N&C Midwest: When are your starting seeds?

OK it’s go time!

Midwest, when are you starting seeds, how, and what?  For example, peppers, under lights on pads, March 1st, Sweet Banana, King of the North, etc. 

When?                  How?                  What?


Or any order you prefer, obviously !

Cheers! Feb 19 I started my tomato and pepper seeds indoors in recycled used k cups. Don't have any grow lights so just put them in the window. Peppers- sweet banana, Jimmy nardello, sugar Rush peach ahi, jalapeno, shishito, fish, poblano and cubanelle. Tomatoes- chocolate sprinkles, green vernissage, blondkopfchen, tiny Tim, snow white, Sunchocola, Black krim, scary Larry, solar flare, Marianna's peace, Brandywine, djeena Lee's golden girl, jaune flame, speckled Roman, seek no further love apple, and Cherokee chocolate. I have never tried ground cherries so next weekend I'm going to plant a few of those, I'm excited! I'm itching to direct sow greens and snow/snap peas I'll probably go ahead and start some of those too. In March I'll start my herbs. I have spring fever soooooo bad

Yay

 I don't want to rain on your happiness, but what is the temperature at the window?  They will need a little warmth.

I use a wood stove for heat, so it's usually toasty warm in my house

Wow, Alice!  That is great!  You have such a variety of things, can’t wait to hear how they go, and of course, how they taste!

Started first batch of lettuce on the 10th under a new 8 bulb grow light.  Will start the next batch this week end.  Leaf lettuce only, green ice, red sails, black seeded simpson etc.

LarryH wrote:Started first batch of lettuce on the 10th under a new 8 bulb grow light.  Will start the next batch this week end.  Leaf lettuce only, green ice, red sails, black seeded simpson etc.

I grew Green Ice last year for the first time...LOVE!!!!  Mr. Booker!!!  Just an amazing producer, delicious, crunchy mild...prolific.

Yummmm there's nothing like fresh garden lettuce with some garden tomatoes and some ranch dressing

aliceingardenland wrote:Yummmm there's nothing like fresh garden lettuce with some garden tomatoes and some ranch dressing

The real ranch made with buttermilk...nothing like it, IMO!

Yes yes yes buttermilk ranch dressing is the best...I actually just got done pinning farmgirl fare's easy homemade low fat buttermilk ranch dressing recipe on Pinterest to try . What's your fave lettuces to grow and eat, Scorpio?

aliceingardenland wrote:Yes yes yes buttermilk ranch dressing is the best...I actually just got done pinning farmgirl fare's easy homemade low fat buttermilk ranch dressing recipe on Pinterest to try . What's your fave lettuces to grow and eat, Scorpio?

Flashy Butter Oak, Marvel of Four Seasons, Rouge D’ Hiver, All Year Round, Matchless, Black Seeded Simpson, and Green Ice for a nice mix of leaf, butterhead and cos types.

I started Early Jalapeno, Emerald Giant Bell, and Sweet Banana peppers a couple of weeks ago.  I set a shelving unit in a bay window with a southern exposure so they get light all through the day.  This is the first time I've used a heat mat.  The thermostat is a must to regulate the temperature.  Every seed sprouted.  

As an experiment (and because I simply can't wait to grow something), I planted French Breakfast radish seeds in a rectangular planter.  No heat mat needed for these and they've already sprouted.

I've never grown lettuce indoors and want to give it a try.  I'll start tomatoes in a couple of weeks.

farmersgranddaughter wrote:I started Early Jalapeno, Emerald Giant Bell, and Sweet Banana peppers a couple of weeks ago.  I set a shelving unit in a bay window with a southern exposure so they get light all through the day.  This is the first time I've used a heat mat.  The thermostat is a must to regulate the temperature.  Every seed sprouted.  

As an experiment (and because I simply can't wait to grow something), I planted French Breakfast radish seeds in a rectangular planter.  No heat mat needed for these and they've already sprouted.

I've never grown lettuce indoors and want to give it a try.  I'll start tomatoes in a couple of weeks.

Nice!  Wish I had a south facing window that wasn’t in my bedroom!  Yeah, radishes are so satisfying to start the season with, aren’t they!?  Just so vigorous.  And yummy!  I love all of them!  I found my absolute faves this year, French Breakfast, this year, fro Pinetree Seeds!  I have missed them.  So mild and yum.  Even make a great sandwich, butter, salt, radish.  Done.

Scorpio Rising wrote:

farmersgranddaughter wrote:I started Early Jalapeno, Emerald Giant Bell, and Sweet Banana peppers a couple of weeks ago.  I set a shelving unit in a bay window with a southern exposure so they get light all through the day.  This is the first time I've used a heat mat.  The thermostat is a must to regulate the temperature.  Every seed sprouted.  

As an experiment (and because I simply can't wait to grow something), I planted French Breakfast radish seeds in a rectangular planter.  No heat mat needed for these and they've already sprouted.

I've never grown lettuce indoors and want to give it a try.  I'll start tomatoes in a couple of weeks.

Nice!  Wish I had a south facing window that wasn’t in my bedroom!  Yeah, radishes are so satisfying to start the season with, aren’t they!?  Just so vigorous.  And yummy!  I love all of them!  I found my absolute faves this year, French Breakfast, this year, fro Pinetree Seeds!  I have missed them.  So mild and yum.  Even make a great sandwich, butter, salt, radish.  Done.

Daikon radishes are the only ones I like. It's such a drag that they take so long. 

Yes, they take a while...but are delicious!

Today I started my onions, shallots, parsley and broccoli.  I don't know that I'll have room for the broccoli, but my mom might like it, so I'm growing some for her. I've got them on a heating pad and after I took the picture I did cover them with plastic.



Here is my calendar for March and April for seed starting.  The formatting is just a little off and you can't see my color coding.  That's why in the top of the boxes it says "Plant Seed Inside" (yellow)  "Plant Seed Outside" (purple) etc, they are color coded, then on March 19th the tomatoes, basil and oregano (in yellow) are started inside, but the peas (in purple) are started outside (if the ground isn't frozen).

Each year I just copy the schedule, adjust the dates and the info is still there for all my plants, though I may adjust what day I want to plant it.

The numbers like 10 WB, are the countdown for how many weeks until my last frost date so I don't have to keep looking it up.

Plant Seed Indoors Plant Seed Outside Transplant                   MARCH 2018
25	26	27	28	1	2	3 11 WB
4	5	6	7	8	9	10 10 WB
11	12	13	14	15	16	17 9 WB  Peas Tomatoes, Basil, Oregano
18	19	20	21	22	23	24 8 WB
25	26	27	28	29	30	31 7 WB Lettuce 1, peppers

Plant Seed Indoors Plant Seed Outside Transplant                      APRIL 2018
1	2	3	4	5	6	7  Parsley , oregano
8	9	10	11	12	13	14 5 WB onions, shallots, spinach
15	16	17	18	19	20	21 Lettuce 1 Lettuce 2
22	23	24	25	26	27	28  3 WB

Oh, and this is part of the file I keep.  It shows how many weeks before the last frost date, then how many weeks after, and later in the summer, on the left side, counts down weeks before the fall frost date.  I just find it handy, and thought it might be a helpful idea for someone else.

12 – Feb 24
11 – Mar 3
10 – March 10
9 – March 17
8 – March 24
7 – March 31
6 – April 7
5 – April 14
4 – April 21
3 – April 28
2 – May 5
1 – May 12         
0 – May 19 - 0
1 – May 26 - 1
2 – May 29 - 2
3 – June 2 - 3
4 – June 9 - 4
5 – June 16 - 5
6 – June 23 - 6
7 – June 30 - 7
8 – July 7- 8
9 – July 14 - 9
10 – July 21 +10/-12       
11 – July 28  -11
12 – August 4  -10
13 – August 11 -9
14 – August 18  -8
15 – August 25  -7
16 – Sept 1  -6
17 – Sept 8  – 5
18 – Sept 15  – 4
19 – Sept 22  – 3              
20 – Sept 29  – 2              
21 – Oct 6  – 1   
22 – Oct 13  – 0

Kate your schedule for last and first frost dates looks very similar to mine.

Kate888 wrote:Oh, and this is part of the file I keep.  It shows how many weeks before the last frost date, then how many weeks after, and later in the summer, on the left side, counts down weeks before the fall frost date.  I just find it handy, and thought it might be a helpful idea for someone else.

12 – Feb 24
11 – Mar 3
10 – March 10
9 – March 17
8 – March 24
7 – March 31
6 – April 7
5 – April 14
4 – April 21
3 – April 28
2 – May 5
1 – May 12         
0 – May 19 - 0
1 – May 26 - 1
2 – May 29 - 2
3 – June 2 - 3
4 – June 9 - 4
5 – June 16 - 5
6 – June 23 - 6
7 – June 30 - 7
8 – July 7- 8
9 – July 14 - 9
10 – July 21 +10/-12       
11 – July 28  -11
12 – August 4  -10
13 – August 11 -9
14 – August 18  -8
15 – August 25  -7
16 – Sept 1  -6
17 – Sept 8  – 5
18 – Sept 15  – 4
19 – Sept 22  – 3              
20 – Sept 29  – 2              
21 – Oct 6  – 1   
22 – Oct 13  – 0

Nice!  Love it!  Thanks, Kate!