Time to start planting

My first seeds will arrive today, so I’ll be starting my seedlings for future transplant. I’m going to keep a separate page of information and records for each plant and update each of these throughout the growing season. I’ll also include my experience in using what I produce, flavor, etc. These records should help me decide what I want to plant again next year, changes I should consider to improve results, etc.

Recommendations by various sources vary, e.g. local planning calendar, individual seed packets, National Gardening Association, etc. This year, I’m going to use my local planning calendar as my primary guide but I won’t transplant or plant outdoors earlier than recommended by the seed packets. I’ll evaluate how each plant does for potential modifications needed for next year.

Outdoor planting will also be constrained by how early I have the ground prepared, since I won’t be able to start preparation until mid-late March (possibly later, since moving all our belongings will also be taking place during the last two weeks of March). I’m assuming that a delay in transplanting will just delay harvest rather than causing any actual damage to the plants. My schedule shouldn’t be so constrained next year since we’ll already be established on our farm and I’ll be able to have everything ready well in advance.

I purchased heirloom seeds for whatever I could but some of my seeds are hybrids. I plan to keep and plant my own seeds next year. I’ll replace any hybrid cultivars with heirloom next year where possible. What I can’t replace, I’ll probably plant both the hybrid seeds and my own seeds. I know seeds from hybrids have questionable genetics but I also know my own seeds will be healthier than purchased seeds, so I’m curious to see how they’d compare. I care more about health and productivity than pristine genetics.

This year, I’m using Jiffy peat pellets in plastic greenhouse containers. Next year when I have my established farm to work with, I’ll make my own planting mixture or direct sow everything.

First container:

A1 – A3: Red Deer’s Tongue lettuce

A4 – A6: Rouge d’Hiver lettuce

B: Carantan leek

C: Early Snowball Cauliflower

D&E: Pinetree broccoli mix

F: Top Bunch collards

G: Gold Coin Cipollini onion

H: Bunching Crimson Forest onion

I: Red Marble Cippolini onion

J: Conservor shallot

K: Green Globe improved artichoke

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