Got my seeds started in the house

[chris_harper]

For my garden this year! Started them last week. I have japs, TAM japs, anaheims, sweet banana peppers, California Wonder bell peppers, Roma tomatoes, & white onions started. Tomato seeds already have sprouts sticking up. Using the Jiffy indoor greenhouse thing, 72 pellets in a plastic thing- $6 at Wal-Mart. I also have my squash seeds to plant also. I still have 5 Anaheim pepper plants standing from last year's garden. Hopefully they will bear some fruit again this year. This year the garden is going to be a lot bigger than last year. Last year was my first garden that produced (and my second go at it), so this year I am ready for a big garden.

 

[alblancher]

Good luck,  I have learned the hard way that the bigger the garden the bigger the arguments with the wife!  Especially when you get to the point that you start to buy implements for the tractor.

All she sees is all the weeding she'll have to do.  I put all my stuff out about 3 weeks ago, the tomatoes are up to my knee now.  At least they where last week, we got some near freezing weather last weekend and I have to get back up there and see if they made it.  We got the same going in except the onions.   I also got a couple of hundred feet of corn and couple of hundred feet of pole beans.  Hope to start picking strawberries this week, had lots of flowers on them 2 weeks ago.

Keep in touch, let me know how it goes.  If we don't get rain this summer like last year it just makes for low yields and a lot more work trying to keep everything watered.

 

[chris_harper]

Well, since I am divorced I don't have to worry about "the wife" lol. No tractor either- a garden spade, a rake, water hose, sprinkler- those are my tools available. I tend to do stuff the hard way (or the cheap way, hehe). Use a rototiller to get the ground ready. I don't eat onions or tomatoes. I will use some in cooking and give away the rest. I eat the hell out of peppers and squash though. I bought a new Jiffy thing, and bought refills for the one I used last year. So I have a lot more started, plus I want to grow more squash than last year. I want to get into canning peppers also.

 

[alblancher]

Let me know how the canned peppers work out.  After years of eating limp, mushy canned japs I decided to slice and let sit in some lime for a day or so.  They came out pretty crisp and hold their shape well. 

 

[chris_harper]

LOL, I don't have any of the canning tools yet. Mushy is not my thing either. The only ones I eat from the can, or jar, is the nacho rings. Otherwise I prefer fresh. I have been reading in the canning section, reading all I can on canning/pickling peppers.

 

[richoso1]

Chris, you've got the right idea about starting the seeds indoors using a germination station, as I call it. You can get a good jump start by starting them indoors, I planted some japs and habs late December. If you use a heating mat, it will help speed up the germination process. Thanks for the update, and take care my friend.

 

[chris_harper]

Heya Rich! I do have a heating pad, but don't think I need it. I checked yesterday and the tomatoes already have sprouts! I just started them like last Wednesday.