Seed Starting

Time has come to get some seeds in the dirt. I stood out in the freezing pouring rain last weekend to get my two flats of pots scrubbed with bleach and ready to go. Last year I had this done, and the pots stored full of dirt in the autumn. I must remember to do that again this fall. I picked up two bags of potting soil at the hardware store, and everything is ready to go. One flat is for Peppers and Eggplants, and the second flat is for Tomatoes. The Peppers and Eggplants need a two week head start, and they will remain shorter than the tomatoes throughout the entire growing season, so I have learned not to mix them in the same flat.


Here are the varieties I am planting this year.

Prosperosa Eggplant: Small, round and dark. Just the right size for one person.

Rosa Bianca Eggplant: Also small, but a pretty pink on white.
Round Mauve Eggplant: Also small, but a gorgeous violet color.

Sweet Pickle pepper: Short compact plant with 3" peppers suitable for pickling. Peppers change from Yellow through Orange to Red as they ripen, making it a nice ornamental.

Blushing Beauty Bell Pepper: A smallish bell pepper which change from Yellow through Orange to Red as they ripen. I rarely use peppers. I just like to watch them grow. My Dad is the same way (which I think is sort of funny) but his wife has managed to figure out uses for all of the peppers he produces. Would anyone like some Pepper Jelly?

Pineapple tomato: A large yellow/bicolored tomato which is quite crisp and has a great flavor. This is also one of my Mom's favorites.

Ananas Noir: French for "Black Pineapple" created as a cross from the original Pineapple. Tastes musch the same, but just look at the gorgeous color. This one is ripe and ready for a sandwich. It get's it's name from the fact that the skin is a dark, purple blotched with green. Some of them are pretty ugly.. until you cut them open.

Black Krim: One of the most popular black varieties. It has a smokey almost salty taste. You don't even have to put the bacon in your BLT, this tomato has all the flavors.And the the old stand by: PaPaw's Jap. I alsways grow at least one of these, and a couple for Mom and Dad, and to give away.

I may grow one or two others. Mom said the other day she wanted a mid-sized white, and I have just the right seed! You never can tell what I'll grow until the seed gets in the dirt!