Sowing Seeds

I've begun sowing my seeds for this spring. Some seeds can be given a head start on the season by sowing indoors. All of my seeds are heirloom varieties. Buying heirloom varieties is extremely important. Seeds are the key to feeding yourself and many varieties have been bought up by large companies, destroyed and replaced with proprietary seeds. Which means if you save and grow these seeds you are breaking the law. Here is an interesting post on the matter. Do You Know Where Your Seed Comes From?

I bought my seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Hopefully I will have better luck with the tomatoes this year and be able to give a report. I'm excited to be growing Pineapple tomato. It's gotten really good reviews from other sites. Supposedly it's the best some have tasted. Hmmm.....Hopefully we'll see!
I've been saving the bottoms of my milk cartons for a while now. Last year I used egg cartons. I didn't like this so much. I found the egg cartons were too shallow. The milk cartons are deeper and usually I only use them for transplanting cuttings or individual plants. We'll see how it goes. I bought my seed starting mix this year. I've been reading up on how to make my own, but I'm just not ready for that yet.

Once they sprout and develop true leaves, I'll post on how to transplant. The brown carton like material you see in the picture is the packing material for the Cricut my brother-in-law bought the girls for Christmas. There were several pieces and they are really working out well as seed starting trays. Hey there's a use for most everything if you think hard enough!

(I even keep used disposable plastic bags that stuff comes in. When I clean the cat's litter box I put the clumps in one and throw it away. That way it serves one more purpose before being ditched. Also I don't have to purchase bags for this purpose.) Remember though, the best way to cut down on trash is to not purchase things that have an excess of it anyway.

These are free trees I got at our last New Orleans Garden Club Council meeting. The state forestry director was there and gave them out. I got five overcup oaks, six river birches and three bald cypress, all native Louisiana trees. I will be planting them tomorrow.

List of seeds that I planted:

14 Tomato Varieties:
S. Marzano
Cuor Di Bue
Riesentraube
Egg Yolk
Pink Accordion
White Currant
German Red Strawberry
Cherokee Purple
Henderson's Winsall
Orange Banana
Aunt Ruby's German Green
Dr. Carolyn Yellow
Great White
Pineapple

6 Eggplant Varieties:
Black Beauty
Rotonda Bianca
Ping Tung
Louisiana Long Green
Thai Long Purple
Early Long Purple




7 Peppers Varieties
Sweet Yellow Stuffing
Purple Jalapeno
Sweet Chocolate
White Habanero
Purple Beauty
Thai Red Chili
Emerald Giant

Other Varieties Planted:

Tomatillo Purple
Ground Cherry