Stevia round 4 started in PT -- first batch of new seeds

West Coast, 2023 year.  Packet says only 68% germination rate!  

Stevia round 3 started in PT bec others not growing well

Oh my, the stevias aren't doing well so far this year... after germinating they're either crisping up, or seemingly alive but not growing...  so, started more seeds today...

Stevia round 2 started in PT (3 seeds) -- Various sprouts (not only stevia) have fizzled/dried out?? before taking off

I don't remember this happening in past years, so I wonder if it could have something to do with my mix?   Or maybe I'm not watering carefully enough.  But this year I've lost several PT-sprouted seeds after transplanting, where they make an appearance but then dried up / die before fully emerging.  But anyway, it hasn't been too bad, just a few here and there.

Seeds to buy for 2024 season (notes during 2023 season)

Stevia (because only ~3 seeds left)

Stevia started in PTs -- 5 seeds (maybe a bit early?)

^^^

Zinnia seeds being eaten! (probably the house sparrows since those are the only birds this winter)

^^^

Several broccolis disappeared -- can't find the seeds! Buried too deep? Round 2 started in PT.

^^^

All 10 piracibaba broccoli germinated! Potted up.

^^^

Onions round 2 started in PT (to fill in gaps in the original round)

^^^

Parsley, celery, and broccoli started in paper towels

Forest Green parsley,

Piracicaba broccoli (not doing any of the other types this year),

Tall Utah Improved celery (from the foil package seed selection from several years ago).

Wild rabbit droppings

Ok, maybe not veganic, but came across some droppings of the local neighbourhood wild rabbits; collected it and tossed it on one of the vegetable beds.  Will keep my eyes open for more!

Decided not to buy soybean meal (for fertilizer) unless can find organic

Saw this blog post recently.

A google search for "Aminopyralids" and "soy" shows they can be used for soy.  So, I won't risk buying non-organic soybean meal for now.  Haven't been able to find an organic source yet, so, will just keep doing without soybean meal.

The article says it's not used for alfalfa, so that's good.  (Besides, the next bag of alfalfa pellets I'll be buying will be organic.)

Tuberous begonia potted up

Wakey wakey!

In my home-mixed mix.

Home-blended seed starting mix -- First attempt

Mixed up a fairly small batch, which will be used for the onions, begonia, and whatever else things whose starting time is coming soon.

Here's the recipe I used:

20 cups peat moss

10 cups ProMix Premium Potting Mix*

3/4 cup perlite

3/4 cup vermiculite

1/2 cup kelp meal

1/2 cup alfalfa pellets **

zero cup soybean meal because I don't have any yet, but when I do I'll use 1/2 cup

1/4 cup rock phosphate

1/8 cup dolomite lime

1/8 cup myccorhizae

1/8 cup azomite

* It's supposed to be 10 cups of compost, but I don't have my own and haven't found a vegan source yet, so for now using potting mix to replace it.  ProMix told me (when I inquired by email) that their Premium Potting Mix has no animal-based ingredients; its fertilizer is chemical-based.  I wonder if I even need to use ProMix at all, given the other nutrient aspects of this mix...

** This time I just put in the pellets as-is, but for next time and for adding to this batch -- for better / more even distribution I'll pre-soak the pellets to get them to disintegrate, then spread them out to dry.  This will integrate into the mix much better.

I'm wondering about adding some of the shredded leaves stored in my basement... haven't done it yet as I'm not sure if it could introduce disease etc...

Onions started in PT (the original seeds from the 2016 collection)

Here we go!  First seeds started.  Decided to try only the oldest onion seeds, which are now 7 years old and see how germination goes. 

Bought most seed-starting materials today

Most of the stuff is from Ritchie's.  So here's what I'll be using, based on JV's recipe:

sphagnum peat moss

perlite

vermiculite

dolomite lime (pelletized)

Promix Premium Potting Mix (since I don't have compost) (the company says it has no animal inputs -- though it isn't organic)

alfalfa meal

soybean meal (TBD -- they're sold out currently)

kelp meal

rock phosphate

mycorrhizae

Looking forward to getting started soon!

And another chard harvest -- still under plastic

^^^

Another chard harvest -- still under plastic (mild day today)

Not sure how much they're actually growing given the cold weather and low sun, but it's nice to get a few more harvests.

Chard(/lettuce) now covered under clear plastic instead of blanket

(The blanket thing was lazy/dumb)

Just for fun to see how long the harvest might last.

Chards semi-flopped from cold; will cover from tonight's snow

Last night wasn't particularly cold -- minus 5 -- but today the central bed's chards are semi-flopped and didn't bounce back during the day.  So, did a potentially-final? harvest.

Snow is coming tonight/tomorrow (5 to 10 cm) so just for fun I decided to cover the chards (and the mini late-sow lettuce).  Placed a tall fence over them then simply draped the blue curtains over the chards (including the ones against the west house, which haven't flopped yet) and a sheet over the lettuce.