Tomorrow is the last day of Bible Study until the fall. We wrap up with a pot luck and hours of gab. It's not really my thing. I don't eat much. People comment on how little I am eating. I finish eating before everyone else. You'd be surprised at how much things are about eating when you don't eat.
I LOVE to cook and I'm good at it. I love to cater. I love to set up parties and I love to hide behind an apron. No such luck at a pot luck.
I've been thinking about what I will make for the party or even if I'll go. A few weeks ago, when I was offering someone seedlings, she suggested I bring them to the pot luck as my thing to share.
Easy peasy. I can take them to the party. Make my presence known and dodge out whenever I want because I don't have to wait around to collect my pan or help clean up.
The 36-cell seed starter with tomatoes has been doing really well. Even better than I thought they would be at this point. I pulled out the bin of soil I've got in my living room and the 3oz paper cups I bought and started moving seedlings. I had read something about putting at least three seeds in every container when starting seeds, so that's what I did. I started running out of space so in some of the cells, I sowed five seeds.
I transplanted 40 or so into the tiny cups to take to Bible study and I still had a lot left over. I moved the rest, three to a cup, into the larger party cups that have been in rotation as I've moved seedlings to cups to planting. I lost track, but I think I planted at least five of them with these seedlings. All are watered in.
I decided to transplant the "Carnival Mix" of peppers from the 18-cell seed starter. These were at least two seeds to a cell, but they're doing so well, it's just a matter of time until I have to move them. So I replanted those too. When I moved them around I realized how well they're doing. The stems are really green and firm; not delicate at all. I moved these three to a cup in the party size cups. All are watered in. I really look forward to see the varieties mature.
I am really happy with how all of this is going. I don't know why I've been so worried. Maybe it's just the wonder of it all. I was genuinely worried that I wouldn't have enough plants from the seeds I sowed and that I would have to buy some from Pflaum's at the farmer's market. Even with all of the sprouts, I've still worried that I would break them or kill them somehow. Last year, things did not go well. I hat lots of weak, spindly seedlings that couldn't handle being moved at all.
I got dirt happy and decided to split up some of the spinach cups too. There are at least five plants in each cup and sometimes many more. The spinach came up OK, but the stems have stayed spindly. Then the food leaves came up, they kept getting longer and longer, just making the whole seedling floppy. The same thing happened with last year's salad mix - they all fell over and died. When they died, I had them in a container and I just left it in the garden. It came back to life and did really well until it bolted.
I'm hoping that this year's floppy spinach, lettuce mix and herbs will revive with more space and heat. I've split my bet though. I've put some of the spinach seedlings in the ground already. Some are in clustered cups, and now some are split up in larger cups. Something is bound to work. I have nearly 50 spinach seedlings between the three settings.
My living room is clearing out. I have cups covering The Rack, but there are only about a dozen left on the cardboard box island in the middle of the room. I have some downstairs in the greenhouse too, but I can't remember what is there. These really established tomatoes and peppers could go to the greenhouse now too, but I know my plants are so much further along than the neighbors' and I'm afraid that some will be stolen. It's a sad reality.
Tomorrow after the party, I'm going to check on the peas I transplanted the other day. The rain has been such good timing!
I will take pictures of the minicups for church in the morning. The lighting isn't good here at night.
I LOVE to cook and I'm good at it. I love to cater. I love to set up parties and I love to hide behind an apron. No such luck at a pot luck.
I've been thinking about what I will make for the party or even if I'll go. A few weeks ago, when I was offering someone seedlings, she suggested I bring them to the pot luck as my thing to share.
Easy peasy. I can take them to the party. Make my presence known and dodge out whenever I want because I don't have to wait around to collect my pan or help clean up.
 |
| "Red Currant" Indeterminant Cherry Tomatoes |
I transplanted 40 or so into the tiny cups to take to Bible study and I still had a lot left over. I moved the rest, three to a cup, into the larger party cups that have been in rotation as I've moved seedlings to cups to planting. I lost track, but I think I planted at least five of them with these seedlings. All are watered in.
 |
| "Carnival Mix" Sweet Peppers |
I am really happy with how all of this is going. I don't know why I've been so worried. Maybe it's just the wonder of it all. I was genuinely worried that I wouldn't have enough plants from the seeds I sowed and that I would have to buy some from Pflaum's at the farmer's market. Even with all of the sprouts, I've still worried that I would break them or kill them somehow. Last year, things did not go well. I hat lots of weak, spindly seedlings that couldn't handle being moved at all.
I got dirt happy and decided to split up some of the spinach cups too. There are at least five plants in each cup and sometimes many more. The spinach came up OK, but the stems have stayed spindly. Then the food leaves came up, they kept getting longer and longer, just making the whole seedling floppy. The same thing happened with last year's salad mix - they all fell over and died. When they died, I had them in a container and I just left it in the garden. It came back to life and did really well until it bolted.
I'm hoping that this year's floppy spinach, lettuce mix and herbs will revive with more space and heat. I've split my bet though. I've put some of the spinach seedlings in the ground already. Some are in clustered cups, and now some are split up in larger cups. Something is bound to work. I have nearly 50 spinach seedlings between the three settings.
My living room is clearing out. I have cups covering The Rack, but there are only about a dozen left on the cardboard box island in the middle of the room. I have some downstairs in the greenhouse too, but I can't remember what is there. These really established tomatoes and peppers could go to the greenhouse now too, but I know my plants are so much further along than the neighbors' and I'm afraid that some will be stolen. It's a sad reality.
Tomorrow after the party, I'm going to check on the peas I transplanted the other day. The rain has been such good timing!
I will take pictures of the minicups for church in the morning. The lighting isn't good here at night.
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