First Seed Order of the Year

The Fresh Dirt folks have been engaged in seed catalog talk for a couple of weeks now. I on the other hand have been hoarding seed catalogs and have placed zero orders. That is until now. I know what you’re thinking; she has over one hundred seed packets she couldn’t possibly want more! Oh contraire.

The kind people over at Botanical Interests offered me a nice discount on my seed order. I restrained myself and only purchased the following:

Turnip Purple Top White Globe Organic Seed
Tomato Pole Aunt Ruby's Green Organic Seed
Tomato Bush Ace Organic Seed
Squash Winter Vegetable Spaghetti Seed
Squash Winter Pink Banana Seed
Squash Winter Burgess Buttercup Seed
Pepper Chile Pepperoncini Greek Organic Seed
Parsnip All American Seed
Melon Charentais Seed
Leek American Flag Seed
Gourd Luffa Seed
Edamame Soybean Butterbean Seed
Corn Sweet Painted Mountain Organic Seed
Corn Strawberry Popcorn Seed
Broccoli Di Cicco Organic Seed
Beet Early Wonder Organic Seed

Inspired by Kathy at Skippy’s Vegetable Garden I chose Strawberry Popcorn Seed in hopes of popping my own corn. How rad is Gourd Luffa? Is there anything you can’t do with it? I plan on growing my own sponge but if I’m hungry I can harvest it young and cook it like squash or toss it in a salad. The whole darn thing is edible!

I’ve never grown winter squash, parsnips, turnips, or leeks. I can’t wait to grow and pickle my own pepperoncini! I could eat bowlfuls.

I’m a big fan of Botanical Interests and have used their seeds with great success. Besides conveniently finding their seeds at my local Henry’s or Whole Foods I feel like I’m purchasing art with every seed packet. Tips and recipes can be found inside and out. They also offer a flat shipping rate of $3.95 on all interweb orders. Score! I’ll be patiently waiting by the mailbox.

Not Just Veggies

Look at me, I grew flowers! A while back Renee of Renee’s Garden kindly sent me her new 2009 offerings. I was a little intimidated when I discovered several of the seeds she sent were flowers. I typically do not grow flowers from seed because I’m just not that good at it. I can’t even get cuttings to root so I usually let my local nursery grow the flowers for me.

But on December 15, 2008 I brought my A-game and sowed Summer Splash Marigolds, Scented Gold Wallflowers, Bouquet Cosmos-Double Click and Bergamo Bouquet. Unfortunately Bergamo Bouquet did not germinate but the others are thriving.

My favorite, Summer Splash Marigolds, will mature to a height of 1 ½ feet and they’ll anchor the corners of my raised bed. Cosmos are neat and I’m looking forward to having a garden full of butterflies and bouquets of cosmos all summer long. The Scented Gold Wallflowers will only mature to a height of 9 to 12 inches. The seed packet suggests planting these is a pot. I think I’ll solicit my favorite container gardener for ideas.

I’m pretty proud of myself for growing these but I think thanks should go to Renee and her high quality seeds for most of my success.

Soil Blocking 101: A Pictorial

It happens every time. Me: “I’m going to peak in on the backyard; I’ll only be a few minutes.” Six hours later and this is what I did… Tada...

Get out your gardening gloves and let’s get blocking! First thing needed is soil. I use what Martha uses to start her seeds, Vermont Compost Company Fort Vee Potting Soil.

My husband bought me four 60 quart bags for my birthday. I’m down to two bags and I’m a little concerned.

Vermont Compost products can be found on several sites online or you can use your favorite seed starting mix.

Next, my weapon of choice is the 2" by 2" soil block maker. It produces 4 perfect little squares.

I own two other sizes: a 3/4" by 3/4" soil blocker that is suitable for small seeds like lettuce or oregano. I also own a behemoth 4” soil blocker(another birthday present). This big guy comes in handy when your seedling has outgrown its 2” block and you wish to raise stronger seedlings. Simply transplant the 2” block into the larger block’s divot.

Get your trays ready because you’re about to start blocking and rolling! I soil block directly onto standard size 11” by 21” leak-proof trays but you can use whatever size tray is best suited for your needs.
Dump your seed starting mix into a bucket. I recycled an old plastic drawer that was formerly used as college furniture.

Thoroughly moisten the soil by adding water and mixing with your hands. Continue to do this until a lump of soil can be squeezed and it’s able to hold its form.



Place your bucket on a sturdy surface and dunk the soil block into the bucket. This step requires a lot of elbow grease.







For uniform blocking scrape the soil blocker on the bottom of the bucket. This will pack the soil into the blocker.

Place the blocker directly on the tray, push down on the handle, and lift.





Y voila! Repeat about a thousand times or however many times it takes to fill your tray of choice.




The standard trays I use hold 40 blocks and enough room is allowed for proper air circulation and watering ease.

Time to reach into your seed vault. The last time I counted I had 112 vegetable seed packets. Since then I have added to my sick seed obsession. I store my seeds in a convenient tray in the fridge.

Let the seed sowing begin! Drop in a couple of seeds in each block. One seed per block is acceptable. I sow two per block because I like my seeds to have back up and I’m just crazy that way.


Repeat, repeat, repeat. When you’re sick of blocking it’s time to tuck in your trays. Keep them warm; a windowsill, any sunny spot in your home or in a hobby greenhouse. Some trays may be purchased with plastic lids which act as mini-greenhouses. Saran wrap can also achieve this effect. Keep your babies moist and wait patiently for your reward.

Leisurely Reading

The seed catalogs are pouring in. These sit on my nightstand and I flip through the pages over and over again. I have a seed stash that totals 117 packets; 12 of lettuce alone. And if the lure of colorful seed catalogs wasn’t enough, I also get my seed fix at Henry’s. Last week I picked up 5 more seed packets.

And Then There Were None

Yesterday I yanked out my mythical 7' tomato babies. The plants were covered in flowers but they weren't producing the healthiest of tomatoes so it was time to let go and get the bed ready for spring.

After removing the tomato plants I sowed New Zealand White Clover cover crop and added Martinez brand compost. I'll be amending and testing the soil often and will continue to add compost.

Crops left in bed above: radishes, lettuce, mesclun, garlic, shallots, cayenne, and jalapenos.

We harvested the last brandywine and beefsteak tomatoes along with several green green zebras and sun gold tomatoes. Good thing I have a great vegan fried green tomatoes recipe.

I also transplanted Lettuce, Container "Garden Babies," Spinach, Baby Leaf "Catalina," Kale, "Dwarf Blue Curled," Onion, "Yellow Granex," and Rucola. Except for the rogue Rucola from Italy, seeds are from Renee's Garden Seeds and Botanical Interests and all seeds sowed germinated. Who needs a 401(K) with that return on investment?!

My biggest challenge during the next couple of months will be to not sow any seeds that need transplanting into the garden soon; like lettuce and radishes. However I plan on getting a much earlier start on spring so my kitchen table will be seed starting central.

Till then Wrinkles and I will be tending the onions and continue to pick the cabbage worms off of our remaining crops.

What's Growing On?

A couple of weeks ago I received a package from Renee’s Garden; one of my favorite seed suppliers . I was asked to trial test the new 2009 seed varieties and a test it will truly be. Out of 12 seed packets I received only three are vegetable seeds and the remainder are ornamental flowers.

I don’t gravitate towards ornamentals. I have an extremely difficult time watering anything that isn’t going to feed me. I planted brussels sprouts amongst flax, pentstemon, and daylilies just so the non-vegs can be assured of some water. The only flowers I’ve been able to successfully grow are daisies, marigolds and coleus. I kind of have a black thumb for all others.

The torrential rain has forced me to soil block at the kitchen table. I was planning on blocking yesterday but after hours in the garden, a long walk with Wrinkles, and three hours of cooking, I shined the whole project. I’m behind my planting schedule already and I need a heating mat stat.

I’m clearing out the beds slowly. Here’s Sunday's harvest. It made a delicious salad.

Why I'm Crazy About Growing Veggies

This...
And this...








Turns into this and then we eat!

I made spicy salsa, topped crock pot black beans with fresh cilantro, and stuffed a pita with homemade hummus, a green tomato, and lettuce. Not pictured were a couple of white icicle radishes and mustard greens.

Too much produce for one picture!

Gone Blockin'

What do you do when it’s raining outside and your road dog is visiting grandma?

Disclaimer: Wrinkles really isn’t visiting grandma. He’s visiting my mom. She calls herself grandma but she’s the farthest thing from one. I think she’s trying to send me a message.

Soil Block! Just a quick 80-ish for a lazy rainy Tuesday. I purchased a notebook so I can take proper notes. In the past I guesstimated the maturity dates of my transplants. It's pretty easy to figure out when vegetables are ready to be harvested but I’d like to know for sure, did that beet really take 50 days to mature?

I sowed the following: Radishes-Easter Egg II and Breakfast Petit Dejeuner, Lettuce-Garden Babies and Summer Lettuce European Red and Greens, Spinach-Baby Leaf Catalina. All seeds by Renee's Garden seeds.

I also planted Rucola; from what I’m told it is an Italian green. The seeds were couriered from Italy by my lil’ sister’s boyfriend. I also managed to sow Onion-Yellow Granex. Success!