Too Many Seeds, Probably

by A.J. Coltrane

As usual, I may have gotten a little too enthusiastic about shopping for seeds. The new batch from Territorial Seed:

It’s a mix of things that have worked well in the past and some new things I’m eager to try out-

1.  Basil plants seem to reach a point in age where the leaves just don’t taste as good. I’d like to try “succession planting” basil this year to see if we can harvest nothing but optimum leaves.
2.  We purchased four more, somewhat smaller “whiskey barrels” over the weekend. This summer they’re going to house a combination of Bright Lights Chard, Bee Feed Flower Mix, Beneficial Bug Mix, Nasturtiums (which are edible as well as attractive), and a hodge-podge of whatever else might fit.
3.  The Garden Cress, Arugula, Miner’s Lettuce, Confetti Coriander (cilantro, this variety is supposed to be slow to bolt), Dill-Dukat (ditto), and New Zealand Spinach (which likes hot weather) will go into the salad table with the existing Miner’s Lettuce. The Garden Cress and New Zealand Spinach are new. I have high hopes for the New Zealand Spinach in particular. We’ll see how the Garden Cress does, it may want more consistent water than will be provided.

Of course, we still have little bits of packages to use up. I have them rubber banded together in groups, this first group is “Salad Table” (the “year” is the year the seed was packed for.)

And a “Spring 2016?” group of packages:

“Fall 2015”:

Finally, “Winter Backyard 2015”:

The “Winter Backyard 2015” group is currently growing in the whiskey barrels and EarthBoxes, as well as around 50ish heads of garlic. The mild spring means that the growth rate of the overwintering survivors is really starting pick up.

The transition from winter things to summer things may be “interesting”.