I have all my seeds for 2014. In fact, like most years, I have far too many seeds, and these last few days I have been trying to sort them to simplify planting and to make sure I don't forget any of them. I am also writing out labels for each variety to save time later on. Some of you might think it is a bit late to sort seeds, but this is Canada in a year when the winter has been the most severe in decades. Three years ago, hellebores were in bloom at this time of the year, but as I am writing this, there is still about one foot of snow and a few inches of ice packed on the ground even if both have finally started to melt.
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| Some of my vegetable seeds and my planting schedule |
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| Seeds from exchanges |
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| My annual and vegetable seeds |
The other perennial seed are started in flats, and they are also subdivided into seeds that require a cold treatment (the seeded trays are put out early), and those that germinate at higher temperatures (they are seeded only when the weather gets warm).
Then there are the vegetable and annual flower seeds which are also sorted by planting time. First I separate seeds that are started indoor from those that are planted directly in the garden. Again, those planted directly in the garden are either early (peas) or late (beans) and the same for the ones started indoors. Tomatoes have to be started early, but cucumbers later. "Early" or "late" might mean different dates, depending on the weather. A lot depends on the last frost date. The best method for guessing when freezing temperatures are over is to look at the trees. Usually, when the leaves are mostly out, there won't be further frost.
As I said, I also write out at least one label for each package of seeds (I have more than one label for seeds that are planted at regular intervals like lettuce). These are the same "blind" labels I wrote a post about last year. They are very long lasting, never breaking down like plastic ones, very inexpensive and a good way to recycle.The shorter ones are used for alpines seeded "in situ".
I am so impressed with your seed organizational skills!
ReplyDeleteHI Alain, I believe that you can't wait to get started and it certainly requires lots of patience, but you're well organized and I look forward to seeing all these seeds come into life.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't really got going with seed sowing yet.
ReplyDelete...and you can't start seeding until the soil temperature goes up. You might as well cool your jets. Yes, I know it's hard for a gardener to not be anxious.
ReplyDeleteYou are right on the whole Red, however there are some perennial plants whose seeds have to freeze for them to sprout. But for annuals and vegetables, even for cool loving spinach, you are right it is still too early.
DeleteYou are very organized! I'm afraid I take the shortcut and generally use plants rather than seed. I'm just too impatient, and a spendthrift when it comes to the garden.
ReplyDeleteHow organised you are, far better than me! I hope your weather soon warms up and that you can begin gardening again once all your snow has gone. I've been waiting for my meconopsis seeds to get frozen but so far we haven't had any frost yet so I don't know if they will germinate, maybe I will have to put them in the freezer for a few days!
ReplyDeleteApparently, if you put them in the freezer, they will do better if they have moisture as well as cold. You can put them between damp paper towels in a sandwich bag for instance. Apparently, once dry, meconopsis seeds do not survive for more than 6 months (I would still try even if yours are older than that).Good luck!
DeleteYou are so organised. I thought I bought a lot of seeds but it is nothing compared with all yours. Obviously there are some to sow directly but I am intrigued to know quite how you manage all the others when you have so many.
ReplyDeleteFor perennials, my results are not stellar, especially for seeds from seed exchanges (a fair number of which I suspect are no longer viable). It is more of a hit and miss approach. I find the most difficult is to keep them happy once they have sprouted. But out of the lot I usually get several new plants I have never grown before.
DeleteAlain, you're so organized! I envy you, my seeds are all together in one set. Yes, I need more sets for my seeds.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice week!
Your organizational acumen continues to impress.
ReplyDeleteWhen will you start tomatoes? Cucumbers?
I try to start my tomatoes the first week of April. Traditionally in Québec, they were started on St-Joseph Day (March 19th). When you start them in early April, they are smaller when you transplant them but they catch up. As much as I would like to start them early, I find if I seed them too soon they get leggy because they do not have enough light. I start some cucumber inside in early May. This year, beside "lemon" I am trying a Chinese one called Suyo long.
DeleteI'm so impressed by your organization. I'm not as organized as you, but I have probably sown just about as many seeds, and I have more in boxes, as well as maybe a handful more to sow. I'm so sorry to hear you've had such a difficult, demoralizing winter there on the east coast. I remember them from when we lived in Massachusetts. I don't miss the snow one bit now that we live in the PNW. Even though you are having a harsh winter, it sounds like you can still grow great tomatoes, because you also get heat in the summer, which we don't. Tomatoes are quite a challenge here. I love the tags made from blinds. Good tip about the tree leaves telling when danger of frost is probably over.
ReplyDeleteLike everyone else here, I'm very impressed by your organizational abilities. I blush to say that all my seed packets are tossed together in one basket. But it's getting to be time to sort them out. Do you grow sugar snap peas? I'm curious to know when you sow them where you are. We just got past another snowfall a few weeks ago and I'm hoping I won't be too late if I get them in next week.
ReplyDeleteIn the North West you have a much better climate for peas than we do. Usually it is recommended that they be seeded 5-7 before the last frost. If they sit for 2 weeks in very wet soil they will rot but, if one waits too long, it gets too hot for them (getting too hot for them is a problem in our climate, but not as much of a problem for you). I try to do a couple of seedings. Depending on the weather, one set might do better than the other. Good luck with them!
DeleteI love growing from seed. I wish I was as organized as you! Here in Texas, I just planted my tomatoes outside today. This is a little later than usual due to the unusually cold winter. I know our winter is nothing to compare with Canada, but I guess it's relative to what you're used to. I hope ya'll warm up soon, so you can plant your spring garden and enjoy all those wonderful veggies.
ReplyDeleteIt must be so satisfying to have everything sorted out.
ReplyDeleteYou're so organized! When the winter is this cold and lasts this long, do you worry you will run out of time with your growing season?
ReplyDeleteThere are things for which the season is too short. For instance artichoke or Florence fennel want a longer season that we have. However while the growing season is short, we have a hot and sunny summer with enough rain so once they get going, plants grow fast. The first frost is often rather late. I was brought up in a place where summers were even shorter and tomatoes would only grow if you could increase the heat with a coldframe or greenhouse. However, flowers lasted a lot longer with cool summers. I expect each climate has its own advantages.
DeleteWhat an organised seed sower you are Alain. I will check out your post on labels as the labels I write are really frustrating as they fade so quickly, even with a so-called permanent garden pen.
ReplyDeleteYou are right about permanent pens. Once in a while you get one that is really permanent but they usually are not. I now use a regular pencil (as dark as I can get) and the writing survives for quite a while. When you use plastic labels, I have noticed that one side is less shiny and takes writing in pencil much better than the other.
DeleteGreat way to organize your seeds. I get a lot of seeds from swapping with others. I also gave up permanent markers in exchange for pencil. I also have a Dymo maker and find they are really long lasting and can be used for a few seasons. I've even got some that are left in the garden all winter and they survive just fine.
ReplyDeleteThe Dymo marker sounds interesting. I suppose it creates a label you can stick on a rigid label?
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