08 February 2008
[This is my first garden journal entry. You might notice a slightly different style in the writing (and the length), which is because it was written in Word instead of MT.]
So, it's only the middle of early February (or is it the beginning of the middle?), and I've already got my garden started. Of course, it happened by accident. Yes, I'm guilty of fondling seed packets, was doing so as early as a month ago, but I've always had the good sense to put down the packet of potential bush beans (or whatever) and face the fact that it's still winter. And it will be for a long, long time.
Even though I've been thinking about this year's garden since before last year's was done growing, I don't want to rush things. The Minnesota climate doesn't support year-round growing, unless you count listless indoor herbs. The fact that Swiss chard supposedly gets sweeter the colder it gets outside is interesting, but useless. Nothing gets sweeter at twenty below (that's Fahrenheit, of course); it only gets crispier. Frozen, I mean.
But despite the low sun and short days, I've been seeing a lot of these 'grow your own salsa/pizza-seasoning/ratatouille' kits (perhaps not the last one, although that's basically what my garden served as last summer). I know better than to think that I could start growing a tomato plant from seed in December, much less in a teeny tiny pot, but I was still taken in. I will force the growing season to begin.
Anyway, I planted my future-salsa (tomato seeds, jalapenos, parsley, and cilantro) some weeks back, and I've been watching their predictable spindliness since then. I'm not very good with seedlings, even given long days of sunshine and the occasional above-freezing high temperature (neither of which is available just at the moment). The seeds sprout, since I have almost nothing to do with that, then they grow a couple of leaves before growing to a height of six inches -- still with only the two leaves, of course -- before falling over, where they continue to grow another few meters, snaking over the edge of the pot and along the floor, before finally giving up and dying.
So if I want an actual plant, I have to buy it in plant form. But when several of my tomato seedlings produced more than two leaves, leaves which were shaped like tomato plant leaves, I went into action. Out came the yogurt pots I knew I had been hoarding for a good reason, and in went my future fruit producers. I've got three hand-selected tomato seedlings and one jalapeno.
The thing is, though, that I have no idea what variety the tomatoes are. For some reason, I doubt that they're the heirlooms I've got space staked out for in my mental veggie plot, but this is my plan: IF my seedlings somehow survive and turn into real live actual tomato plants, I'll find the space for them (...in the front yard?). If I didn't know better, I would say I'd implemented some genius planning, because now none of my planned-for tomato yield will rest on the success of these seedlings, but if they DO succeed, I'll be that much more tomato-rich. Either way, it'll be a live-and-learn process, and maybe NEXT year I'll have the guts to grow my own heirloom seedlings.
[This post was getting spammed, so comments have been closed.]
Hi Anna!
I am justgetting into sewing and was pointed to your tutorial, I amupto sewing the sides..but..
When do we sew over the bottom of the outer fabric?
posted by Annie at February 10, 2008 02:31 AM
Annie -- Right after you sew up the sides. You can see it sewn up in one of the photos. Good luck!
posted by Anna at February 10, 2008 03:33 AM
Dear Anna,
I'm going to live together with my boyfriend from this year on and we also think of planting and growing our own vegetables. Only problem is I don't know anything about gardening, still I've already bought quite some seeds :) It's inspiring to read you can't await the right season, too. Good luck with your tomato plants.
posted by Mina at February 10, 2008 11:33 AM
But I am confused,help before I pull all my hair out lol
posted by Annie at February 11, 2008 12:52 AM
I think the thing to do is to eat them when they get to the stage in that top picture and then plant more.
posted by Rob at February 12, 2008 12:18 PM