Archive for March, 2020
Grow Your Own: Time to Get (Seeds) Started!
by John Weckerle
As we all hunker down and practice a little social distancing, most people are probably looking for things to occupy the time we used to occupy with things like dining out, going to school, driving to work (at least those of us who are able to telework), and gathering with friends. Here at New Mexico Central headquarters, we are finding the time for things like home improvement/maintenance, art projects, cooking, and – of course – gardening.
That’s right, gardening – because even if the weather isn’t quite right yet for tilling the soil, there are things that must be done early anyway, and that includes getting seeds started for eventual planting in beds and containers.
Our seed starting setup involves a wire rack and lights. These are LED shop lights purchased at Costco. The lights on the lower rack are standard fluorescent lights. Both seem to work very well for starting seeds.
This year we are focusing heavily on heirloom varieties. We’ll begin with the tomatoes:
- Brandywine (red/yellow blend) – These tend to be large, up to 2 pounds. In prior years, we’ve had them reach 1 1/2 pounds. They are an extremely tasty tomato good for a lot of uses.
- Moneymaker – Medium-sized, sweet, meaty fruits.
- Ace 55 – A bush type, 1950s heirloom and our only determinate variety this year. (“Determinate” means that the plant produces all its fruit in a short period, rather than throughout the season). Typically coming in at 6 to 8 ounces, they are a favorite for canning.
- Gardener’s Delight – A sweet, 1950s German heirloom cherry tomato.
- Principe Borghese – A small, plum tomato, popular in Italy, often used for drying or roasting or in sauces.
Of course, we’re not just doing tomatoes! We’re also starting poblano chiles; California Wonder bell peppers; Early Prolific Straightneck summer squash; and Cocozelle (aka Cocozella di Napoli), a zucchini-like, striped, 1800s Italian heirloom. In-ground, outdoor started crops will include All American parsnip; Sugar Magnolia snap peas (purple); and Carnival Blend carrots (orange, red, purple, white, and yellow). We also have orders in for other goodies:
- Delicata squash (Delicata is a winter squash that has a thin skin that can remain on the fruit when cooked and eaten).
- Redbor Kale (a personal favorite)
- Nero Toscana kale – a “dinosaur” type kale, often used for
- Millenium asparagus – cold-hardy and high-yield, this tolerates soils many asparagus varieties can’t. This is our first experiment with asparagus!
We’ve had so much success growing kale and chard in containers year-round indoors that we may elect to continue that practice to make room for all the other vegetables.
With schools closed, kids at home, and a lot of “together time” available, vegetable gardening is something that provides an opportunity to have fun, see something other than the inside of the house, learn some science (soil chemistry, biology, etc.), and enjoy the benefit of fresh produce. Happy growing, everyone!