Tomato Start-Ups...

Catching Sunlight In Storage Bins

Those l'il opaque plastic storage bins with lids have proven great mini-greenhouses for peat-potted seeds. There were a few unutilized ones collecting dust in the garage; I sequestered them because they seemed the perfect thing to haul my seedlings out into the 50-degree days.

Remember the little "prizes" that came in the cereal boxes of our [my?!!] youth-- the ones with a plastic dome, gray sponge, and some unidentifiable seed (likely alfalfa sprouts)? I sprouted many a packet right there in my bedroom window-- wet the sponge, sprinkle seed, cover... et VOILA!!!

Well, think thus, but on a grandiose scale.

About ten days ago I seeded several different veggies in peat pots. While many of the pots have not sprouted a thing, others have shot forth all three or four seeds I dropped therein. Now, I know the common method is to 'cull' the smaller seedlings-- to pluck the "slow-growers" and leave the healthiest sprouts to solo-grow. Well...

Look, if I were concerned with breeding... sure, I'd want the fastest, strongest seeds/plants as [re-]producers, as parent plants. I'd pluck and choose, keeping only the tallest, most 'vigorous' greenery. But... my concern right now is PRODUCE.

Way I see it, if I seeded 15 peat pots with 3-4 seeds each, and some have yet to sprout a single thing, whilst others have shot up every single seed...
Just because one of four is a bit more minuscule than Papa Pepper... the shorter sprout is still stronger stock than a non-springing seed, oui?

So I spent an hour or so this ante-meridian separating those tri's and quads, and will hopefully be rewarded with a plethora of produce come pickin' time.




I've now put a heat source [a borrowed heating pad-- Thanks, MOMLADY!!!] under the unsprouted lot-- primarily the yellow cukes and eggplant, but also the peats that have yet to spring seedling forth. If nothing comes of, then I'll re-use the peat pots, gearing for stagger-plantings.

In the mean time, I have a great lot of self-generated tomato seedlings readying for transplant long abouts 'easter'. [Two reliable local sources use this mobile date for earliest out-of-doors garden planting. Gonna follow suit, me. Except for exceptions already accepted! HA!]

And, I gots some dirty fingernails... better go scrub those, I reckon. Might wanna dig in some Flower's Garden later. Grit ain't all the rage there, really...

You folks have a good night. Let me know how your early garden planning/readying is marching-- no pun intended-- along!

Slainte!

Cygnus