Seed Starting 2011 - Round #3

On this snowy - yes, snowy! - April day in southeastern Michigan, I bring you a seed starting update.

On Saturday, May 16, I started the following seeds:

• Late/Storage Hybrid Cabbage
• Round Dutch Cabbage
• Italian Oregano
• Greek Oregano
• French Rosemary

Before I go any further, I've realized that it may not be apparent why I always leave at least a couple of cells empty. So, to explain: last year I did not achieve an adequate method for keeping track of which plants went where; I mean, I wrote them down, but when they trays were moved for watering, this system quickly fell apart. Therefore, this year I have once again drawn (and posted) an image of each tray, but I also kept a few cells empty so that even if the trays get turned around or reorganized, I'll always be able to figure out how the diagram applies to the tray. Pretty ingenious, aye?

Then, on Sunday, May 17 (after a trip to Downtown Home & Garden for more soil), I started:

• Cayenne Peppers
• Jalapeno Peppers
• Pepperoncini
• Hungarian Hot Wax
• Nardello Peppers
• Islero Peppers
• Giallo Peppers
• Blanket Flowers
• Echinacea (Purple Cone Flower)

Some notes about peppers: All the pepper varieties that I know of need consistently hot and sunny weather to produce in any reasonable quantity. That said, we've generally had the best luck with hot peppers (which is fine because we like spicy!), specifically cayenne and jalapeno varieties. In fact, our 6 cayenne plants and 7 jalapeno plants last year were so prolific that this year we're scaling back to 5 of each. Though they've given us trouble in the past, we're once again trying our hand in growing some sweet and roasting varieties, namely nardello, islero, and giallo.

With only two trays left to start, this seed starting business is well underway. Later this week, I'll post an update, rife with photos of the little tiny seedlings that are popping up everywhere. Until then, stay warm!