Tonight we dusted off the trusty grow tables, cleared the spider webs out of our trays, and started some seeds. We used up some bags of crummy old seed starting mix that have been hanging around here for a while; on our next round of seeds we'll go fetch some compost from outside. So far, we've got onions, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, and some sage and dill.
22 February 2008
105 Days Until Onions
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7 comments:
Yummy-are they sweet onions? Please plant some! They go well with crook neck squash. You don't need to add water when cooking them together cause the onions make the squash cry. Just add a little butter and it's yummy.
We planted onions from seeds for the first time this year, they have been in the greenhouse for two months and will go outside in March. This is our first try at seed planted ones, do we cut the tops off when they go out?
Frances at Faire Garden
I've started broccoli, cabbage, onions, leeks and some romaine. Everything is looking decent but the romaine. Not enough light I suspect. Are you using grow lights? I've got mine in a window in the kitchen....
I am itching to get my seeds started, but it's too early.
Just added your blog to my 'playinginthedirt' links!
Woohoo! And you're on your way in 2008! There's nothing cooler than starting seeds, and in short order, being overwhelmed with the cycle of starting more seeds based on the upcoming last frost date, maintenance of seeds, planting outdoors, etc.
It's a beautiful thing, really.
Be careful, compost is not usually good for starting seeds because it contains too many microorganisms which can kill your young and tender seedlings. Also any chicken poo that's not yet decomposed will kill any seedlings that survive the microorganisms, even slightly fresh chicken shit is just too strong for young plants.
Whatever you use has to be sterilized. You can sterilize compost by heating it in the oven for 30 minutes, but it's usually easier to just buy seed starting mix which comes pre-sterilized.
Anna, they are sweet onions. Sweet Yellow Spanish onions, if I remember right. We've had poor luck with onions in the past (we've always started from sets) but I'm hoping these get huge.
Frances, this is our first time starting onions from seed, too. I'm not sure about the tops, but I'd think that if they form a scape or flower at the top you would cut it off--as you do with garlic--but otherwise leave the greens on. Hmmm ... I'm at work, away from my garden books. Does anyone out there know for sure?
Mia, we've got to start lettuce soon, too. We use grow lights--nothing fancy, just flourescent shop lights. I think they really make a difference with leafy plants, especially young ones. Last year we had some squash that didn't fit under the lights, so we stuck it in a window. The difference between the window squash and the grow light squash was huge--the window stuff got all scraggly and leggy.
Kate, thanks for the link! I just re-tooled our links list and put you on it, as well.
Katie, it is, isn't it?
Patrick, good point. We'd use our old compost, not the real fresh stuff. Somewhere I have a make-your-own seed mix recipe, that calls for compost, pearlite, and vermiculite--I think? I'll have to dig around for it. I think it's in a Mike McGrath book. I like that idea about heating it in the oven.
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