideal housing. He inspired me to try something. Stay tuned...

Sprouting Notes

For reference, from the March 11 indoor sowings:
Lettuce - many sprouts today, March 14th!
Snow peas - 3 out of 8 have sprouted today.

From the March 3 indoor sowings:
Broccoli - 4 of 4 sprouted earlier
Fennel - 1 of 4
Parsley (old seeds) - none yet
Tomatoes, sungold - 3 of 4

From the March 4 outdoor sowings:
Peas - none yet
Radishes - 1, maybe 2 sprouts

Definitely Started Something

A year ago today, I spent some time on a rainy afternoon searching for vegetable garden ideas and photos. I landed at Mike's Allotment (searched for vegetable garden photos and there was his blog), Clodhoppers (parsnip lessons), The Allotment Lady (and the "girls"), and Allotment 21 (now living at Veg Plot). Before the day was over, Petunia's Garden was launched! The garden was named this before the blog, and Petunia really is the snake that lives there.

Don't know that blogging has done much for the garden, but it has really helped me pay attention to the changes over the year and the critters that visit the garden. Your blogs and comments here have been a tremendous help, though!

Above, you see the early sprouters from last Saturday's planting. Tomatoes on the left, broccoli on the right. I wasn't going to use these little seed starting pellets, but I had some already. They've also allowed me to transfer these early sprouters to the window while the others stay on a slight heat source (ok, in the cabinet under the kitchen sink which gets warmed by the heat vent). It's the fennel and parsley seeds that seem to be taking longer. The parsley seeds are quite old but I had good results from some other older herb seeds last year.

What is it?

I wanted a mystery garden, I may get it. One row of mystery seeds has germinated. The seedlings are small, at first I thought it was moss developing! The seeds were tiny and may have been in a hard seed pod. Maybe some type of poppy? I must have collected them from someone's garden years ago. Any ideas?

Basil is growing, cold frame needed

The seedlings are growing. The cosmos, bachelors buttons, marigolds & lavender are getting taller, but still only seedling leaves. I love these little basils! The first row comes from seeds 14 years old. The third row is just starting to show bits of green that are Red Holy Basil. The second row was old Spicy Globe Basil seeds but nothing is showing yet. No sprouts from the mystery seeds yet.

Now I need to get serious about making a cold frame / mini greenhouse out of this window collection. There are 6 the same size. The 2 small ones are missing some glass. I'll be checking out blogs for pictures, but feel free to send me any creative ideas!