To The South Window!

[digitS']

Mostly some Asian Greens nearer - they can go in the temporary hoop house in a few weeks. Those seedlings will stay here in the South Window through the nighttime when the room will drop to 60°f (16°C).

Beyond them is the cookie box with some Sweet Peppers. They will have to be moved back above the fridge for "room temperature" through the nights for quite some time. However, those Giant Marconi seedlings need some sunlight, today! Others are starting up above soil surface but there is also no sign of some. The Hot Peppers are puttering along and they aren't making it out to the South Window this morning. These pepper seeds went into the mix about 10 days ago. I'm pleased to see the Giant Marconi make such a quick start but being ahead of the others may make it more difficult for those others to catch up. That's one problem about having a "community" container for starting.

The Joelene peppers (Oregon State University release) were a first timer in 2022 and did very well. The Big Bertha are a first timer this year and supposed to be a "giant bell." That is likely to mean that they may only have one fully developed fruit/plant in my garden. Anyway, it is something to balance the King of the North which is quite productive. Whopper Bells are in front of Bertha and have done well for many years. Really, I am most optimist about the long Italian types - Giant Marconi & Joelene. Wonderful in a casserole!

Now! Let's have some sunshine ... it's overcast and there are little flakes of snow falling with more of that sorta thing forecast through the morning. Do you have some seedlings enjoying the Sunshine? I won't tell mine about it because it will just make them jealous!

Steve

 

[Branching Out]

My seedlings are mostly all outside enjoying the sunshine today, but we have had so little of it that I am afraid they might get sunburned! Some are covered with row cover, in the hopes that it will act like sunscreen for the little guys. While we still have a lot of snow on the ground it feels like spring today.

DigitS', have you grown Giant Marconi peppers before? And were they prolific? I am not familiar with these huge peppers.

 

[digitS']

were they prolific?

They weren't prolific for me, Branching Out, but they were lovely peppers. Let's see, I first mentioned them on TEG in 2008 and was already familiar with Giant Marconi in that post ... .

They have been in my garden far more often than not, in recent years. Sometimes, I have been ordering seed from the wrong companies and the seed hasn't been at hand. I've grown OP Marconi quite often but, while they are more productive, they aren't a first choice.

The last 2 seasons, peppers have done very well. Joelene did super in 2022 and I'm pleased to try it again, realizing that it might be a more normal growing season and it would, therefore, have a bit more of a struggle.

Steve

 

[digitS']

The first cookie box of tomato seedlings made it out to the window this morning. Things are mostly looking good; there have been a number of new peppers showing up. The one lagging is the Joelene.

I want to encourage folks to save seed. @heirloomgal and others do a good job in that effort and should be an encouragement to others. Even those of us buying some hybrids each year can save some open-pollinated choices.

Tomatoes and peppers - I find those easy choices. There is the problem of cross pollination in the garden, however. This has been especially true in my experience with peppers. I have some advantages. One is having a small garden at home with nearly no neighbors growing vegetables. My larger garden is miles away and has a nice mix of most everything. A pepper plant or two of the Joelenes can be isolated at home in 2023, for example. Not being exposed to the other peppers should really limit any chance of crossing.

It is a little disappointing how often purchased seed struggles with emerging. The Joelene seed was new in 2022 - why the delay? It's an OP and I suspect that it is only a delay so I should be able to succeed with simple isolation and saving.

The tomatoes show something similar. One that is lagging is from seed purchased this year! I thought that I could balance this report by saying that some saved seed has also failed to emerge. I made a note to myself last year that it was saved in 2019"?" ... The question mark must have been ignored later in the season and I didn't save seed. I wasn't sure if it was 2019 or 2017. I shoulda hedged my bet. Anyway ... this afternoon, HERE those 2019(7) seeds COME!

Steve, who simply uses #1, a 5 year benchmark for seed saving and #2, saves the preceding harvested seed to be sure that the plants from new seed comes true to type. and the seed those Jolene peppers, they are gittin' saved!

 

[Branching Out]

Dan Jason of Salt Spring Seeds said that he will be planting more seed crops this year than he has ever done in his 47 years of growing, which tells me that gardeners are putting seeds in the soil in record numbers (and good chance he has some concerns about seed security too). That record numbers of people are gardening in our area is very encouraging. Several independent seed companies have 'please save the seeds' written on their seed listings, and that is good to see as well. I also like reading about how these independent growers put effort into sharing rare seeds with each other in a collaborative fashion as well.

I am trying to save as much seed as possible too, and like you Steve I find those tomato and pepper seeds are among the easiest to collect. It's kind of addicting! My neighbour is keen on growing shelling peas this year, so that will be a priority as well.

I am considering saving carrot seeds because one of the varieties that I like is not readily available to purchase this year, and I over-wintered those carrots so I am kind of half way there if I want to give it a try. Has anyone tried moving an over-wintered vegetable to a new location in the spring, to grow it on for seed? If I have to leave these carrots in the ground for another six months I would like to find a different spot to put them. Currently they are planted in a prime garden location, and I would like to use that warm, sunny spot for tomatoes instead.

And lastly, I just tried an experiment to kind of 'water prime' some tomato seeds by soaking them in warm water overnight to see if it hastens or improves numbers for germination. By fluke I noticed that we have a warming burner on the stove that keeps water at more or less the ideal temperature if you use a double-walled stainless steel container to hold the water that the seeds go in. (Don't want to boil the seeds by accident). They are now winter sown in a milk jug with non-primed seeds of the same variety. It will be interesting to see which ones 'pop' first. In the coming days I would like to try priming pepper seeds too.

 

[digitS']

Has anyone tried moving an over-wintered vegetable to a new location in the spring, to grow it on for seed?

I have not but know that it is a bit problematic to have your "mother plants" in the wrong location. Moving a mature plant seems to encourage flowering and a carrot is such a large root with a good deal of stored energy that I really suspect that moving it wouldn't impede the process.

We must all have had carrots beginning to grow in the refrigerator and I have stored harvested carrots, parsnips and celeriac in a garden clamp well beneath the soil surface, to protect from freezing. We have to hasten to make use of them during the final weeks of Winter and Spring because they are beginning to grow.

My neighbour is keen on growing shelling peas this year, so that will be a priority as well.

It's a little embarrassing to admit that I have only saved pea seed once. Weevils! I think they may have been hollowing out every seed. I was new to saving any seed and thought to kill them in the freezer, since it was time for sowing. A couple of days later, I took the seed out and they were still alive and soon boring out of the seeds. I tossed the bag in the garbage and never tried it again .

Steve
BTW, the Joelene peppers are beginning to show up. fortunately, they aren't all that late and should be able to compete for sunlight etc. in the box with the other varieties.

 

[heirloomgal]

I haven't @Branching Out, but a friend of mine who is a seed seller (and lives in Manitoba) has to dig up all her root crops for seed in late fall, store them in sand in a cold place indoors, and replant in spring. Carrots, beets, turnips, etc. All seed savers in my climate too have to dig up roots and replant in spring so it can't be too problematic. The only thing about carrots that can be tricky with seed saving is they get inbreeding depression, so your population has to be a pretty good size to avoid that. Apparently, of all garden veggies no crop is more badly affected by ID than carrots. I've read at least 100 specimens, but that's not experience based on my part.

 

[Zeedman]

The only thing about carrots that can be tricky with seed saving is they get inbreeding depression, so your population has to be a pretty good size to avoid that. Apparently, of all garden veggies no crop is more badly affected by ID than carrots. I've read at least 100 specimens, but that's not experience based on my part.

The other problem with saving carrot seed is potential crossing with wild carrot (Queen Anne's lace). It is widespread over much of North America (and a very common weed here). You would want to watch for their flower umbels & cut them down, but even then might get some crossing from far-ranging pollinators.

Unless saving carrot seed, Queen Anne's lace is 'good' weed to have near the vegetable garden, since it attracts beneficial insects.

 

[digitS']

We certainly have the Queen Anne's Lace. It grows here where the ground has been fallow.

Into the forest edge is Wild Parsnip, very common. Wild asparagus all along the rivers.

We have certainly been followed around by these plants. When we see the definition "introduced," and think contaminated seed or hitchhiker on a covered wagon, we are likely ignoring that some were and are common garden plants.

 

[Branching Out]

Carrots sure don't seem to make it easy to save seeds: in-breeding depression, out-crossing with wild flowers or Dara, a long time frame for them to occupy garden space that could otherwise be put to productive use or summer crops, and then another long wait to plant the fresh seeds that are harvested. Plus several months to see whether those seeds grow into a carrot, or perhaps a flower if out-crossed. I think those overwintered carrots will be destined for carrot cake!