pepperhead212's 2025 garden

[pepperhead212]

I figured I'd start my new thread for this year's outside garden, since I started my first seeds for out there today!

I started my first seeds for the outside - just one tray, with the small pots, 72/tray, and they usually go out 3-4 weeks after they come up, with some faster than others. Here's the list of the early crops, almost all brassicas, the ones with * next to them being held a little longer, before starting.

A Bok Choy - koquie
B Bok Choy - pachay, from Burpee
C Wu Choy - dark horse
D Napa - red merlot, from Pinetree
E Senposai
F* Komatsuna - green boy
G Misome
H Escarole - sugarloaf
I* Mizuna - landrace large leaf
J* Lettuce - red leaf type, saved seeds
K Cabbage - Earliana
L* Swiss Chard - various types
M* Russian Red Kale
N* Yu Choy
O* Choy Sum
P Mustard Greens - wasabina
Q Cauliflower - amazing

Kohlrabis:
R Blauer Speck Purple
S Kolibri Purple
T Tainjin Green
U Grand Duke
V Giant White

And one more I just got today in the mail, from a friend, that I'll have to plant in that tray! Never grew this, or even heard of it before, but it is supposed to be a type of kale, that has a garlic flavor.

W Texsel Greens - from Territorial Seeds


I'll be sharing a bunch of these with some friends, as even half of what this might put out would be more than I can use! I've gotten her hooked on some of those greens, as those CACA varieties (cut and come again) produce so much, at least until it gets too hot (and some produce into August here).

I filled the pots with that mix I made up about a week ago, and wet it with some H2O2 solution - about 2 oz of the 3% in a quart of water. This was how I "sterilized" the pots, though for the larger, later pots, I'll cook the mix at about 200°, cool, put the micorrhyzae in it, and wet it with the Bt israelensis, to prevent the fungus gnats. After this H2O2 gets neutralized after several hours with these, I'll plant the seeds, then wet them again, this time with the Bt solution. This always works with these.

Spring has sprung!
The first filled seedling pots, for the greens and other cold plants for 2025. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[MissS]

What zone are you growing in? I just can't wait to be starting some seeds.

[pepperhead212]

I'm in 6B-7A. The "last frost date" is considered 4-15, but I don't pay any attention to that, as it's just an average, not absolute last, so tomatoes can go out the first week into May, maybe. All these earlier ones I planted I can put out shortly after April 1st (usually, depending on overnight lows), and I usually harden the first two trays off, to make room for all the later seedlings - tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers, plus a few other things. A lot more trays of those others coming!

[JayneR13]

I can't plant frost sensitive stuff in the northern part of Zone 5 until Memorial Day, if I want to play it safe. My last frost date is allegedly May 10 but like you, I don't pay much attention to that. Soil temperatures and nighttime lows tell the tale! I'll never forget being all ready to plant some potatoes in mid-April one year. Blizzard Evelyn changed my plans! Ugh. And put planting off for a good month before things warmed up again.

[pepperhead212]

Today I planted some scallion seeds - those ones I got from Asiangarden2table. The king long, iron long, and all seasons, the last one the one they I grew last year, most of the season, and they seemed to have dropped from the catalog. I'm still hoping for those late seeds I planted in the bed to come up, but I haven't seen any. I just packed 3 of those containers, saved from the 8 oz mushrooms, with the seedling mix, about 1/2" from the top, then spread out the seeds, about 1/4" apart, then spread about 3/8" of mix on top, then moistened it with a solution with that Bt israelensis. Those went up to to the seedling/laundry room, and soon, when those or the greens start sprouting, the lights will go on, until into May!

[Wildcat82]

Today I planted some scallion seeds - those ones I got from Asiangarden2table. The king long, iron long, and all seasons, the last one the one they I grew last year, most of the season, and they seemed to have dropped from the catalog. I'm still hoping for those late seeds I planted in the bed to come up, but I haven't seen any. I just packed 3 of those containers, saved from the 8 oz mushrooms, with the seedling mix, about 1/2" from the top, then spread out the seeds, about 1/4" apart, then spread about 3/8" of mix on top, then moistened it with a solution with that Bt israelensis. Those went up to to the seedling/laundry room, and soon, when those or the greens start sprouting, the lights will go on, until into May!

I've never tried growing scallions from seed. I always just cheat by going to the grocery store, buying some scallions, then just stick them in the ground so I can harvest the green tops all year.

[pepperhead212]

All of those cold weather crop seeds have had at least one sprout, most had 3 or 4 pots with sprouts. Only ones not sprouted are the scallions, but I only looked this morning - maybe some sprouted since. Only 2 weeks until peppers get started!

[pepperhead212]

Saw my first peppermint plants yesterday! Spearmint will be about a week behind, and by May, the entire bed will be covered. Today, the only thing I did outside was harvested some garlic chives, which were the first things to come up again this season.
I was putting down the triple row of drip line in my mint bed, and saw the first peppermint plants popping up! by pepperhead212, on Flickr

First garlic chives of the season, 3-21 by pepperhead212, on Flickr

[pepperhead212]

I got 8 varieties of those peppers soaking today, and tomorrow morning I'll plant them in that vermiculite tray. 3 days later those faster growing ones will go in.
Peppers, soaking in potassium nitrate solution overnight, the 6 dry ones waiting for 3 days, to soak. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

4-3 will be the date the eggplants go in, since the last few years they were ready before it got warm enough! Same with the tomatoes, so I'll plant those on 4-6. I got all the pots labeled and ready.

And those spearmints are coming up quickly, more of those than the peppermint already. And that Syrian oregano is finally showing up - the marjoram wasn't much faster, but traditionally more cold resistant.

[pepperhead212]

I finished filling all of my seedling pots today, and started planting the peppers, in the vermiculite - the rest get planted on 4-4. On 4-3 eggplants get planted in Jiffy Pellets - those, and okra, seem to grow best in those, to be planted in a larger seedling pot when roots appear, usually less than 3 weeks. This year I'm planting the tomatoes in vermiculite, like with peppers, and I got this idea from someone that transplanted her tomatoes deep into the seedling pots, so they would already be getting a longer rooted stalk. This, plus watering with the silicate solution, should give them even better stalks, plus I won't have to put 2 seeds in every pot, though it won't save that many.

[pepperhead212]

I got my eggplant seeds planted today - 4 Ichiban, 4 Matrosik, 2 Poamaha Dark Long, 2 U of HI Long Green (all these I only need half of), and one Dark Pea Eggplant. I grew some pea eggplant in 2016, and still have some half cup portions in vacuum sealed bags in the freezer! Last time I used some in a Thai curry was about 6 months ago, and it hadn't degraded at all. This variety of pea eggplant isn't supposed to be nearly as large as the original one I grew, and hopefully not as late flowering.

[pepperhead212]

I got my tomato seeds set to soak overnight, before I transfer them to those pots of vermiculite, to sprout, so I can plant those seedlings deeper, compared to just planting the seeds 1/4" deep in the mix.

Here are the tomatoes I'm planting this season. * stands for repeats - more than usual this year.

Cherries, and other small varieties:

Chocolate Cherry
Bronze Torch*
Jasper
Juliet*
Kustengold
Marbled Mystery
Matt's Hornet
Negro Azteka*
Randy's Cherry Bomb
Red Torch
Sunsugar*

Larger varieties:

Amish Gold Slicer*
Amish Paste
Bayou Moon
Big Beef Plus
Blushungstar
Early Blue Ribbon*
Green Zebra*
Moldovan Green
Mountain Magic
Mountain Rouge*
Original Blue Ribbon
Super Fantastic*

I waited later to plant these this year, since they have been so fast growing the last few years that the plants were ready to go out before it was warm enough outside. The first week or so of May has been cooler than average around here, while April has been warmer than average, so that was part of the reason.

[JayneR13]

That's one thing about starting my stuff early: they're outgrowing the pots before I can set them out! But at least they're big enough that the rabbits generally leave them alone.

I've grown a few of those, including Chocolate Cherry, and Green Zebra. I got some Sunsugar seeds in the EBTKS swap and I'm thinking to grow those next year. I'm growing both the Mountain Merit and Rouge this year for the first time, but not the Magic. And Amish paste, of course. Not only does that do well in my area, it's a staple at the seed library. So many tomatoes, so little garden space! But we work on it.

[pepperhead212]

I was surprised at which pepper seeds had sprouted, when I looked closely - the Aji Dulce, which is a C. chinense, which are usually slower. And the one there are the most of was Hanoi Market, which has traditionally been one of my slower spouting varieties, and I planted more of those than any others (maybe a dozen) - I only need 2 plants, and at least 6 have sprouted! These I saved from bagged blossoms last season, from the best looking plant, and I "buzzed the two blossoms" through the bag, so this is probably why they are sprouting so well.

Tomatoes were all drained and planted. Another 2½ weeks before I plant the okra, then shortly after that, some cukes and other cucurbits.

Soon, I have to get those greens I started in the ground; even though they are cold resistant, I'll wait until after Tuesday night to start getting them outside, as it's supposed to freeze that night. With all this rain, I haven't had to water anything, and I turned the water off to those lines, and tomorrow I'll bleed them again - I figured that it would need done at least one more time, when I turned it on a couple of weeks ago.

[pepperhead212]

I got 2 eggplants just starting to poke through, after 4 days - one Poamoho Dark Long, and one Ichiban. Soon I'll be moving them up to the seedling room, to get some light.
One of the Poamoho Dark Long eggplants, just started to peek through, in the lower left pellet. And an Ichiban, in the upper left. 4-8, after 4 days. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

No tomatoes yet (only 2 days), but one more type of pepper, with several sprouts - the Gold Sweet, one of the two no heat peppers I'm starting for a friend that can't eat hot. She liked the Big Mic last year, that was a mild Anaheim type, but these are zero heat.

[JayneR13]

Do you find that those Jiffy pellets actually degrade into your soil? I've found those I've used in my beds a few years later.

[pepperhead212]

I've never had a problem with the pellets not degrading, like I did with peat pots, when I tested those, many years ago. And eggplants do much better in them - the reason I plant my seeds later now - as well okra. And cukes, squash, melons, and similar seeds I also use them for.

I got my first tomatoes sprouted today - both Jasper. And 2 Big Mic peppers, plus a couple more Gold Sweet. And a couple more of the same Eggplants sprouted, and a new Matrosik coming up. I'll be moving that tray to under the lights, when I go up.

[pepperhead212]

Had 3 more types of tomatoes up today, the Early Blue Ribbon the one that was all the way up. No new peppers, last time I looked, and haven't looked at the EP, which are under the lights now. I took the greens and scallion starts out of the seedling room, partly to harden them off, but mainly to make room in there! If weather was going to be better outside, I'd just plant them, but we have some heavy rain, and gusty winds forecast - the cold doesn't really bother them much. I put them out briefly yesterday, to get used to the wind, and today the wind's not bad, until late, and some rain starts as well. I won't complain, since we still need rain here, despite the good amount we have gotten this month.

UD - now when I looked more varieties of tomatoes are sprouting than not, though only 4 large enough to transplant. And there is one White Habanero ready to transplant, next time I go up.

[pepperhead212]

All but that one Chocolate Cherry pot has a seedling in it, and one of those is just coming up, so probably later today I'll be able to transplant it to that last empty pot. I had a few others that the hulls hadn't split off from, so I got some extras, that the hull was off of, and added another to the pot, and I'll see which one grows best.

The first Fresno pepper came up today, and one of the jalapeño varieties, that was later planted. More of a few of the others that already germinated, and I planted several more of those Sweet Gold, that my friend will get most of, since they are totally heat free.

No more eggplants yet, except where one already came up. Still too wet out there to plant the greens (or anything, for that matter!).

[pepperhead212]

On my last look today (I think), I got that last tomato in the pot - the Chocolate Cherry - so all those are in the pots now. Two of the Pea Eggplants are peaking through, which I was expecting to be last. And 2 of the 3 jalapeños have at least one, and one Superchili - 4 of the late planted varieties. Saw another White Habanero, which had one germinate early, so I might plant this backup, and watch the first one to make sure the leaves look like a habanero, and it isn't something else that got in with them. Also, if that chocolate habanero doesn't have any germinate, I'll have two of those for outside.