Sprouts to Seedlings 2016

It's been a month and a bit now since I planted the seed babies so it's report card time!

I had some luck this year, but not as much as I'd hoped. The tomatoes did amazingly. I have 18 tomato plants (Sweetie and Tiny Tim). Five parsley plants and new lettuce sprouts coming up daily. Also one surprise treat! A jalapeno sprout! It seems to be trucking along so we'll see it if survives.

On the disappointing side of the gardening train, the roses and the little gem squash didn't sprout. Neither did the apple seeds, grape seeds, or citrus. They were all seeds I had collected over the course of last year, so while disappointing, its not terribly surprising. I did have some luck with basil (usually my bane) but the seedlings wilted quite early. Sad Andrea.

Ah well. This year I started keeping a journal of when gardening things started happening, so next year I'll be more prepared! Next step is to wait for it to be a tad bit warmer and transplant then seedlings to their own little homes.

IMG_3552.jpg

Like maybe when it stops snowing.... in April. XD

Also. Who wants tomato plants? Haha. I can't have 18 of them. (Well I could... but I'd rather have room on the balcony to sit. Haha.)

-Andrea

The Half-Assed Hobbyist

The Last Sunlight Bender

As previously said, I am an amateur gardener (in the most generous sense). My grandfather was the real gardener in the family and among the books and plants I also inherited from him a green thumb, an inclination for trying new things and a stubborn head. 

This past spring I planted seeds for the third time in my life. Amazingly, they grew! All credit goes to the mind blowing process that is seed germination. As the little plinfants grew and grew, they started to require some more room. (Kinda like crib to big kid bed! Yes. My plants are my babies. Also Yes. I foresee this being a traumatic allegory decision.)

Anyways. I started by harassing a friend with a car to drive me to a garden centre. Mission get my plinfants a big kid bed: initiate! I also got a lovely lattice for the balcony. Decorating with plants, check. 

I filled the weighted planter with black dirt and potting soil (gloves not required!) and got my Sweetie tomato babies into their new home. Now, tomatoes aren't stand alone plants. They need cages. Like bars on the top bunk. (Oooo. Bunk bed analogy. 12 self-points.) Since my access to the garden centre was limited (Miss you Taylor!!) it was off to the dollar store to figure out a makeshift temporary cage. String stick cage = better than nothing!

Actually, I was really pleased with the dollar store's seasonal garden aisle, if I'm honest. I ended up buying bins to repot the Tiny Tims tomatoes, and later, actual metal cages. 

So far so good! My plant babies were living full time outside and I bought some fertilizer to keep them growing strong. Unfortunately though, the weather was not cooperating. 4 days straight of cloud and rain make for very unhappy plant campers. Especially since they're stuck in planters. I did what I could to reduce the amount of water that deluged my plant babies, but weather is an unstoppable force. 

My Sweetie's currently have some blight, which makes me cry a bit, but hopefully with some pruning, good weather and lots of sun they will feel better. They seem to still be pretty happy as they've fruited! Yay! The Tiny Tims are also flowering; Basil plants are getting woody; and Mint is bushing out. (Haha.) So far mission balcony garden is doing very well! 

-knocks on wood-

-Andrea

The Half-Assed Hobbyist