Spring Seeding 2010

Spring is not here yet, however I can get a head start on it by planting some seeds indoors.Actually, I started seed about two months ago, during the Christmas holidays. These were canna seeds that I got in a trade. I planted about 100 seeds early because I thought they would take a couple of months to germinate. I was wrong. After treatment and planting they all sprouted in less than two weeks and are about 2" high now in the seed window. I planted every single seed because they are all hydrids and cross pollinated. I want a few special cannas with coloured and striped leaves and various flowers. Most will be the standard green leaves with red flowers which I will probably give away, but I will keep any special ones.

I know these will do well indoors until they can go into the cold frame as I have a couple that I have grown indoors in pots since I dug them up in the fall. These are doing very well.

If you want more information about starting cannas from seed, you can find it in my previous post on spring seeding.






These are ground cherries sprouted in the
seed window.




In the past month I have planted many of my vegetable and flower seeds and have them growing under lights in the south seed window. I can start tomatoes and peppers this early because I have lights in the window to supplement the day light and I have a cold frame to move them into mid April. The window lights are only on for a few hours in the morning and a few hours in the evening, giving them a longer day. I am looking for a more permanent indoor lighting set up at the moment.






These are garlic chives, just barely poking their heads above the ground.










Peppers are not up yet. They take longer to germinate.




I have planted so far this year: chives, garlic chives, ground cherries, rupine brussel sprouts, chichiquelites, several types of tomatoes, several types of peppers, cannas, bird of paradise, heuchera black magic, white and lilac datura, allium blue drumstick, dianthus siberian blue, canpanula cup and saucer, sea holly and gaillardia. Some are up and some are not.I have also potted up some tender bulbs. I noticed that my best dahlias were drying up in the basement, so I potted them. I also potted special cannas, callas, elephant ears, other dahlias. I bought some edoes at the grocery store and potted those too.




















I grew two dahlias in pots over the winter and they have done well, so far. As they get leggy I just cut them off and root the cuttings.







I recently acquired a couple of aquariums. This very large one will make a great little greenhouse for the peppers this spring!



I have many, many more seeds to plant indoors soon, which is one reason I wanted to start so early. It is probably going to take me that long to get them all planted!
We will still have vegetables that go directly into the garden, i.e. peas, beans, corn, cucumbers, potatoes and squash. I have a few new varieties of squash, Hopi black and Hopi pale gray, that I will be starting early indoors, as well.

All in all, I have been pleased with the results so far. The seeds are growing in the spare room at the top of the stairs, over the wood stove, so it is one of the warmest rooms in the house. It is also my studio, craft, storage and work room, so I am in there quite a bit. I love working in the "jungle"!