As is probably obvious by now, I haven't grown a lot of things from seed in my life. I did have quite a cute herb garden hanging in from the windowsill of one of my kitchen windows in NYC, but thats about the extent of it.
This year, in my gardening RIGHT NOW wishing fervor, I decided to start some seeds in the small upstairs room which is blindingly bright with its south and west exposures. I chose a lot of seeds which are late spring bloomers in most of the country, primarily because those can be tough here, so I hear, and need to get out as early as possible. The >80 degrees heat and humidity hit around May, and the sun at that point can melt lead. Okay, so maybe it can't, but plants don't like it. There was a 90 degree day here this past October after I moved in, and my Wandering Jew looked almost as bad as when I accidently froze it to death this January. Oops. I forgot him. Now he's very dead. I feel bad about it.
This seed extravaganza took place about 2 weeks ago, as the first plant date is the 2nd week of March around here (little jig of joy for living in the South), and I wanted these little plants ready to leave the nest by then.
I read the directions. I did what I was supposed to. Some seeds needed light, they got light. Some seeds needed dark, they got cardboard covers.
So here's the result after about 17 days. Look hard... What is wrong in this picture?
Well, actually there are two things wrong. First, the 4 o'clock seeds aren't coming up. These are home grown from my Mom's garden so I'm suspecting its not the seeds, its me. They just keep sitting there, looking like little grenades half buried in the soil.
But the big wrong thing? You see how every other plant in the tray is between .5 inches and 2 inches tall, like one would expect after 2 weeks? Now you see those Nastursiums that are 6 inches tall? What the heck? They would have many more leaves too if my cat would stop eating them. 4-6 weeks my (behind!)* What am I going to do with these things? They can't go out now!
*(paraphrased for public audiences)
0 comments:
Post a Comment