Any Other Vegetable Gardeners Here?

[WaterGardener]

I enjoy gardening of all types and grow most of our food.

Anyone else here with a veggie garden?

I start all my plants from seeds, heirlooms if possible, so I can save the seeds for following years.

I started onion seeds a few days ago, which always seems strange in the middle of winter with snow on the ground.

Any favorite things to grow? I'm always looking for a better, more flavorful, easier to grow vegetable of most any kind. So in spite of saving seeds, I buy quite a few new things to try every year.

Anyone else getting started this early?

 

[mrsclem]

I do gardening, veggies from Arugula to Zucchini as well as a big butterfly garden. Getting seeds sorted out and cold stratifying milkweed seed.

 

[WaterGardener]

Just got the first packs of new seeds in the mail. It's like Christmas, only better!

Milkweed for the butterflies? I've never tried to grow that.

 

[mrsclem]

Yes, have 6+ varieties. Dill and parsley for black swallowtails

 

[zeuspaul]

Tomatoes, zucchini, basil and tomatoes for me. I am scaling back this year and plan on only about 30 tomato plants in containers and the ground this year.

 

[WaterGardener]

I'm trying to cut back on tomatoes this year as well to fewer than you are planning on. Seems they can easily get out of hand around here and then I have more than we can deal with.

Every year I think I won't plant so much as the year before, but by the time my planting is done, the garden is crammed full with no place for me to walk through it. Just can't seem to leave any piece of soil barren.

 

[Lisak1]

Me! I seed start using the wintersowing method. Getting my seeds and soil ready to start in a few weeks here!

 

[Lisak1]

I'm trying to cut back on tomatoes

Heresy!

 

[WaterGardener]

I'm not familiar with wintersowing. How does that work?

I start my seeds in wet paper towels and put those in plastic bags. Then those go into a hot box indoors, heated with a light bulb, or even a styrofoam incubator for the ones that need very high heat to germinate, eggplants mainly. I used to have a terrible time getting those going until I realized I had this incubator lying around doing nothing. It does the trick.

 

[Lisak1]

Here's my "picture is worth a thousand words" explanation of wintersowing:

Inside each of those jugs is 8-12 seeds planted in soil, waiting for the right time to sprout and start growing.

And here's what they look like when they're ready for transplant into the garden:

 

[WaterGardener]

Thanks for the pictures and explanation. I read a bit about it yesterday and might have to give it a try. Looks like it is very successful for you.

 

[Lisak1]

It's been a game changer for me. I will NEVER start seeds indoors again - wayyyyyyy too much work.

 

[WaterGardener]

From what I read, I got the feeling that this method is for cool weather plants, Is that correct?

I normally just put seeds straight into the garden for lettuce and such. But maybe it could work for onions and cabbages? I do start those indoors.

I actually like starting seeds inside, but space always becomes a problem. Seems like this could eliminate all that crowding under the lights.

Thanks for your help and information. I'm always looking for a better way to do things.

 

[Lisak1]

I use it for everything from cabbage to cucumber to tomatoes to peppers to flowers. More recently I've started doing only the things that I can't direct sow and expect to get a good harvest like tomatoes and peppers. The greens are fun to do, but like you I can direct sow many of my cold weather crops and get good results.

This method requires no hardening off, no watering, no worries about plants getting leggy, spring taking too long to warm up, indoor pests, running out of space, etc etc etc. Nature takes care of all of it.