garden guarantees

Things you already knew... but maybe didn't quite apply thoroughly...

Plants sprouted indoors during rainy season will not get enough sun. They will be spindly and wimpy. In contrast, the plants sprouted out doors will have bigger, stronger leaves than their indoor relations; the outdoor babies will have strong, tough leaves and short stems that won't fall over from a hint of wind.

Seeds that aren't "supposed" to sprout until soil temps drop above or below 70F may not follow the rules.

Seeds placed in potting soil soup may not sprout. Worse yet, the soup may sprout mold or fungus instead. Poking drainage holes actually matters.

A week or so after you plant all your seeds, just when you're most worried about the wee spindly things, your local Whole Foods will suddenly start selling vigorous young specimens of the very plants you're trying to grow. They will also sell lettuce plants when your seedlings are several weeks away from harvest, when you have been without fresh lettuce for almost a month.

You will regret not buying the lettuce.

Seedlings for the winter garden

The winter squash I planted in early August -- almost exactly a month ago -- have flowers tightly furled near their centers. What a quick growth! The beets I planted then all died, probably from a combination of excessive heat and flood-style watering techniques; but two broccoli babies are poking their way along in a pot, and I think that two brussels sprouts are hanging on in another pot. I'll be surprised if they really make it to the fall, but I don't suppose I could complain.

The best measure of my pessimism (and a reflection of deep yearning for plant babies or mosquito-free gardening) is the recent development of an indoor seed sprouting system. I have four miniature greenhouses (one from a Vietnamese soup takeout container, one similarly sized clear tupperware, and one large clear tupperware) in which four yogurt cups reside with newly deposited seeds: broccoli, sweet pea, yellow wax bean, cilantro, red and golden beets, and brussels sprouts. In addition, I acquired a medium-sized black plastic bowl for use as a salad-starter, and sowed about half its surface area upon my return home tonight. I had been hoping that I could harvest some salad greens in 2-3 weeks, but all the seed packages hinted at 40-65 day waits before harvest. The microgreens looked like I might get a harvest in about 20 days, so I'm hoping -- it's been a while since my garden gave me fresh lettuce! (a quick google finds more references to salad that can be harvested within two weeks, so I'm even more hopeful!)

Out in the garden-o'-pots, the swiss chard is about a week from next harvest pending good sunshine and safe weather. The tomatoes have really been producing -- I've frozen about 10 tomatoes from my big plant in the last week, and eaten many, many more from the cherry tomato in the back. The sunflowers are past their prime and greying with seed, the parsley eaten by caterpillars, and the basil has gone to seed and spawned many wee seedlings.

Why don't seed packets list predicted plant heights anymore? Just wondering...