Tomato seedlings up and growing - planted March 1, view on March 7.

It is that time of year - germination is well under way. Most everything that I wanted to grow from seed has been planted (I always forget a few things and will likely plant a few more). I have quite a few varieties, but less plants, just as planned. I am starting juggling flats - which to start easing outside for hardening off, which stay on the heat mats. Transplanting is even well underway for the first planting - greens and scallions. Gardening is such fun!

Greens flat (50 cell plug flat), planted February 10, transplanted between March 2 and March 6.

Swiss Chard Bright Lights from Pine Tree and Fedco, several years old - both germinated well, in 2-3 days. They are now in 3.5 inch pots, 4 plants per pot.

Swiss Chard Perpetual, older seed - fair germination.

Swiss Chard Rhubarb, older seed - fair germination

Swiss Chard Lucullus - older seed - poor germination

Spinach Nobel - older seed - no germination

Spinach Space from JSS - fair germination - all spinach is now in 3.5 inch pots, 4 plants per pot

Spinach Seaside from Pine Tree - excellent germination

Spinach Space from Pine Tree - very good germination

Spinach Acadia, older seed - no germination

Smooth Kale sent by a gardening friend - excellent germination - it is now in 3.5 inch pots, 4 plants per pot

Lettuce Green Ice, older seed - no germination

Lettuce Cimarron -older seed - no germination

Lettuce Gabriella - excellent germination - all lettuce is now in 3.5 inch pots, 6 plants per pot

Lettuce Red Salad Bowl, older seed - no germination

Lettuce Magenta, older seed - no germination

Lettuce Cherokee, older seed - not germination

The next four lettuces are Frank Morton varieties shared by gardening friend Gail Felton, and all germinated great and are in 3.5 inch pots, 6 plants per pot

Zilla, Mix, Funky Purple and Wavy Green. I look forward to seeing what these do! Thanks, Gail!

Scallion Red Beard from Sow True - excellent germination - separated into one plant per cell in a 50 cell plug flat

Scallion Tokyo Long - excellent germination - separated into one plant per cell in a 50 cell plug flat

Velvet Red Wave Petunia - 5 seeds planted, 5 seedlings, too small to transplant

Lavender - pinch of seeds planted, slow - just emerging.

Verbena annual color mix - excellent germination, in 6-cell plugs, 1 plant per cell

Overall I am pleased with the above and will have plenty of spinach, chard, kale, scallions and lettuce for our raised beds. Chard germinated in 2-4 days, spinach in 2-3 days, lettuce in 2-4 days, scallions in 2-3 days, petunia in 5 days, verbena in 4 days, lavender in approx. 20 days.

Separated, transplanted lettuce on May 6

Flat 2 - Old and new hybrid tomato flat - planted Feb 19. Not transplanted yet, but soon.

Triply F1 - 2 of 6 germinated, Feb 22 (3 days)

Triply F2 - 10 of 10 germinated, Feb 22 (3 days)

Captain F1 - 3 of 3 germinated - Feb 22 (3 days)

Captain F2 - 9 of 10 germinated, Feb 22 (3 days)

Bee F2 - 10 of 10 germinated, Feb 22 (3 days)

Bee F3 - none of 5 germinated

Old tomatoes - no germination yet (today is day 15) for Brandywine 11-61, 11-7, 11-60, 11-71, 11-49; Cherokee Chocolate 10-6, 11-13, 11-62, 11-18, 12-72; Cherokee Purple 11-51, 11-11; Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom 11-47, 12-15, 13-18; Anna Russian 12-7; 13-3, 13-157, 14-2; Mortgage Lifter Mullens 11-12, 13-25; Mortgage Lifter Halladay 14-16.

Mortgage Lifter Halladay 13-23 - a few germinated on March 3 (12 days)

Anna Russian 12-31 - a few germinated on March 5 (14 days)

Brandywine 12-38 - a few germinated on March 2 (11 days).

What this indicates to me is that seed at 10 years old or more is very iffy - this will guide me as to what to toss next. It can take 20 days or more for old seed to germinate, from my experience, so I am not giving up yet on those that haven’t showed.

Tomato seedlings - planted March 1, view March 7

Flat 3 - Assorted tomatoes, eggplants, peppers - planted March 1. Today is day 5 - all but 6 tomatoes are up. Eggplants and peppers take longer, but a few are appearing.

Family heirlooms and the like, typically only a few seeds of each - these are destined to be grown in Caitlin and Jason’s garden.

Pale Perfect Purple (no show yet), Valdicciana, Hart’s, Vine, Green-Gold-Purple, Abraham Lincoln, German Splash, Big Barney’s, WV 23, Boho (no show yet), Giant Crimson, Limbaugh’s, Red/Yellow (no show yet), German Heirloom, Curtis Cheek, Agatha Christie dry seed found in a library book a few weeks ago, Mortgage Lifter Mullens 22-58 (no show yet), Mortgage Lifter Halladay 22-57.

Varieties planted for breeding projects - often lots of seeds to see the variations for selection. I have fuzzy, carrot leaf, yellow leaf and ferny leaf among these - time to play with dwarf breeding again.

Fuzzy Purple 21-95, Fuzzy Pink 21-96, Zoe’s Sweet X Walter’s Fancy F2 24-13 (5 cells of 15 seeds), Blazing Beauty X Walter’s Fancy 24-14, Choemato X Walter’s Fancy 24-15, Cherokee Green X Caitlin’s Lucky Stripe green fruit find 23-26, Don’s Double Delight X Cancelmo pink/gold striped heart find 23-28 (Don’s Delightful Heart), Dwarf Mocha’s Plum, Potato Leaf Yellow X Cherokee Purple F1 8069, Earl X Cherokee Green yellow/red selection from Alex 8070, Lillian’s Yellow regular leaf 8054 (seeking PL to confirm an accidental cross), Surprise 16-113 (no show yet), Carrot Like 21-60, Honor Bright 16-110.

Advanced selections from breeding projects - these are now named and will be offered by Victory eventually if all goes well

Sullivan Rose (pink from Cherokee Purple X Lillian’s Yellow) 8011, Mary’s Favorite (yellow from ChP X LYH) 24-28, Lucky Bling (variegated PL bicolor from Blue’s Bling X Little Lucky) 24-31, Rufus Rainbow (variegated RL bicolor from Blue’s Bling X Little Lucky) 8068, Polish Bling (variegated PL purple from Polish X Blues’s Bling) 22-17

Peppers and eggplants

Shishito 24-1, Jalapeno 661, Pinata 652 (no show so far), Carolina Amethyst 21-33 (no show yet), Fire Opal 21-6 (no show yet, Twilight Lightning (no show yet), Skinny Twilight, Midnight Lightning (no show yet), Mardi Gras.

Flat 4.. Main favorite heirlooms, and a selection of released dwarfs - planted March 1. Today is day 5. All but one germinated. There are a few odds and ends in this flat too.

Indeterminate heirlooms - Captain Lucky 24-32, Cherokee Purple (2 cells) 24-20, Cherokee Chocolate (2 cells) 24-21, Cherokee Green24-22, Potato Leaf yellow 24-23, Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom 19-1, Nepal 24-18, OTV Brandywine 18-13, Brandywine 24-23, Dester 23-187, Polish 24-24, Sun Gold JSS packet, Mexico Midget 24-5, Lucky Cross 24-26, Earl 24-12, Rosella Cherry 7328. I planted between 10-15 seeds of each - enough to share with some local gardeners as well as my garden.

Released Dwarf Tomato Project tomatoes - Gloria’s Treat 23-60, Rufus Red Stripe (found in Hannah’s Prize - scarlet with gold stripes) 23-93, Sweet Sue 23-72, Irma’s Highland 23-73, Firebird Sweet 23-74, Eagle Smiley 7754, Elsie’s Fancy 23-75, Purple Heart 23-76, Parfait 23-80, Maralinga 23-87, Chocolate Lightning 23-92, BrandyFred 23-88, Banksia Queen 23-89, Beauty King 23-97, Golden Tipsy 23-99, Rosella Purple 23-107, Suz’s Beauty 23-114, Uluru Ochre 24-39.

Miscellaneous - Potato Clancy seeds for the heck of it - rack packet; Chinese Broccoli packet from a rack, Emerald Tower Basil, Prospera Basil (not yet up), Devotion Basil (not yet up), Zinnias Oklahome, California Giant, Tidepool, Firestarter and Zinderella - half a dozen or so seeds of each for the Zinnias. The basil seed that isn’t germinating is 4-5 years old.

Finally - of the above, it remains to be definitively determined which will be in my garden, which in my daughter’s garden, and which are for local plant sharing.