After what seemed like forever, the parsley started to pop up a few days ago. Looking good!
Likewise for the thyme (left) and sage.
Tomatoes are ready to be transplanted. They are currently in peat pellets - this weekend I'll rip open the bottom of the pellet and just pop each one into individual pots with some good potting soil.
And I have some peppers that are doing OK ... these include Hungarian Hot Wax, one variety of jalapenos and a generic red pepper.
And that's where the good news ends. What is left in my jiffy greenhouse (on a heat mat) is mostly different varieties of peppers, with maybe a few tomatoes here and there. Although peppers can take a while to germinate, the fact that some are already looking like healthy seedlings would suggest that the rest are duds (some of these are from brand new seed packets!). I will start with some fresh peat pellets and reseed this weekend as it's already getting a bit late to start peppers for my area. I have honestly never had problems like this before, but hey, it's all a learning experience, right?
And I don't know what happened with my lettuce - old seeds, wrong temperature, inadequate moisture levels? Lettuce is the easiest thing in the world to grow! But this is all I have after 2 weeks:
And, arrggghh, the rosemary! Two years ago was the first time I tried growing rosemary from seed. Very shortly after that I decided never to do it again (see post growing herbs from seed ...not). But that was when I was under the mistaken impression that my rosemary would overwinter here. Not so the case and I figured even with low germination rates that it's cheaper to grow from seed then to buy several plants each year. But oh ... so frustratingly difficult! After scattering MANY seeds into this and two other 4-pack seed trays, I have a single sprout - can you see it in the upper right quadrant? Ugh. I'll reseed this weekend in the hopes of getting more than one plant out of an entire pack of seeds. In the meantime, I need to baby this little guy as much as possible!
I SO hear your frustration...the last two years have been filled with seed starting "argh's!" for me.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to peppers, especially hot peppers, I'm having far fewer issues with them this year than I did last year...but you notice I said fewer issues, not "no" issues. I swear I've lost seeds in the soil - they don't come up, I search for them - poof - nothing there. For my Corne de Chevre, one seedling came up great, but I have been having no luck getting the 2nd one started...I'm on my third try now and as you say time is a-wasting!
I actually had a hard time with lettuce last year as well - but I then finally figured out a great method that has worked amazingly well for me since then: http://homegrown-adventuresinmygarden.blogspot.ca/2014/04/lots-of-lettuce.html
Those are fantastic results you had with that technique, Margaret. I obviously need to re-seed so I will give that a go for sure!
DeleteI'd never even thought about growing rosemary from seed. When I moved here I tried three varieties. I put them by the foundation of the house to give them a nice microclimate (I'm zone 6b). And two of the varieties are semihardy here. the first year we had lots of snow and even the zone 8 plant lived. The second year only one survived. I took cuttings of it and planted a few around the place. The next year all but one died. Last year I didn't take cuttings so I'm hoping it lived. We had a hard winter, but it was also a snowy winter and the rosemary tends to like that. I just wish it were reliably hardy here.
ReplyDeleteConsidering how long it can take to mature from seed, it does need to be reliable or it could be too late to start one by the time spring arrives and you realize it died! If these are successful, I should have enough to start using sprigs here and there by August ...
DeleteNice to see all those seedlings while I look at the -15C on your weather thingy. I have to get going on mine. Rosemary isn't something I would ever attempt from seed. I just buy a plant every year. I try to bring it indoors for winter but it hates it inside and quickly dies. And I heard lettuce needs light to germinate so I scatter the seeds on top and cover with a little fine vermiculite.
ReplyDeleteI brought one rosemary plant inside this winter so it has gotten quite large. I usually need several as they don't get big enough for what I need - hence growing from seed as it's cheaper - but not always successful!
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