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.

 

[Branching Out]

We took a walk this afternoon, and were reminded of the beauty of nature just five minutes from our house. This photo is of a nearby ravine with a creek running through it; the sound of the water rushing over the rocks can be so soothing.

 

[Shades-of-Oregon]

Nice pics. Looks very much like Oregon.

 

[Branching Out]

For several years we have done our best to grow fava beans, and while it has gone okay last year the plants were more or less destroyed by black flies. I was able to salvage some seeds, so I'm trying again. Starting them really early may be helpful, so on January 16th I got some seeds going and now nine of them have green shoots poking above the soil. The leaves start off yellow but green up really quickly once exposed to light. Here they are basking in the winter sun on our deck. So pretty. Temperatures will be below freezing overnight so I will bring them in and then pop them out on the deck again in the morning.

 

[AMKuska]

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.

I'm going to try this! I've gotten a few good carrots but it has been a long road.

 

[Branching Out]

I'm going to try this! I've gotten a few good carrots but it has been a long road.

I hope that growing carrots will go well for you AMKuska. Here we have had the most success with growing them in large half barrel-sized containers, and also in a raised bed. Placing row cover over top for the first few weeks seems to help a lot too; it limits weeds, provides extra warmth, and keeps the humidity even. During the heat of summer I moved the big containers out of the direct sun so I didn't have to water them as often. In 2024 I never got around to sowing summer carrots-- but we were able to eat the ones sown in containers in spring right through the winter. This photo was taken on February 1st.

Note that if you try to sow seeds of biennials such as carrots too early the plants may think they have gone through winter and bolt: https://fullcirclefarm.blog/2021/05/04/stop-babying-your-seedlings-hardening-off-and-leaning-out/