Nasturtiums....

I started the nasturtiums today.  So far, everything seems to be germinating beautifully except OF COURSE the Ground Cherries....yet again...I have never had one successful germination from those darn seeds!!  I guess it's time to start thinking about what will go in the garden in their place.  Right now, I'm facing two major issues:
1.  Kohlrabi is supposed to be started direct in the ground at about this time, but the ground is no good yet.  I guess we play the waiting game and see when I can work the soil.  I hate getting a late start!
2.  I started all my seeds in one big flat, this is the first time I've tried this.  I'm going to transplant them to seedling trays with their own spots when they get their first set of true leaves.  Unfortunately, the tomatoes have grown leaps and bounds, while the other seeds are still really tiny.  The tomatoes are pressing against the plastic dome while all the others still need that moisture.  I don't want to stunt or damage my tomato plants by leaving the dome on, but I also don't want to risk the tiny seedlings by removing that extra moisture.  I'm afraid of trying to transplant the tomato plants when they are so small....  Any ideas?

Starting the 2014 Garden!

Today I set up the seed starting station in the basement (with some new improvements like a light timer - 16 hours of light, 8 hours off - and Christmas lights under my seed flat to help heat from the bottom).  I'll test the soil temperature over the next few days to see if we are getting enough heat for our little seeds to be happy (as of March 4 at 7:30, it seems to be working quite effectively - honestly, I'm shocked!).

This year I'm taking a heavier approach to growing herbs and some decorative items in hopes of selling some of them this year (not to mention the fact that I seem quite good at growing perennial herbs as opposed to peppers and melons!).  We are also expanding the garden with a community space that will give us two 20'x10' beds which is pretty exciting!

Today I started the following:

• Green Sage (Tomato Bob): A great herb either fresh or dry that compliments soups, sausages, and stuffing.  (16 plants)
• Red Ruffled Eggplant (Baker Creek): This is decorative (but also edible as well) and produced branches with what look like little baby pumpkins.  (12 plants)
• Munstead Strain Lavender (Baker Creek): Beautiful flowers and very aromatic. (16 plants)
• Ground Cherry (Baker Creek): Tart, sweet berries that are good for eating raw or putting in jams, pies, and preserves. (10 plants)
• Black Cherry Tomatoes (Tomato Bob): A delicious cherry tomato that we grew last year and couldn't get enough of! (10 plants)
• Sweet Marjoram (Tomato Bob): An herb mainly used in Greek cooking for soups, salads, and flavored vinegars. (16 plants)
• Yolo Wonder Pepper (Tomato Bob): Sweet pepper good for stuffing. (6 plants)