February Western mountains and high plains. Are you starting seeds yet?

Hello peeps!  It is still to soon for me   but it's getting to be that time of year that I really get the itch to start some seeds, I can't yet it's just too soon for me but with our huge region I know some of you are getting really close!  So make me green with envy, what are you starting/started!?!  It has been probably the most miserable winter I can remember here, so cold!  It is supposed to start warming up in the next few days.  You know it's bad when it's zero and it feels pretty nice out!

For me it is too soon to start seeds as well. I also found out, last week to be exact, that we will be moving in two month.   I guess I wont be starting any seeds to jump start my growing season this year. We are moving to the south though so that mean a longer growing season on the other side though.  

Started kale, Thai basil, eggplant and spinach this morning. Going to transplant kale and spinach to my new greenhouse to see how they do. I also started leeks this afternoon. I read somewhere on the forum that you start  them in Feb. and then transfer the sets in the spring. Hope it works. Yesterday I got really excited because my Rapitest digital soil tester showed up. It measures pH as well as n,p,k so I got my cup and went out to test one of my ready to plant beds. Talk about not thinking, last Wed. we had an all time low of -17 degrees and there is still 4 inches of snow on the ground.  I  could not dig that MM with a pick.   All that I had were the new beds in the greenhouse so I took some of that soil and tested it. My just made (3 weeks ago) soil tested a pH of 7.5 and np& k all came back as surplus which is the highest rating. I think that is pretty good if the tester is accurate.

That's awesome John!  Growing season is looking up for you   I have the hardest time starting basil (or any herbs really)  it's the darndest thing!  Sounds like you have a pretty good start on things!  I will be starting seeds in about two months   .

My husband just got a Keurig and I was looking up recipes (to make cheaper refills) and I saw that people use those little K cups for seed starting so I am now scrounging those away for the spring!  They will be perfect for lettuce, spinach, and some flowers.

Are those little cups big enough to use for seed starting? I never looked when I've used the coffee machines. I go to a supply house frequently that has one for their customers. I could get them by the sack full. I think I'll make a short trip. Thanks for the idea.

I have never done it but they seem to be the a little bigger than a lot of peat pods I have used in the past!  I figure it's worth a shot, I love repurposing and saving money!

I just wanted to see a splash of bright green in the house so I planted some leek, lettuce and basil seeds. They are stuffed in three white ceramic pots that I was given at Christmas and are now about two inches high.
This weekend I will find some pots and try transplanting them. Even if they do not last until spring, I might be able to have some microgreens.
They are perched on one of those AroGardens and look quite pretty in a corner of the room with a reflecting mirror behind.

For my area we still have to wait about another month since our last frost date isn't til mid to end of may. Has anyone started seeds yet or plants outdoors?

I started some Imperial Star artichoke seeds indoors (on top of the fridge) a couple of days ago.

This variety is supposed to be a bit more cold-hardy and, they say, produces a crop the first year. We'll see!

I plan to start tomato seeds toward the end of the month--once my (expensive) grow light system arrives. Then come the brocs and cukes.... and possibly basil.

Peas, spinach, and lettuce will go in, under cover, as soon as soil temps approximate 50 degrees.

OSU Extension says that most Central Oregon gardeners regard May 31 as the last frost date.

Obviously, covers are essential!

I was just thinking about this and wondering what every one was up to.
Here is a spreed sheet to help figure planting times http://www.johnnyseeds.com/e-pdgseedstart.aspx
I went through some of my notes from last spring. One thing I decided is that bigger tomato plants will not be a bad thing. ANd that I need to adjust my calculations for planting in the greenhouse the first week of May. So that means I should start my peppers and tomatoes in mid March this year, next week.
I also have some red loose leaf lettuce to sprinkle in a cold frame. It will come up when it is ready and be my first greens. At least that is how it worked last year.

When I first joined this forum I assumed that I was in the Pacific North West seeing as I live in British Columbia. I have decided now I belong to the Western Mountains and High Plains. What a grand title.
An earlier post in this thread told that I had planted some seeds just to get a bit of green in the house. Well, they have survived, and I am almost convinced that I can nurse them through to planting out under cover. I have some lettuce (I ate the tops and they are still alive), some basil and some leeks. I read somewhere where someone had given their leeks a hair-cut. Is that something I should do?

Kelejan I search leeks in the search box and briefly skimmed what came up. From that I would say if you want to give your leeks a hair cut you can but don't have to.

mschaef wrote:Kelejan I search leeks in the search box and briefly skimmed what came up. From that I would say if you want to give your leeks a hair cut you can but don't have to.

Decisions! Decisions! I will treat them like my dog as he gets shaggy as well.
It will be a little while before I can transplant these little leeks as I still have a load of snow. Now I have to find out if I can up-pot them. Any answer for that question, mschaef? If I up-pot them then I will certainly give them a haircut. Or search for the answer myself.