One of my New Year\u2019s resolutions for my garden was to get back in the habit of trying something new instead of sticking with the tried and true.\u00a0 So in keeping with that resolution, I dug through our full selection of 2018 seeds here and found some new seed varieties I\u2019m going to try this year:<\/p>\n
Broccoli, Sprouting Summer Purple\u2014British bred, sprouting broccoli produces many side-shoots rather than one big \u201chead.\u201d\u00a0 It\u2019s supposedly way more heat tolerant than regular broccoli.\u00a0 I guess I\u2019ll find out\u2026.<\/p>\n
Pea, Tendersweet\u2014This is a \u201csnap\u201d or edible-podded pea that grows from vigorous short vines so doesn\u2019t need staking and it\u2019s resistant to fusarium and powdery mildew.\u00a0 I usually do very well with peas, but the past couple of years, have had a problem with powdery mildew, so this will be good to try.<\/p>\n
Pepper, Habanada\u2014This one is just for fun.\u00a0 It\u2019s supposed to have all the citrusy tropical flavor of a habanero pepper, but without the heat.<\/p>\n
Tomato, Red Currant\u2014This tomato is supposed to produce a lot of \u00bd\u201d very flavorful tomatoes.\u00a0 I\u2019ve already grown one called Matt\u2019s Wild Cherry which had little intensely flavorful tomatoes but was a fabulous producer, so we\u2019ll see which one I like better.<\/p>\n
Cosmos, Lemonade\u2014I\u2019ve always loved bright, easy, and colorful cosmos.\u00a0 This is a brand new introduction that is a soft pretty yellow.\u00a0 I can\u2019t wait to add it to my butterfly garden.<\/p>\n
Marigold, Mission Giant Yellow\u2014An old Burpee heirloom with huge chrysanthemum-like flowers.\u00a0 I think it will be great for cutting.<\/p>\n
As always, when starting any seed, the package is the best source of information on how and when to plant.\u00a0 The tomato and pepper I\u2019ll start in my sunny window in a few weeks\u2014around the end of this month\u2014and the broccoli, I\u2019ll start inside about a month later\u2014about the same time I sow my snap peas outside.\u00a0 The cosmos and marigolds I\u2019ll direct sow outside around the first of May.<\/p>\n
If I had enough sunny windows, I could start them indoors around the first of April, but with the other seeds I always start indoors (my perennial favorite Cherokee Purple tomato, Jimmy Nardello\u2019s Italian pepper, Ping-Tung long eggplant) I won\u2019t have any more room.<\/p>\n
Remember, that seeds grown indoors need as much sunlight as possible.\u00a0 In addition to my southeast windows, on cloudy days, I augment with a grow light.\u00a0 I turn it on before I leave for work in the morning and don\u2019t turn if off until around 11 at night.<\/p>\n
And while we\u2019re talking seeds, I never start seeds for things like green beans, cucumbers, squash, melons, peas or any root crops (beets, radishes, etc.) indoors.\u00a0\u00a0 I always direct sow outside\u2014the back of the seed packet tells you when.<\/p>\n
Still, whatever seeds you pick, starting seeds indoors is a great cure for spring fever\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"