So most of the transplanting was done Tuesday, I admit but I'm going to be potting up my hot peppers in new containers today so it's T.T.Two. Being unable to find some of my containers since the move, I improvised and made these handy large pots with half a box lined with plastic bags - all recycled!
I couldn't resist including garden dino in the picture. She's been living inside this year until we find a suitable place for her outside. My dahlias (hortensis and pinata) are in their new digs, alpine strawberries all planted up with some place new to grow and hablitzias have more space to expand. Unfortunately, one of my cats thought that this was box was a perfect spot for their big derriere and sat in it - grumble, grumble - so two of my hablitizias are convalescing. I hope for a speedy recovery.
How not to start seedlings: overcrowded goji seedlings. I also discovered that a pot of very thickly sown mystery plants were goji berries that I didn't think would germinate hence the appearance that I was sprouting them for salad or something. I think I got 200% germination (you never know, maybe they all had double embryos - could happen). So I thinned viciously and now have a sane number of seedlings growing on.
Tomato seedlings sprouted. They go outside everyday with a clear cover on if its cold, as long as it's above 0-2C against a south facing wall which increases the temperature. They come in at night. My in/outdoor containers of sauce and keeper tomatoes are sprouting. The sauce tomatoes are Opalka that did fantastically one rainy blight filled year in the northeast, along with some South American Banana sauce tomatoes that I happened to have a pack of. To add to the cold season tomato supplies, there's Winter Keeper that you can store like an apple from Mapple Farms (sweet potato slip supplier and more), Principe Borghese for sun dried tomatoes and A Grappoli d'Inverno for yanking and hanging to dry inside.
The branches are to deter the cat's bottom. The big plants are cardoon and the tray is filled with anise hyssop and violas. The latter could really use transplanting. I'm hoping to hold off on the former so it can be transplanted in situ soonish. The kids helped with the transplanting. Who knew you could get dirt EVERYWHERE but on the roots? No, they did a pretty good job and learned a lot. My eldest 7.5 years old now, put dahlia seedlings in little trenches like a trooper. Trick for fast transplanting in trays or outside. I like to make a trench with my hands or space then place seedlings in it then backfill by pushing the dirt back in, instandly righting the plants. Easier than digging individual holes. I do the same thing for bulb transplant, just remember to stagger your transplants if you don't like the regimented appearance.
I couldn't resist including garden dino in the picture. She's been living inside this year until we find a suitable place for her outside. My dahlias (hortensis and pinata) are in their new digs, alpine strawberries all planted up with some place new to grow and hablitzias have more space to expand. Unfortunately, one of my cats thought that this was box was a perfect spot for their big derriere and sat in it - grumble, grumble - so two of my hablitizias are convalescing. I hope for a speedy recovery. 
How not to start seedlings: overcrowded goji seedlings. I also discovered that a pot of very thickly sown mystery plants were goji berries that I didn't think would germinate hence the appearance that I was sprouting them for salad or something. I think I got 200% germination (you never know, maybe they all had double embryos - could happen). So I thinned viciously and now have a sane number of seedlings growing on. 
Tomato seedlings sprouted. They go outside everyday with a clear cover on if its cold, as long as it's above 0-2C against a south facing wall which increases the temperature. They come in at night. My in/outdoor containers of sauce and keeper tomatoes are sprouting. The sauce tomatoes are Opalka that did fantastically one rainy blight filled year in the northeast, along with some South American Banana sauce tomatoes that I happened to have a pack of. To add to the cold season tomato supplies, there's Winter Keeper that you can store like an apple from Mapple Farms (sweet potato slip supplier and more), Principe Borghese for sun dried tomatoes and A Grappoli d'Inverno for yanking and hanging to dry inside. 
The branches are to deter the cat's bottom. The big plants are cardoon and the tray is filled with anise hyssop and violas. The latter could really use transplanting. I'm hoping to hold off on the former so it can be transplanted in situ soonish. The kids helped with the transplanting. Who knew you could get dirt EVERYWHERE but on the roots? No, they did a pretty good job and learned a lot. My eldest 7.5 years old now, put dahlia seedlings in little trenches like a trooper. Trick for fast transplanting in trays or outside. I like to make a trench with my hands or space then place seedlings in it then backfill by pushing the dirt back in, instandly righting the plants. Easier than digging individual holes. I do the same thing for bulb transplant, just remember to stagger your transplants if you don't like the regimented appearance.
14 comments:
Goji eh? I have a huge amount of it in one corner of my yard, but get very little from it. I really should look into pruning/culture. It was there when we moved in though and there are just so many other things to worry about! Anything you know about it to share?
Forative! Like a forest? or like an aperitif?
Forative: A spruce bud flavoured after sugaring drink?
'Fraid not when it comes to Goji berries. I got some dried berries several years ago and haphazardly sowed them as you can see. I hear mixed reports about growing success. I'll report back if mine make it through the trauma of transplating.
http://www.gojitrees.com/gojipruninginstruction.htm
Found this. Might be interesting to you. I will have to have a hard look at the structure of my Goji. It seems to me that it is just a mop of a plant right now; tall, but mop-like.
I am in the midst of setting up a blog for my garden in general, I will have to post about the Goji sometime. I will let you know when I get my blog set up.
Cheers,
Steve
Elast - Hardiest cultivar of a particular French/English spinach? Too big of a stretch? Epinards?
http://www.gojitrees.com/gojipruninginstruction.htm
Found this. Might be interesting to you. I will have to have a hard look at the structure of my Goji. It seems to me that it is just a mop of a plant right now; tall, but mop-like.
I am in the midst of setting up a blog for my garden in general, I will have to post about the Goji sometime. I will let you know when I get my blog set up.
Cheers,
Steve
Qualate - Really poor spelling of Quality? or just something really late?
Be glad your cat just sits on your seedlings - my cat eats them! (and almost any houseplant I try to keep)
I'm fascinated by the tomato seedlings - it's March, and they're going outside already? It was only 7C today. Do you still have to harden them off?
TechChik: Only during the day and they were covered with a plastic top. I bring them in at night or they'd be toast of course.
Steve/Anon: Thanks for the link. Looking forward to getting a gander at your blog. Elast: Sounds like a good kind of spinach - lasts all winter and summer!
Oh forgot to mention that no I don't have to harden these ones off because they have been exposed to this treatment since they were seeds. It's a technique I've been experimenting. Last year I did it with regular eating tomatoes and this year, I'm using it with the tomatoes I expect to gather for winter purposes. I was impressed by how well the plants grew and cropped.
Blog is live, but still under construction. More to come. I will be posting a look at what my little plot looked like when we moved in and where it stands now. Should include not only vegetable gardening, but fruit trees and shrubs along with the occasional flower!
As you might be able to tell, I was inspired by IWETMYPLANTS with the title. I thought "I Soiled My Plants" was just too close though! I love a good pun!
Cheers,
Steve
Undeor - Lost on this one!
Undeor: Where I usually lose things.
Oh the joy of cats. In previous years I never had cats in the garden. They stayed away from my late dog. But this neighborhood has a million cats roaming about. And how they love to leave presents. I'm thinking of investing in chicken wire.
Hello - I just stumbled across your blog while doing some research for my first family vegetable garden. I have grown a few veggies over the years - a little of this or that - and want to do something much BIGGER this year. Thanks for all the tips on your blog. It is proving very helpful for me and I am in Ottawa, too.
Glad you found something useful on here. It's part of why I write it. That and I luv gardening perhaps too much. Good luck with your bigger garden this year!
I've never tried hardening my tomatoes off so early either, good idea I imagine it makes them more hardy early off. I'm jealous how much you have growing already, I'm behind this year. Some things I started far too early(my amaranth and cardoon) but most things I'm late with. Must get to work this weekend!
They grow a bit slower when you start them out(ish)side - anyone who hasn't been reading, they come in at night or if it's really cold and are covered often in a mini greenhouse, but overall I really like the technique.
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