Monday's Odds 'n Ends #3

The geraniums have been potted up!

Following are the tasks I finished today that were carried over from this weekend:

1. Watered as needed. 
2. Fertilized as needed. 
3. Moved geraniums from 3" pots to 4 1/2" pots. 
4. Transplanted delphiniums. 
5. Transplanted black-eyed susans. 
6. Moved asparagus from 4-packs to 4" pots. 

The asparagus seedlings were buried two inches deep into bigger pots.

Postscript #1 -  No evidence of germination from the foxglove and coreopsis (full moon and early sunrise) seeds planted on February 28.  Research suggests up to a 30 day germination; I will wait until March 31 before declaring them not viariable (seeds were at six years old).

Postscript #2 - The first sowing of black-eyed susans (February 25) looks far less robust than the second sowing (February 28).  I will transplant the February 25 seedlings to individual 3" pots and toss the February 28 seedlings growing in the 4"x8" container. 

Skinny Seedlings

Seedlings emerge in various shapes and sizes. The ones that appeared overnight stand just over 1/2" tall and are as thin as a rail. They include celery (sowed February 18, 15 days), asparagus (sowed February 15, 18 days) and gypsophilia (sowed February 28, 4 days). They will be placed under growlights even though many other seeds in their containers haven't yet germinated.

The first three asparagus seedlings

I thinned the mixed snapdragons down to 65 seedlings in their 4"x8" container with the goal of transplanting three dozen after they've developed a second set of true leaves.  These seeds were very viable; it's reassuring to know that the seeds I harvested last year germinated at a very high rate. They are 1/4" tall after being sown only eight days ago. My hope is to have loads of snapdragons in the perennial bed as well as in containers on the patio.

Snapdragons are easy to grow and their seeds are easy to harvest!

TIP OF THE DAY!!  It's time to set up an oscillating fan near the young seedlings. I set the fan at a speed to mimic a gentle breeze.  Air circulation that is too forceful may be detrimental to your seedlings.  I run the fan for at least an hour or so a day, at no special time, just whenever I think of it. Supposedly, this helps ward off fungal diseases and develop sturdy stems, particularly for onions, leeks and scallions.  If you don't have a fan, brush the tops of the onions with your hand -- it works, too! 

Harvesting Sweet Potato Sprouts

The sweet potato tubers have been enjoying the warmth of the wood stove the past four weeks and one is now growing many leafy sprouts. The next step in producing slips is to snap off these sprouts and place them into a jar filled with tepid water. Within a week these cuttings should develop roots as they become full-fledged slips.

Here is a link to a helpful article about growing sweet potatoes:

http://outlawgarden.com/2012/04/25/grow-your-own-sweet-potatoes/

Postscript #1 - The first asparagus seedling appeared today (sowed February 15, 16 days). Also germinating was another white hibiscus (sowed February 17, 14 days) and Snapdragons Mixed (sowed February 25, 6 days).

The Humble Red Onion

I love red onions!  How could you not! The vibrant color (Is it purple? Is it red?) is really quite beautiful. Red onions have the reputation of being sweeter than white onions, but that is not necessarily my experience. Some of my white onions are pretty sweet in their own right. Nothing beats raw red onions though on top of a burger, fresh salad, tacos or any other Mexican dish for that matter. I often substitute them for yellow cooking onions but find that their color becomes washed out when heated.

Five red onion varieties, always interesting to see what grows best in my garden. 

Today I planted five different red onion varieties: two were grown last year and three are new to me. They are listed below by storage longevity, the most favorable at the top:

Red Onion (Rossa di Milano, Allium cepa): Fedco Seeds, 2015. Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4"-1/2" deep. Expected germination time: 10-17 days. Days to maturity, 114. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, full sun, intermediate to long day type, shaped like a buttercup squash, flat square-shouldered top tapering to a narrower flat bottom. You may snip seedlings back by half (from 6" to 3") two or three times before transplanting outdoors. Push down tops if stubborn to fall over in the fall. Excellent for storage, although may take a while to dry, should keep until following spring.
See: http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds/search?item=2490&listname=Onion&cookies=no

Red Onion (Red Bull, Allium cepa): Fedco Seeds, 2015. Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4"-1/2" deep. Expected germination time: 10-17 days. Days to maturity, 118. Characteristics:
F-1 hybrid, biennial, full sun, long day type, ultra-hard large red globes, sweet and mild type, shinier and darker than Rossa di Milano, red throughout. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Very good for storage, should keep until following spring.

See: http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6799-red-bull.aspx

Red Onion (Red Amposta, Allium cepa): Botanical Interests, 2015. Planted two 4"x8" containers 1/4" deep, one set of seeds from 2013 and the other from 2015. Expected germination time: 10-15 days. Days to maturity, 115. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, bienniel, full sun, intermediate day type (did fine last year in Zone 6a), large reddish-purple globe shaped (3-4"), red and white rings, sweet, likely originated in central Asia or Middle East. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Knock over the rest of the onion tops when half have already done so. Dry in sun for a few days, remove the roots and greens, leave 1" of the neck to seal.  Stores well.

See: https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0202/Onion-Red-Amposta-Seeds

Red Onion  (Wethersfield, Allium cepa): Livingston Seed, 2014.  Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4" deep. Expected germination time: 4-10 days. Days to maturity, 100. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, aka Dark Red Beauty, dates back to 1852 from Wethersfield, CT, full sun, long day type, large flattened globe with purple-red skin, mildly pungent with red concentric rings. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Fair storage.
See: http://www.smartgardener.com/plants/1556-onion-wethersfield-red/overview

Red Onion (Red Tropeana Lunga, Allium cepa): MI Gardener, 2015. Planted one 4"x8" container 1/4" deep. Expected germination time: 10-17 days. Days to maturity, 100-110. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, full sun, long to intermediate day, red torpedo bulbs, Mediterranean origin, comes from Tropea region of Italy, pungent with a balance of sweet, likes cool night temperatures. Cut seedlings back by half two or three times (from 6" to 3") before transplanting outdoors. Not good for storage.
See: http://seedsforgenerations.com/product/onion-tropeana-lunga/

I also decided to sow a few seeds appropriate to Week 12:

Leeks (American Flag, Allium ampeloprasum): Livingston Seeds, 2014. Planted pelletized seeds in one 4"x8" container 1/4" deep. Expected germination time: 5-7 days. Days to maturity, 125-140. Characteristics: heirloom, open-pollinated, biennial, partial sun, sweeter and milder alternative to the onion, similar in appearance to large scallions.  Although the packet recommends 4" spacing between plants in the garden. I am more generous with the spacing at 6-8". Shanks should be 1" in diameter at time of harvest. They are cold tolerant and can be kept in the ground through light frosts.
See: https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0205/Leek-American-Flag-HEIRLOOM-Seeds

Asparagus (Mary Washington, Asparagus officinalis):  MI Gardener, 2015.  Planted seeds into six 4-packs, 4 seeds per cell. Expected germination time, 28 days, generally longer. Since germination is slow, it may be advisable to soak the seeds in warm water prior to sowing, up to 2 days. Days to maturity, 780. Characteristics: perennial, fern-like growth 4-5 feet tall, member of the lily family, long, crisp and sweet spears, pick at 5-8 inches long, considered delicacy by ancient Greeks, originated near the Mediterranean Sea, full sun, space 18" apart, plant at depth of 6-10". This variety is a very strong growing and productive strain and is rust-resistant. Do not harvest first and second years; third year you may harvest for two weeks and by the fourth year, you may harvest throughout the spring growing season. At end of season, prune back foliage when it turns brown. Mature bed can last for 20-30 years.
See: http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/asparagus/asparagus-mary-washington-prod000569.html

TIPS OF THE DAY!!  Don't over peel your red onions.  Most of the goodness, the flavonoids, are found in the outer layers. Flavonoids are thought to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes and assist memory function.  Not a shabby list of health benefits!

Also, don't store any bulb onion in the refrigerator but rather in a cool, well-ventilated container. I use old mesh bags and store them all winter long in my basement pantry.