View Full Version : January Gardening
Hi all, I know not everyone can garden this time of year, but some can, and others can plan and dream.
I planted some lettuce seeds the other day and those are up. Today I planted several kinds of peppers/chilis as well as more tomatoes. I have lots of seed and enjoy planting it, so plant extras for a couple friends. We however have modest gardens compared to farming folk.
The peppers I planted are: Numex Joe E. Parker (anahiem type), serrano, poblano, mulato, jalapeno (mild and hot varieties), pasilla, and 3 bell types - red, yellow, and orange. Also 2 less common peppers - Czech. black and Bulgarian carrot. Also more early girl tomatoes. These were planted in 20 cell segments of plug flats, and put in a container and on a gerry-rigged heat source. In daylight hours, they are near a window so the sun should keep them warm enough.
When they germinate and are large enough, I'll put them into pony packs. They will grow slowly because of the shorter days and cooler temps, but will be ready to go into the ground when it's warm enough here - maybe early March.
Anyone else doing anything?
I'm in chilly New England, and I've already started gardening, albeit indoors. I planted a windowbox with micro greens that will stay in a sunny southern window. Last year, I cut the greens once or twice a week and put them on sandwiches or threw them into a salad mix.
Johnny's Seeds stated in their catalog that one can start spring crops in an unheated greenhouse as soon as the day length hits 10 hours, which where I live is around Feb. 1. I'm going to try a small experiment with this, but bring the flats in at night when its below freezing. I want to try a container tomato really early, since I can grow it in a greenhouse environment, but "early" means putting it out in the greenhouse in April. Around here the traditional date for setting out tomato plants is Memorial Day.
I've learned to not rush the beans, squash or cukes. They are really really stubborn about bending to my wishes for earlier crops. The best I've been able to do is a hardy zucchini that I covered with a cloche for the first few weeks. That allowed me to have the first fruit in June, which is relatively unheard of here.
My tomato seeds are germinating but the seed is old and I may only get about 70%. I decided to plant some more of those - I can always give away any extras.
It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow and I think I want to get my enclosed lettuce area refurbished for the first planting (sees are up and looking nice). First thing will be to screen the planting mix in some of the flats.
Yesterday I planted some peas in 5 gallon black plastic pots. Easier to keep the ground squirrels, bunnies, and birds from eating the vines. I planted snow peas and green arrow for regular peas. 3 pots of each - about 15 seeds/pot, roughly 2 inches apart.
I've been picking oranges for breakfast the past few days. They are nice and sweet. This seems a bit earlier than most years, but since this is the tree's first big crop, things could be different.
Today was unusually warm here in Kentucky (mid-40s) so I spent a couple of hours planting some of the flower bulbs that I somehow missed in the fall. :|( They were starting to sprout in their little bags here in the house, so I hope they'll be happier out in the garden. There's also some planting garlic that came as a Christmas gift, and I'm going to try to sneak that in here in the next couple of weeks, as well.
One thing I've learned about gardening so far is that it's both unpredictable and forgiving. Sometimes you do everything right and it still goes terribly wrong; other times you screw it up royally and are rewarded with unmerited abundance. I guess it's kind-of like life that way.
I've been going through my veggie seeds and writing up a planting schedule for getting the seedlings started indoors, according to how many weeks they can be inside before being transplanted out to the garden. Once that schedule is in place, I can look at the calendar and see that the tomatoes get started this week. It's relaxing work at that point to get the seedlings started a few pots at a time, and such a pleasure to check on them every morning to see who's sprouted overnight.
I'm also muddling over that vague line on a few of the cold-hardy seed packets: "as soon as soil can be worked in spring." I can work the soil now, but we've got a good month left of winter -- that probably means wait until sometime closer to actual spring, but not necessarily the frost date? If any more experienced gardeners can weigh in on that, I'd really appreciate it!
*sigh* The only gardening I will be doing for another couple of months is tending my many house plants. But the amaryllis are sending up 3 bud spikes, the cyclamen plants are blooming and the oleander has some new growth, so Spring must be coming. As for the garden, it is still under about 15 inches of snow.
As for when the soil can be worked, I've heard that when you can squeeze a handful of soil and have it hold together, it's time to plant. I do know that once I tried planting some Sugar Snap peas early and some about 2 weeks later, and they all ended up bearing at the same time. The early ones took longer to get up and going.
Hearing about all the bad weather elsewhere in the US, I'm almost feeling guilty about reporting what's going on here. Almost, but not totally. ;)
About 2/3 of my tomato seedlings are in their final containers (larger pony packs) before going out in the yard. The plants are 2-3 inches tall.
The various peppers seedlings are up, and many have also been transplanted into their pony packs before growing them out for final transplanting. Many of these will be given away too. There are more than 100 each tomato and pepper plants.
The early cukes are up - 5 survived, tho two aren't vigorous looking because I didn't carefully water them. Rats. I'll plant more later.
The lettuce is doing fine - I also plant these seeds in plug flats. Most of the 1 inch seedlings are not in their final flats up on benches, and totally enclosed in wire to twart all the voracious critters, - winged, slithering, jumping, hopping, burrowing and sneaky. And the next round of lettuce seeds has been planted. It can be grown here year round.
The blueberry plants are starting to seriously bloom, and a few are giving a few ripe berries from stray flowers the past couple months.
I suppose it's time to start thinking of planting some zucchini seeds. We only rarely have light frosts here, so if the year is warm, they can really take off early. If it remains cool, it just takes longer. Things don't die here when planted this early, they just don't prosper.
The blueberry plants are starting to bloom seriously and there are lots fo bees. There are also a few stray ripe berries from the few blooms the past couple months.
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Gina-
Loved hearing your activities- even vicariously gardening is great!
I am in chilly, icy, snow. I did however start geraniums under grow lights. I have some new baby chicks (egg layers) arriving March 1 and will be ordering my seeds and seed potatoes. For some reason I am having a great time this year planning my
I keep saying to DH, spring will be here before you know it.....ugg I'm so cheerful with all of this I just want to smack myself. :D
Loved hearing your activities- even vicariously gardening is great!
Thanks. When the spirit hits, you gotta just go with it.
It was lovely here today - sunny and in the mid 60's - perfect for yard work. I spent several hours weeding the main veg garden. A couple months ago we had 11 inches of rain in a week, and little since. That really got the weeds off to a good start. Here (SoCal) things start growing with the first rains in fall/winter and jsut keep growing till the soil dries (ave. May into June?) Then everything is dry over the summer, unless it's watered. Anyway, it's been warm lately so the weeds have been growing gang-busters... some taller than me. So today I spend a few hours dealing with them, and some other yard things.
There is still a lot to do, but the tomato seedlings are getting very close to going out. I'd love to get all the beds clear and deep mulched just in case we get more heavy rains with more weed seeds germinating. I hate it when I have to winter weed more than once.
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