Greenhouse chart

I planted the seeds on Sunday. Its Wednesday and we have seedlings people!! The Brussels sprouts are sprouting, the beans are as well. I'm really impressed with this little greenhouse! Looks like the garden from seeds only is going to be successful (I HOPE!)

Seedling chart for little greenhouse:
1A-4A Broccoli
5A, 6A, 1-6B Green beans
1-6C, 1-2D wax beans
3-6D zucchini
1-4E cucumbers
5,6E, 1F butternut squash
2-4F spaghetti squash
5,6F, 1-6G Brussels Sprouts
1-6H bell peppers
1-4I beefsteak tomatoes
5,6I, 5,6J watermelon
1-4J Cherokee purple tomatoes
1-4K cherry tomatoes
5,6K sage
1,2L rosemary
3-6L cantaloupe

seedlings planted

Its done. On Sunday Mar 28, 2010 the seedlings were planted in their peat pellets in a mini indoor greenhouse. 72 peat pellets are seeded and now (HOPEFULLY!) growing. I've got the greenhouse set on a TV tray in my bedroom in front of the window. Its an east facing window so it'll get lots of am sun. Later I'll post the list of what was planted so I can track success.

Its actually happening - the garden from seeds is more than just a coulda woulda shoulda idea! Woo hoo this is a big deal for me. I'm one who seems to buy all the stuff but NEVER make it happen so I'm very proud of us for getting these seedlings started.

This will be my 3rd garden, the 1st ever from seed that I planted solely (no store bought seedlings or 3rd party seedling like years past :)

Today its supposed to be 81*! March 30 and 81 :) I'm not sure when our next storm is but I can guarantee you that we are not done with snow and cold here in Colorado Springs - yet as I check the 10 day outlook I see no snow! Lows are around 30, dropping to 27 on Friday - however by and large we're starting to see overnight lows above freezing. Still too early to plant outside but its warming up!

Seed info for 2010

broccoli (organic)
~~produces a 3-4" blue-green head with non-uniform medium sized shoots to follow. ~Spring and fall
~48-85 days harvest
~Full sun
~Sow in avg soil in early spring OR midsummer for fall crop.
~Rows 24" apart, cover 1/4 " fine soil.
~Seedlings 10-21 days - thin to stand 16" apart when seedlings are 1-2" high

blue lake green beans (organic)
~~pods 6" long
~harvest 60 days
~Full Sun
~rows 18-30" in apart, sow seeds 3" apart, cover with 2" fine soil
~seedlings 7-14 days - thin to stand 6" apart when seedlings are 1-2" tall

mesculin mix lettuce (organic)
~ includes argula, cress, endive, radicchio, lettuce salad bowl, oak leaf, red salad bowl
~Full sun
~Early spring OR midsummer for fall crop
~rows 12" apart cover with 1/4 in soil
~seedlings emerge 10-14 days, thin to stand 6" apart when 1-2" high

Zucchini - dark green (organic)
~6-8" long fruits
~Full sun
~Sow 36" apart, cover with 1" soil
~seedlings emerge in 10-14 days NO THINNING required, use judgement
~maturity 51-60 days

Cucumbers, double yield (organic)
~5-6" fruits
~harvest 50 days
~full sun
~4-6 seeds 3 in apart in hills 36in apart, cover with 1 in soil,
~seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
~thin seedlings to 2-3 per hill, once 2-3 in high

Watermelon Jubilee varity (organic)
~large oval fruits weighing up to 35 lbs
~90 day harvest
~sow in very warm soil full sun in spring
~4-6 seeds about 3 in apart in hills 5-7 feet apart
~cover with 1 in soil
~seedlings emerge in 7-10 days

Peppers, California wonder, red & green mix (organic)
~harvest in 75 days after transplanting
~start indoors 8 weeks before planting outdoors
~sow seeds 1/4 in deep,
~seedlings emerge in 10-21 days
~75-80* F
~before transplanting move sheltered outdoors for 1 week
~18-24" across
~75 days harvest from planting outdoors

Tomatoes, Beefsteak (organic)
~fruits 1-2 lb each
~start indoors in warm well lit area 6-8 weeks before planting outdoors
~sow 1/4 in deep
~seedlings emerge in 7-10 days
~move to sheltered area outdoors for 1 week before planting
~70-75* F
~3-4 ft across
~harvest 80-96 days

Tomatoes, Cherokee Purple (organic)
~fruits 3-5" fruits, darkens to a deep dusky purple
~harvests 85 days after transplanting
~start indoors 6-8 weeks before planting outdoors
~18-24" across
~85 days harvest from planting outdoors
~70-75* F
~full sun
~3-4 ft apart

Winter Squash, spaghetti
~oblong fruits store several months in cool dry place
~harvest 100 days
~sow 1-2 seeds about 36" apart
~cover 1 in fine soil
~seedlings emerge in 10-14 days
~full sun

Winter Squash, butternut
~1 1/2 lb squash
~store at 45-50 F in a dry place
~harvest in 80 days
~sow 1-2 seeds about 36" apart
~emerges in 10-14 days
~full sun

Brussels Sprouts (Long Island)
~sprouts grow along 20" stems
~ready for picking in 90 days
~sow from spring to early summer
~rows 24" apart
~sow seeds thinly and cover 1/4 in soil
~seedlings emerge in 10-21 days
~thin to stand 20" apart when seedlings are 2-3 in high
~full sun

Parsley, double curled (organic)
~biannual
~full sun
~sow thinly cover 1/4" fine soil
~emerge in 14-21 days
~thin to stand 6 in apart when they're 1-2" tall

Chives, Garlic (organic)
~perennial
~full sun
~seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
~thin to stand 3 in apart when they are 1-2" high

Dill Mammoth (organic)
~annual
~full sun
~seedlings emerge 10-21 days
~thin to stand about 24 in apart

Sunflower, Mammoth (organic)
~12' stalks
~100's of seeds in 80 days
~annual
~plant 8 in apart
~emerges in 7-14 days
~harvest when flower heads dry on stalk, dry heads in paper bags for 2-3 weeks

Morning Glory, Heavenly Blue and harvested seeds from Danielle
~annual
~aid germination, soak seeds overnight
~sow about 6" apart and cover with 1/2 fine soil
~seedlings emerge in 7-21 days
~thin to stand about 12" apart when they're 1" high


Marigold, happy days mix, edging, 10" ht.
~full sun
~sow about 6" apart, cover with 1/4" fine soil
~emerge in 7-14 days
~thin to stand 9-12" apart when they're 1" tall

Marigold, Burpee's best mix, 12" ht.
~full sun
~sow about 6" apart, cover with 1/4" fine soil
~emerge in 7-14 days
~thin to stand 9-12" apart when they're 1" tall

Wax Beans
~5-6 in long yellow pods with black seeds
~Full sun
~rows 18-30" apart
~sow seeds 3 in apart cover with 2 in fine soil
~seedlings emerge in 7-14 days
~thin to stand 6 in apart when 1-2 in tall

carrots Nantes half long
~7 in orange roots
~full sun
~harvest in 70 days
~thinly in rows 12" apart
~seedlings emerge in 14-21 days
~thin to stand 3" apart when 1 in high

oregano
~perennial
~full sun
~barely cover seeds
~seedlings emerge in 10-21 days
~thin to stand 12" apart

Bibb lettuce
~harvest in 75 days
~full sun
~early spring, late summer
~sow thinly rows 12" apart
~cover 1/4 in fine soil
~emerge 7-10 days
~thin to stand 8 in apart when 1-2" high
~sow every 2 weeks to extend harvest

Radish
~ready in 22 days
~sow in well worked soil early spring
~sow thinly in rows 6" apart
~cover 1/2" fine soil
~emerge in 4-6 days
~thin to stand about 2" apart when 1-2" tall

Cantaloupe
~plant in hills 6-8" high
~4-8 seeds per hill
~plant 1" deep
~water every other day
~thin to 4 plants per hill when 2 in high
~harvest 75-90 days

Mar 18, 2010

The garden is officially turned over!! Woo hoo!!! We need to bring in more compost and augmentation to the actual garden again this year, the top layer of soil was very rich and black but its still quite sandy underneath. I'd love to have a truck load of black compost brought in - and if its cheaper we'll prob do just that, borrow the truck and get a load.

We're also going to need a lot of augmentation for the front yard. Sigh, its a LOT of work!!! It'll be wonderful once all the unfun manual labor is done, until then it remains a drag LOL.

Seeds have not been started yet, I'm a slacker. I want to document their growing stats per seed variety, so I have a record of what I'm growing as well as what to expect. My starter green house has room for 72 seedlings. I have a feeling I'm going to need a 2nd one of these!!!! However do I have room for all this greatness? I don't know...time will tell!

Lots of worms in the garden this year, that's a great sign!!! And no signs of cocoons from the dreaded tomato hornworm, thank goodness!

2010 Garden Season...GO!

I've decided to start a garden blog/journal. Last year I kept saying I was going to, and of course I didn't. This year I've decided to do my garden from seeds, starting them indoors and transplanting after the middle of May, or whenever we get our last frost advisory. I figure 6-8 weeks of being inside should make for nice strong healthy plants.

The seeds I have this year are:
Vegetables:
broccoli (organic)
blue lake green beans (organic)
mesculin mix lettuce (organic)
Zucchini - dark green (organic)
Cucumbers, double yield (organic)
Watermelon Jubilee varity (organic)
Peppers, California wonder, red & green mix (organic)
Tomatoes, Beefsteak (organic)
Tomatoes, Cherokee Purple (organic)
Winter Squash, spaghetti
Winter Squash, butternut
Brussels Sprouts (Long Island)
Herbs:
Parsley, double curled (organic)
Chives, Garlic (organic)
Dill Mammoth (organic)

Flowers:
Sunflower, Mammoth (organic)
Morning Glory, Heavenly Blue
Marigold, happy days mix, edging, 10" ht.
Marigold, Burpee's best mix, 12" ht.

Seeds from 2009 season
Cantelope from a Rocky Ford melon, this was a tasty melon I hope its babies are yummy too
Wax Beans (these did really well last year, heavy harvest around July, continued until Sept, averaged 8 beans per plant per day!)
Butternut squash, again did very well, 8 squash per plant average yield.
carrots (didn't do too well, didn't thin enough when they were small)
rosemary (did well but needed to get into ground a LOT earlier than I did)
oregano (again did well but needed to be planted earlier in the season)
Bibb lettuce (individual heads, didn't thin properly and they bolted too fast)
Radish (did well but didn't thin enough)
Parsley extra curled dwarf - did very well but I didn't thin. It stayed green thru winter, heck there's still some green out there today - I think its regrowing itself since I didn't rip it out in fall.


SEEDS STILL NEEDED:
Cherry Tomato, red or gold, not sure
thyme
basil, round & lemon varieties
sage

QUESTIONS:
broccoli says its a cool crop, usually a spring or fall harvest, so can I plant it early, harvest then replant for a bumper crop? I think so but must find out!

Danielle might have morning glory seeds from her yard, ask if she does!

I need to figure out the mature size of these plants so I can get planning on a planting guide. I plan on expanding my garden into my front yard this year, we have problem areas that I think zucchini and other squashes will do really well in. I also plan on planting a lot of easy spreading herbs in the front for culinary use as well as decorative use. Plus they make the yard smell good and are very hearty.

The marigolds will be planted in with the veggies to act as a natural pesticide, especially around the tomatoes. At the end of the season last year we were invaded by tomato hornworms. ew. they are green and have a red horn on the end of their nose. They cocoon under the tomato plants and then lay their young so the young eat the plants. Not good!! Apparently marigolds are a natural repelant of these nasty guys. Lets hope it works!

The sunflowers will become a living border between a messy neighbors house and ours. They have junk cars in their yard and the 12 foot giant blooms should do a nice job of blocking our view to their junk yard, err I mean front yard.

The morning glories will go in the front of the house as it faces east & gets the AM sunshine. I might plant some against the back fence too as it gets am sun. I love the bright faces of morning glories!