Posted by maco on April 12, 2013 at 02:28 and edited at May 26, 2019 at 22:08
PermalinkAll the seeds I ordered this year have shown up. I've got seeds for 7 kinds of dye plants, though I won't be planting all of those. Some of them get too big for the space I'm allocated.
I got Burpee's heirloom seeds for summer squash, purple-top white globe turnips, chioggia beets, big rainbow tomato, black krim tomato, brandywine pink tomato, and supersteak hybrid tomato. I'm about to start the seeds indoors, but the internet has just informed me that turnips are to be planted either in the fall 2 months before the first frost or in the spring a month before the last frost. They are not summer-weather-type plants. Oops. Well, I've got 3000 turnip seeds. I'll just start a handful and see what happens. The internet also says beets should just be started outside for the same taproot reason as carrots, but soak them for an hour first.
Now um…hmm..which dye plants am I starting?
4 comments
Most excellent!
Interesting about the beets being started outside. I just started some in seed trays as a winter crop here. I've definitely seen them being sold in seedling punnets commercially, and IIRC I had beets from seedlings last year. Guess we'll see how it goes!
It did look like a distinction was made between growing beets for the leaves versus for the roots, because I did see people who grow them for the greens saying they started indoors.
Huh! And also hmm.
I'm certainly interested in hearing which dye plants work well in the area. I've not tried growing anything myself, being focused on edibles, but it's always nice to have the information.