Seedlings... Nothing More Than Seeeedlings....

So, we've not just been working outside over the past month on the Spring garden, we've been planning ahead for the Summer garden as well.  

As I mentioned in a previous post, Dad and I both placed orders for seeds (and purchased some locally as well...) to start inside.  Above are the seeds I ordered from Burpee...  I must say that I may or may not order from them again next year, I found out that they charge more than double for the same exact seeds you can buy locally if you order online, and it really adds up.  You may have to hunt for what you want in a few stores, but it would save considerably.

Here are my first trays, started on the stove burners.  I always use my good 'ol timey stove to start on, it works as good as or better than a heat mat, and the flats fit perfectly.  

An addition to the group-  a flat of tomato plants.

Closeup on the tomatoes...  I planted 14 different types, about 90 plants I think.

After the sprouts came up a bit, I moved them down to my homemade grow stand in the basement...  a drafting table, a garment rack, and a shop light.  I also potted up some of the larger sprouts, which I will eventually do for all of them.

Look at the tomatoes now!

A pretty little butternut squash plant.

Last year I hadn't planned ahead, and so we had to purchase numerous seedlings from Home Depot or Hastings on the day we wanted to plant...  the savings you get by starting your own is drastic, and it really isn't that difficult to manage.

Spring Forward

What a difference a week makes.  We spent all day last Sunday working outside in the beautiful sunshine.  (One week earlier, there was three inches of snow on the ground.)

We've thought out a new system that should work better here in the south where water is scarce lately...  and while providing better moisture retention should also double our plantable area!

-  We will have two rows of garden fabric side by side, with a soaker hose that runs underneath, then one "walking row," and so on.  The old way was to have one vegetable row, then a walking row, etc.  With the new method we are cutting the number of walking rows in half.  (In this pic I am just realizing how terribly sunburned my neck is.)  

(A little music blaring from the hatchback always seems to make the work go faster.)

-  We are planting on either side of the hose this time, instead of one row down the middle of the fabric-  potentially doubling our total number of plants.

-  We also added a mulch "lane" inside the perimeter of the fence line-  with wide lanes also between the planting rows.  (This time we will be able to bring in a trailer to help with the harvest!)

Lastly, we did a soil test before starting...   We had slightly alkaline soil that needed fertilizer, which we added before planting.

SPRING IS COMING!

So, we're going to get the ball rolling this weekend-  the weather has been a little crazy as usual- it just snowed three inches here in Atlanta, and it is going to be 75 degrees this Saturday, less than a week later!

Dad and I are so excited you would think it was Christmas Eve.  We both placed our orders with Burpee and have seeds on the way...  I mainly focused on seeds to start indoors for the Summer garden, while dad picked up the things we will need for Spring.  (Our Spring garden plan above.)

Things will be so much better this year, because the garden is no longer a whim-  we're planning ahead this time and won't have to just be happy with the varieties we can find at Home Depot...  I'm able to pour over reviews and descriptions, choosing exactly what I think will be the mooost delicious.  

I placed a separate order from tomatofest.com for most of our tomatoes-  I LOVE heirlooms, and as difficult as they can be, the flavor is worth it.  

So, here's what I have on the way (sorry it is long):

Beet "Chioggia"

Beet "Golden Globe"

Beet "Detroit Red"

Carrot "Danvers Half Long"

Georgia Collards

Zucchini "Butterstick"

Zuchinni "Sweet Zuke"

Spaghetti Squash "Hasta La Pasta"

Summer Squash "Pic-N-Pic"

Summer Squash "Sweet Gourmet"

Acorn Squash

Butternut Squash

Bush Bean "Tenderpick"

Bush Bean "Heavyweight II"

Brussels Sprouts "Tasty Nuggets Hybrid"

Melon "Honey Girl"

Cantaloupe "Ambrosia Hybrid"

Watermelon "Sugar Baby"

Watermelon "Million Bucks Hybrid"

Artichoke "Imperial Star Hybrid"

Hot Pepper Mix - Hungarian Wax, Anaheim, Large Cherry, Long Red Cayenne, & Jalapeno

Pepper "Sweet Banana"

Pepper "Rainbow Bell"

Eggplant "Black Beauty"

Radish "Watermelon"

Radish "Cherry Belle"

And the Tomatoes....

"Tomande", "Brandy Boy Hybrid", "Kellogs Breakfast", "Box Car Willie", "Brandywine OTV", "Costoluo Genovese", "Garden Peach", "Hillbilly", "Julia Child", "Orange Strawberry", and "Martino's Roma"

Dad ordered cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, and arugula.

We're going to try a few things that may not work in the GA heat-  Artichokes, Asparagus, Brussels Sprouts...  we'll see what happens!