The leeks and shallots are stared under the grow lights..

[rayinpenn]

The leeks and shallots are stared under the grow lights. Even thought winter hasn’t been much I know spring is coming. I started lots of leeks and shallots yesterday. Perhaps a bit late but they will get moved into my green house some time in April and really have time to catch up.

This year lettuce peppers, leeks, shallots and tomatoes, glorious tomatoes. I think I’ll pass on potatoes as I am avoiding starchy foods in my diet.

New this year is a full sun garden, the giant pine trees are no more.
The pots are I can’t believe it’s not butter, the tags are a cut up milk carton. I refuse to grow a $14 tomato..

 

[audreyh1]

Love them both and use them a lot in my cooking. Never did try to grow them though. We grew everything else you mention, but once we started traveling a lot it became impractical to manage a home veggie garden. Plus the growing trees eventually shaded out our sunny patch. It sure was tasty while it lasted......

 

[pacergal]

Yes, it is about time to start thinking of summer garden again! We have had various luck in different fruits and veggies over the years. Have never figured out what worked or failed and why, just try something different the next year!
Lately though, our blueberries are the only consistent success I have had. I will try tomatoes, peppers, and possibly zucchini again (can't believe it failed massively the last two summers--who doesn't run from the home gardener with zucchini?? )

 

[Gumby]

I started leek, celery, cabbage and artichoke seeds under lights ten days ago. Only the artichokes are not yet up. For shallots, I just save some of the bulbs from last year's crop and direct sow them in April. This weekend, I'll start parsley and broccoli seeds under the light, followed by melon seeds in two weeks. Our community garden plot opens up on April 1, and the first thing I need to do is till under the winter wheat I planted last fall.

 

[PoorOldCountryBoy]

We're leaving for 3 weeks in Florida, and one of the techniques I use is I have also started leeks this week in old mushroom containers. I can make the soil muddy and mostly cover with plastic wrap. I leave them on a window sill, probably about 55 at night and 65+ degrees in the day.
The slow evaporation and 14 day germination are just right so when I get back they are all up.


I trim the leeks a couple times before transplant and use the cuttings in a buttermilk-leek-herb bread that is a spring favorite.



I plant shallots directly as bulbs in May.

 

[Pellice]

We're leaving for 3 weeks in Florida, and one of the techniques I use is I have also started leeks this week in old mushroom containers. I can make the soil muddy and mostly cover with plastic wrap. I leave them on a window sill, probably about 55 at night and 65+ degrees in the day.
The slow evaporation and 14 day germination are just right so when I get back they are all up.

What a great idea! Thank you.

 

[jcfradio]

Since we are farther north here in Canada, we can't start our seedlings too early as they won't go into the garden until late May. I did start 5 different types of peppers this week and next week will be the busy one when I start the tomato plants. I checked and I have 21 different types of tomatoes to choose from. There are lots of different heritage cherry tomatoes of different colors to choose from as well as some unusual larger ones including a stuffing tomato that looks like a sweet pepper. I won't have room for all of them, so I will need to be selective.