Nothing fancy here, I use toilet paper cores, cutting them in 3, that’s my seed pot, laying them over some junk mail in a box I already have, reuse them every year.
1 Like
Thanks to Amazon, my grow light already arrived (ordered less than 24 hours ago). I looked it up and seems up to 16 hours daily recommended. (For indoor seed plantings).
Thoughts???
My AeroGarden has a light setting for seedlings of from 8 am to 11 pm so about 15 hours.
I sprouted my tomato seeds on a wet paper towel and now I have 3 emerging seedlings, the problem is I don’t know if they are Delicious or Celebrity variety, whatever it is I will enjoy early fresh tomatoes in 70-77 days.
Tree peony bloom, Kamata Fuji
4 Likes
@abasket - I liked the idea for planting kale seeds. My hungry neighborhood rabbits seem to resist kale plants better than lettuce (which I put in raised planters), but I was concerned that the very young kale seedlings might entice them.
You can get ripe tomatoes in 10-11 weeks from seedlings that just emerged? Mid May?
2 Likes
Last year I planted lacinato kale seeds inside - and actually probably planted them too early - but they took and survived the transition to outdoors. I also love kale (and love to eat it) because it lasts through heat and the cool fall. I was picking kale into December here in Ohio!
1 Like
Maybe, these are early varieties, 70 days. Last year I had my first cherry tomatoes May 6, my first large tomato June 6. But realistically, this year it will be late June, because these seeds just sprouted. But I have cherry tomato plants out there, 3 plants about 3 inches tall, I have Black Krim and Abe Lincoln about an inch tall.
2 Likes
My bush beans finally sprouted, waiting for some squash or zucchini seeds to emerge, it’s getting warmer here.
1 Like
This week I talked to a friend who helps out part time at a farm. He said in recent years the farmer has had good luck laying down rows of compost and then planting vegetable seeds into the compost. Has anybody tried that?
1 Like
As far as I know, that’s all my farming lad does with veggies, including potatoes. He had great luck with it. No more heavy digging to get potatoes up with harvesting. If I recall correctly, you can google “Ruth Stout gardening” method for more info. When I do it I see examples of pros and cons, so it could be helpful to see both to get an idea of whether or not it would work for you.
1 Like
Anyone have a vegetable garden in their front yard? Technically, I just discovered that we’re not allowed by our zoning code (small Midwest suburb) to have farm or vegetable plants in our front yards!!! I see a lot of front gardens in the PNW cities.
I may try to bend that rule if I can make it look more like traditional landscaping, and keep it manicured. Our front yard is a gentile south-facing slope. Back is north and wooded, so not enough sunlight.
Rule of thumb in our neck of the woods (midwest) is to not plant anything before Mother’s Day.
2 Likes
Sorry! Can’t help since I’m in the greater Seattle area where front yard gardens are OK. 
I like your strategy of disgusting veggies as landscape plants. 
My small veggie gardens will be in the back yard, but I may sneak a few tomato plants in our front/side yards, since there is great morning sun.
At my previous house I had several raised beds alongside my driveway in the front yard. I grew all kinds of vegetables in them. I got lots of positive comments from people in the neighborhood. It was the best spot in the yard for growing. Worked out well.
2 Likes
Perhaps check with your neighbors to see if they would object?
LOL - In our case, we met our neighbors across the street 30 years ago when we were in NY. My husband and I were in same department at work with the husband for 5 years. I am pretty sure if we brought them tomatoes, they’d be fine with it. Other neighbors are big fans of our garden hobby. Feeling emboldened to try it one year.
3 Likes
I tried sprouting seeds in my compost and it didn’t work, you need dirt. However, potatoes and other stuff might sprout better there.
I do lasagna method now, I just pile more stuff on top of my original soil, no more digging, as I’m getting older and perhaps lazier, I just want to keep it simple.
1 Like
I can think of a couple instances in our neighborhood where I have seen vegetable plants in the front yard of a house. One neighbor got rid of all their front/sideyard grass on a corner lot . They had tons of perennials and slipped here and there would be a pepper plant or something else smaller and not obvious. Or herbs! Looked great.
Another house lives on an odd lot sort of a pointy end of a triangle. They have raised beds and it’s certainly noticeable and different than other homes but also kind of cool. In the point of the triangle they plant mini pumpkins - looks cool in the fall!
Also our neighborhood is not million dollar homes. 
4 Likes