Look at those little stowaways in the zucchini's pot! How rude! These little sprouts just popped up. I wonder what they are? When I planted the zucchini I used half new soil and half old soil from last year so I'm guessing whatever was in the soil last year left a little present for my zucchini. How fun and interesting! As you can see the zucchini is growing so strong. He loves it outside and has really grown.
This past week I was getting prepared to transplant all my seedlings into their outdoor pots. I was hardening off my sprouts all week by taking them outside for 1 hour on Monday and gradually increased 1 hour of outdoor time per day until they were spending all day outside. I was just so excited to transplant on Saturday when the weather took a turn for the worse.
All week we were struggling not to turn the air conditioning on as it reached 85 degrees during the day and suddenly we were back to the 40s! Too cold for my baby plants. Unfortunately, it hasn't even been getting up to 55 degrees during the day so I had to bring in the zucchini and strawberry plant. They are so sad that they can't play outside anymore :(
Needless to say, this week has been way too cold for transplanting so the seedlings had to stay indoors. Now I am planning on transplanting this weekend. The weather should be turning warm again by Thursday so cross your fingers. I'm afraid if I keep these guys inside any longer they will be stunted and won't grow well. Hopefully, they will take to their new pots like the zucchini did and grow with vigor!
Carrots are getting bigger
Spinach going strongAdditionally, Joe and I picked out some flowers to start from seeds. Although I started them a little late a lot of them have already sprouted. You can see pictures of the ones we chose below.
Top row from left to right: Four O'Clock Marbles Mix, Blue Enchantment Convolvulus, Antique Shades PansiesBottom row from left to right: Magic Carpet Petunia, Four O'Clock High Tea mix, Peach Melba Nasturtium
I love the colors and I hope that starting these flowers from seeds will make them healthy and happy (not to mention its cheaper). I chose varieties that could tolerate full sun all day, had blooms for up to 10-12 weeks, and love the heat. Our deck gets A LOT of sun in the summer and I noticed that the geraniums could not take it last year, but the petunias thrived. Not all of the flowers have sprouted yet so I'm anxiously awaiting their sprouting.
One of the Four O'Clock sproutsAlso in case you are counting down, only 17 more days until I sit for the RD exam! I could be an RD for my birthday! Hooray.
That's the raging volcano? He's a frog.
ReplyDeleteHey, hey, maybe he gets hopping mad.
AMAZING POST!! I loved seeing all this!! A few follow-up questions:
ReplyDelete1. How is your spinach so much bigger than mine when I planted before you?!! Maybe my soil was too damp?
2. How did you know how to temper your transplants? That's clever!
3. Those stowaways are super adorable!! Are you going to keep them and see what they become? Or make them walk the plank? :)
GREAT post. Maybe your best ever!!
Thanks Dina! Probably only you, Joe, and JP will get the quote though. haha. I don't know why my spinach is so much bigger! It must just like the weather we are having or something. I've only really had to water it a couple times because it has been pretty rainy. I learned about hardening off from the Bountiful Container book of course! You know how I always have to research something before getting started. I just did my research ;) And I am sad to say that those stowaways walked the plank. I pulled them out so they wouldn't bother my zucchini.
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