Rooting sweet potato slips

I took the opportunity to root a bunch of sweet potato slips today in some moist soil,  then promptly carried them indoors. I normally keep them outside during this phase, but it's gonna be 32 degrees tomorrow night. I'll likely lose every squash, cucumber, and melon plant in the garden.  :(

New japanese maple seedlings

Every year I try to take a few Japanese maple seedlings that have just germinated and place them into 3 gallon containers to grow until they're ready to transplant into someone's yard. So, here's the new arrivals of 2012 - seven tiny Bloodgood variety, that'll stay with me for at least 2-3 years.....

Making sweet potato slips for this year

Around the middle of March it's time to suspend a sweet potato in a jar filled with water so that homemade slips can be grown for the summer garden. Four toothpicks keep it in place, and with the water being changed weekly - produces nice slips in about 45 days. This one is well on it's way to doing just that, it would seem.....

Tomato seedlings to give away later

The wintersown tomatoes have been placed into cellpacks now, and in all come to 36 total plants to be given away in about 4 more weeks. Half are Better Boy, the other half Early Girl. These in the picture happen to be the latter of the two......

Time to plant corn

Regardless of the strange weather as of late, it's time to plant corn where I live. I always start mine in cellpacks, so that they can easily be moved indoors should freezing temperatures arrive. Anyway, here's my longtime favorite Peaches and Cream about to be covered, then watered well for germination to occur later.

Japanese maple transplants

My little trees have broken dormancy from their winter slumber once more, and are beginning to bud out with new growth. Year 3 will allow them to get some weak fertilizer, because they really need to grow by at least a foot or more.....

Purple zinnia seedlings with true leaves

After being put under constant artificial light for 5 days straight, the tiny purple zinnia seedlings are now getting their true leaves. With mild outdoor nightly temperatures now, these cellpacks are beings left out in the elements. Pretty soon, seeking will be all over the place. :)

Wintersowing some flowers

With just a few weeks until the arrival of spring, I decided to go ahead and wintersow several varieties of flowers to be used in the landscape this year. Cosmos, Coleus, zinnia, marigold, bachelor button, allysum, and petunia are just a few that will find their way into containers around the property later, and it's much cheaper than buying transplants at the store. Here's a few of the seed packs......

Wintersowing tomato seeds, part 2

Now, just 5 weeks later and with very little attention, here's a healthy looking seedling growing in it's new little greenhouse.  The best part - since mother nature germinated it, the plant is already acclimated to it's surroundings. No brief daily ventures outdoors for this little fella - no sir! Just plant and protect from frost.....

For the record, anything can be done this way - flowers, veggies, etc.

Jeff

Pepper seedlings

A quick glance at the contents of the largest propagation system shows that the pepper seedlings are doing pretty well so far. As a matter of fact, some thinning out is needed pretty quick, because those small containers won't support 3 individual plants later.

Anyway, most are beginning to get their true leaves too - which is a good thing. I hope friends and family want some pepper plants later, because I'll have like 30 extra to give away. Oops..... :)

Jeff