Branching Out's Seeds and Sprouts

[Dahlia]

We roasted a bunch of the smallest ones whole last night, and they were yummy. Hopefully there will be carrot cake in our future too!

Carrot cake is my favorite!!!!

 

[Branching Out]

Your carrots are GORGEOUS!!!
You are now My carrot master, and I bow at your feet...and I Will be writing you for advice!!

Carrots were a challenge to figure out; it took years for us to get a reliable crop consistently. In our area I think it comes down to timing (and selecting the right variety, to match the season of harvest). These ones were started a couple of weeks after our last frost. Sowing in late June or early July works well for us too. To begin I add dry organic fertilizer, firm the seed bed well while the soil is dry, and then water deeply before sowing the seeds. For seed placement I use a template; that helps a lot in spacing out the seeds-- so no thinning is required afterwards. Once the seeds are in place they get a fine sprinkling of peat moss or Promix (mostly because it's weed-free), and then a gentle watering until the top dressing is completely moist. I finish by covering the patch with either row cover or else a sheet of plywood, until green sprouts appear. That can take a few days to a week, depending on the weather. At the first sign of growth the plywood comes off, and if using row cover it can stay in place. This might sound very complicated, but once you've done it a few times it's pretty easy. The end result is worth the extra effort.

 

[ducks4you]

I finish by covering the patch with either row cover or else a sheet of plywood, until green sprouts appear. That can take a few days to a week, depending on the weather. At the first sign of growth the plywood comes off, and if using row cover it can stay in place. This might sound very complicated, but once you've done it a few times it's pretty easy. The end result is worth the extra effort.

That is something I never would have thought to do!
Yet, I have not ever had a great carrot harvest, so it is worth trying!

 

[Branching Out]

Yesterday I harvested 5 peppers from our friend's unheated hoop house. The smallest is an Omarsko Kambe, and the others are likely Lesya peppers (no tag, so not sure about that). I am curious to know whether these plants may have developed some cold-tolerance after having lived outdoors right through December, and if so I wonder whether the seeds would be capable of carrying that cold-tolerant trait over to next season's crop. The plan is to save the seeds from each plant separately, and to try and germinate those seeds in the coming weeks. If there are enough robust seedlings I can try subjecting some of them to cold conditions earlier than what is typical, to see if they survive. Two of the peppers had soft spots so I took the seeds from those right away; the others will sit on the counter for a while, to see if they mature to red.