It’s March, and so with spring supposedly just around the corner, we planted the first of the 2009 crop this afternoon. We’re going for the full gamut of vegetables once more (the new for ’09 garlic is already in and shooting and all the other seeds we’ve chosen have arrived), and though planting proper begins in April the Black Russian tomatoes went in today.
Yes, that’s right, a different variety to our usual and successful Golden Sunrise and Moneymakers, the Black Russians are deep reddy-brown in colour, and should be a little more unusual. As last year, we used the paper potter to make degradable newspaper containers in which to plant the seeds, and dug out the mini propagator that will provide warmth and cover while we start them off indoors.
Once we’d popped the seeds into the paper pots, we covered with 1cm of soil, watered just enough to moisten them, and lined them up in the propagator on the patio door ledge in the dining room. We’re starting them off indoors due to the 18-20 degrees C temperature the seedlings need to get started, and once they’re off, they should germinate within 7 to 10 days. Then, when large enough to handle, they can be transplanted into proper pots and kept in the greenhouse.
Tags: Grown your own, Home, Horticulture