Snow, Snow and More Snow

Will we ever see spring this year?

It may take until April to look like this again!

To start the day (after shoveling, of course), I prepped additional 4"x8" containers with drainage holes using a soldering iron.  It makes fast work of the project; a mask should be used as protection from the fumes.

The seeds I sowed today include:

Onions (Copra, Allium cepa): Planted one 4"x8" container using remainder of seed packet.  See entry on February 15, 2015 for full description.

Onions (Rossa di Milano, Allium cepa): Planted one 4"x8" container using remainder of seed packet. See entry on February 15, 2015 for full description.

Celery (Tall Utah 52/70 Improved, Apium graveolens var dulce): Botanical Interests, 2014.  Planted 3-6 seeds in ten 2" pots, pressing seeds into the soil and/or barely covering seed. Expected germination time, 10-30 days.  Characteristics: Tall, greener choice, can be harvested at any stage. low calorie, high fiber vegetable.  I may transplant some of the extra seedlings when there are three sets of leaves to produce extra plants.  In 2014 both leaves and chopped celery stalks were frozen as harvested.
See: https://www.botanicalinterests.com/products/view/0076/Celery-Tall-Utah-52-70-Improved-Seed

Sweet Potatoes:  I am now thinking there is a right and wrong end to a sweet potato for sprouting purposes.  I notices two sprouts growing in the submerged end in one of the sweet potatoes, the one without a robust rooting system.  I pinched off those shoots for now and will just observe future growth. I did decide, however, to start two "organic" sweet potatoes purchased last week.  I placed the pointed end of one of them into water and cut the second one in half and placed both cut surfaces into water.  We'll see what happens within a few weeks. 

Two-Week Checkup

Time for a two-week checkup!

I'm happy to report that many more geraniums, delphiniums, pansies, lavender, rosemary and Sweet William seedlings have emerged! Also four varieties of onions show signs of germination: Walla Walla, Copra, Ringmaster and Toyko Long White Bunching. These seedlings germinated early, in six days (maybe 5 since I didn't look closely yesterday), and now they join other containers on the kitchen table under growlights.

Nineteen geraniums - almost ready to separate the seedlings into their own cells.

Nine delphiniums slowing making their way into this world.

Eight pansies looking pretty!

Surprised myself by how many rosemary seedlings emerged - 27!

Sweet William seedlings need to be thinned soon, over 100 and counting!

Wet wipe containers come in handy!  Recycle and reuse, I say!