2020 [VIRTUAL] SEED SWAP SHARE
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MANY THANKS TO THE GENEROUS SUPPLIERS
who donated seeds to our Swap & Share: Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Bounty Beyond Belief (BBB), High Mowing Seeds, John Scheepers Garden Seeds, Mountain Valley Seed Co./True Leaf Market. These growers offer high quality seeds, and we appreciate their support.
????????? STILL NEED HELP ?????????
We hope you enjoy the flower, herb, and vegetable seeds obtained from the Carlisle Seed Swap & Share. Get outdoors and enjoy some sunshine, but be sure to use appropriate protection against black flies, mosquitos and ticks (every species mattters)! We'll be publishing articles and links here, to help you garden safely and successfully. And remember: we plan to offer a variety of free seedlings in late May, so check back for details! Happy planting and growing, and see the following section for some helpful how-tos.
SOME BASICS FOR NEW
(& VETERAN) GARDENERS
DIRECT SEEDING
Submitted by Cecile Sandwen
In Carlisle we are blessed with pretty abundant rain and many gardens with sprinkler systems. This makes direct seeding a very viable way of growing vegetables and blooms with minimal work. Although seeding directly into the garden does not have the yield that starting in trays does, it cuts the care in half, does not require grow lights, and can be very successful with regular watering. Root vegetables and some annuals that do not like disturbance do better with direct seeding, which eliminates the need to transplant. In addition, if you collect seeds in the fall, many annuals produce seeds you can save to plant next year.
Here are a few varieties that have great success with direct seeding:
Submitted by Cecile Sandwen
In Carlisle we are blessed with pretty abundant rain and many gardens with sprinkler systems. This makes direct seeding a very viable way of growing vegetables and blooms with minimal work. Although seeding directly into the garden does not have the yield that starting in trays does, it cuts the care in half, does not require grow lights, and can be very successful with regular watering. Root vegetables and some annuals that do not like disturbance do better with direct seeding, which eliminates the need to transplant. In addition, if you collect seeds in the fall, many annuals produce seeds you can save to plant next year.
Here are a few varieties that have great success with direct seeding:
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Vegetables:
Root vegetables (radishes, beets, carrots, turnips) Leafy greens (mustard, arugula, spinach, lettuce, kale, chard) Peas and beans Squashes, cucumbers, melons Herbs (best in pots): Basil Chives (perennial) Cilantro Dill Mints (spearmint, peppermint) Oregano (often perennial in Carlisle) Parsley (biennial) Rosemary (bring in for winter) Sage (perennial; can go in ground) Tarragon (French is preferable) Thyme |
DO NOT DIRECT SEED tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, onions, cabbages, or broccoli. In Carlisle these plants require indoor starting to extend their seasons.
Flowers: California poppies Nigella (Love in a Mist) Sweet Alyssum Snapdragon Mirabilis (4 o’clock) Amaranth Bachelor’s Buttons Nasturtium Cosmos Marigold Sunflower Zinnia Morning Glory Valerian Bonariensis |
Instructions:
To direct seed, pick a flat, well-weeded area. If soil needs amendment it is best to do in fall, but if done in spring, try to use amendments you are sure have no weed seeds. If possible, choose a day when there is rain or overcast skies in the forecast, but not a deluge that could wash away seeds.
Smooth soil and plant your seeds according to package instructions. A planting pattern is preferable as it helps you later identify sprouts you want from those you don’t. For very small seeds shaking them out of a spice shaker or similar tool helps keep the spread even.
Tamp down lightly to be sure there is soil contact. Water with mist or very light spray. It helps to cover with a small amount of loose peat moss, straw, or shredded leaves to reduce water loss, but not so much that light doesn’t get through. Remember to label each row or patch.
Water daily, more if sun is very bright and conditions dry. When seedlings emerge, pull back light mulch, if used, and weed out every other or more until plants are spaced as required. Otherwise they will not grow well. Fertilize when leaves appear, and continue throughout season according to instructions.
Annuals take a while to flower, but try to appreciate that during the blah season of August/ early September, when most perennials have bloomed, you will have bright annuals to replace them.
The following is a seed starting guide I found online for northern Colorado, which is in Zone 5 as is Carlisle:
To direct seed, pick a flat, well-weeded area. If soil needs amendment it is best to do in fall, but if done in spring, try to use amendments you are sure have no weed seeds. If possible, choose a day when there is rain or overcast skies in the forecast, but not a deluge that could wash away seeds.
Smooth soil and plant your seeds according to package instructions. A planting pattern is preferable as it helps you later identify sprouts you want from those you don’t. For very small seeds shaking them out of a spice shaker or similar tool helps keep the spread even.
Tamp down lightly to be sure there is soil contact. Water with mist or very light spray. It helps to cover with a small amount of loose peat moss, straw, or shredded leaves to reduce water loss, but not so much that light doesn’t get through. Remember to label each row or patch.
Water daily, more if sun is very bright and conditions dry. When seedlings emerge, pull back light mulch, if used, and weed out every other or more until plants are spaced as required. Otherwise they will not grow well. Fertilize when leaves appear, and continue throughout season according to instructions.
Annuals take a while to flower, but try to appreciate that during the blah season of August/ early September, when most perennials have bloomed, you will have bright annuals to replace them.
The following is a seed starting guide I found online for northern Colorado, which is in Zone 5 as is Carlisle:
VOLUNTEERS
Submitted by Barbara Lewis
I have always appreciated my garden volunteers -- plants that reseed themselves in the garden. Little surprises that greet me in the garden each year through no effort of mine. I think it is one reason I took way too many years to get on the mulching bandwagon for fear of missing out on the welcomed guests that pop up from seed unbidden. I was willing to weed (until I wasn’t) for the thrill of the freebies, especially as six packs of annuals only became more and more expensive.
Submitted by Barbara Lewis
I have always appreciated my garden volunteers -- plants that reseed themselves in the garden. Little surprises that greet me in the garden each year through no effort of mine. I think it is one reason I took way too many years to get on the mulching bandwagon for fear of missing out on the welcomed guests that pop up from seed unbidden. I was willing to weed (until I wasn’t) for the thrill of the freebies, especially as six packs of annuals only became more and more expensive.
Johnny Jump Up violas are one of my favorites. They are a perennial but are often grown as an annual. They reseed like crazy, and plants from the previous year survive the winter. In my vegetable beds I leave them in the fall, and maybe even scatter some seeds, then in the spring they are one of the first flowers in late April (that are not bulbs). What a treat to dig them out of the soft loose garden soil to plant in window boxes or tuck here and there under bushes and near rocks. They promise to be happy wherever you put them.
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Sweet potato in water after leaves sprout. Photo by Nikki White
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A Nice Vege to Try: Sweet Potatoes
Submitted by Nikki White Sweet potatoes are propagated as plants, not tubers. In order to get plants, just let your store-bought tubers sprout. Sprouting takes quite a while. When your sprouts develop leaves, put them in a flat or container filled about half-way with clean water; change water every 2-3 days. Let the roots and greens grow. When they are several inches long, gently tease the plants off the main tuber and plant them in the garden when the weather is steadily warm (60-70 degrees; about mid-June in Carlisle). Sweet potatoes like the heat. |