By gisette
Seed Starting 2012
Submitted on Sun, 2012/01/08 - 9:35pm
Last updated on Mon, 2012/02/13 - 10:09pm
Posted in
Given the extreme non-winter we've been having - started my pansy seeds yesterday! Yeah, well, I probably would have started pansy seeds this week anyway, if I had 'em... But I'm thinking they'll go out early this year.
Because I like dreaming about my spring garden in January, these are the pansy varieties I started. Wish me luck!
And some terra cotta flambe seeds left over from last year. Those didn't germinate.
Sat, 2012/01/28 - 7:58pm
#2
Hi All,
Extreme non-winter down here in southern Maryland! I'm not complaining - 57 F in January? Still more mild weather forecast for the next week. Actually took pup to the park geocaching this afternoon. Most excellent, she's sound asleep now.
So Gisette. I want an extra early outside tomato plant this year. When do you start your tom seeds? Beth
Sun, 2012/01/29 - 12:00am
#3
Beth - my early tomatoes are already sprouted. 
Special case... trying to grow to fruit under lights again. Trying Park's Better Bush this time (another compact indeterminate), hoping its under-lights flavor is better than the low-acid Jet Star. I've read reviews somewhere that suggested it was one of the best-tasting ISI (indeterminate short internode). Want me to mail you a few seeds?
To just play indoor/outdoor (ripen outdoors, but remain in indoor/outdoor pot), I'd start the pepper next weekend, tomato 2 weeks later. Earlier this year. And your season is a couple weeks earlier than mine. So, right around now for ripe fruit in May. Maybe April... for the tomato. Edible green in April for the pepper. Peppers take forever to turn red. But you sure get a lot of peppers over such a long season! 
It's been so mild here that I considered taking my leftover pansy seedlings and plugging them outside. Nah... but there are baby pansy volunteers out in the garden, doing fine. Highs forecast above 40 for the next 5 days, though just below freezing most nights.
Sun, 2012/01/29 - 5:51pm
#4
Pansies graduated to cells yesterday.
Sun, 2012/02/12 - 7:03pm
#5
Ought to grow some radishes or something to keep them company. The seedling light rig takes .68 kWh per 14-hour day - about $3.75 / mo to run, at local rates.
Thinned and put 2 seedlings out in the garden. It's been a week. They still live out there. Not growing as fast as in here, of course, but they were runts, anyway.
Mon, 2012/02/13 - 10:08pm
#6
First crocus bloom today. That's a full month earlier than last year.
Sun, 2012/02/19 - 7:56pm
#7
Sun, 2012/02/26 - 8:28pm
#8
Started summer vinca and coleus, spring lettuce and spinach yesterday. First pansies may move outdoors in 2 weeks. So far the volunteer pansy seedlings outside are more surviving than growing. But March warms up quick around here - daily avg low temps rise nearly 10 degrees over the course of the month.
Sun, 2012/03/04 - 3:56pm
#9
Pandora's box pansies have first few buds, not yet the other two varieties. I should cut off the buds, but I never do... I wanna see the flowers. 
It's possible the first pansies could go out next weekend (according to the forecast), but probably still 2 weeks out. There are lows of 16 and 22 degrees in the forecast this week - along with a high of 62°F. The self-seeded baby pansies outside appear to be growing.
Started impatiens, and restarted no-show spinach (seed too old, maybe).
Mon, 2012/03/12 - 9:12pm
#10
Got my extra early tomatoes seeded and sprouted. I think the one variety is better bush, too. Not Park, think Burpie. Interesting. It'll be cool to compare.
Baby pansies up already! Well, except the terra cotta flambe - maybe those seeds aren't good anymore. Or, well, 7 days is quick for pansies to germinate.