Seed Are In and Trays Are Filling!

After weeks of plowing over seed catalogs this winter and selecting some new varieties to test this year, we are very excited for the new season. The fresh, new mix of vegetables seeds has finally arrived and we have started the process of planning crop rotations and garden expansion. The new garden beds will increase our strawberry beds, herb beds, all new rhubarb bed, asparagus bed and new pollinator flower beds.

On February first we started our onion sets from seed this year it is a new variety from Johnny's Seeds. Tropea, is the prized onion of Italy and widely grown is France. Tropea has a mild to sweet flavor and a crunch, this red onion is so popular in Italy they have a festival to celebrate its harvest. I have read it makes a great marmalade and can't wait to spread it on a cracker with goat cheese! 
Yes you read that right!

• Step one order seeds in January.
  
• Step two start seeds in February.
  
• Step three plant onion sets in April.
  
• Step four grow, weed and water onions until the end of August.
• Step five pull and dry onions until September.
  
• Step six turn Onions into marmalade, after eight months of growing.
• Step seven place a health dollop of Tropea Marmalade on a cracker with goat cheese.

It does sound a little crazy but that how real food works, fingers crossed a lot can happen in eight months.

Planting Run Down

1. The first weekend of February we started Onions, Sage, Thyme, Oregano and Mint.
2. The second week of March we started our Tomatoes, Peppers and Eggplants. We used two, 286 plug starter trays and are transplanting at the second true leaf stage.
   
3. This weekend we are starting the Romaine, Spinach and Kale trays and also turning on the heat in the greenhouse for spring. 
   
4. Normally, we would have started our seeds weeks earlier, but with the cold winter season, full of snow and ice, we think spring is going to be pushed back a little!
   

Good luck to all or veg growing friends and pray for Spring!