Notes for January 12, 2010

I have received at least four more seed catalogs since my last entry.  I will look through them all.  Who knows where I will find my next idea (plant etc) that actually works in my yard.  Yesterday I even received two post card packs of gardening gadgets but I didn't see that they came until this morning.   One of my local gardening stores doubles as a Christmas store and each January and February they advertise 40% off all seeds.  Looking at the calendar, I will probably be stopping by there the weekend of the 23rd this month.  I have already started my list although I haven't completed my inventory yet to see what I need.   I have decided to change one thing so far this season.  For my larger vegetable plants, I think I am going to start them from seed in biodegradeable pots.  I lost a couple of tomato, pepper and cucumber plants during transplanting and using the peat pots will eliminate that problem.  I will have to use some sort tray underneath to keep them from falling over as well as catch any water.   I think I am going to try even another variety of green pepper to try to get some earlier than late August.  I found a variety that touts its for short growing seasons but it was only a day shorter in its description than one of the two varieties I grew last year.   I had beautiful success with growing Juliet tomatoes instead of growing cherry tomatoes.  The cherry tomatoes seem to crack more oftten.  I think I will grow them again and look for another variety of grape as well.   I didn't plant my lima beans until late and I think I am finished with that exeriment for a while.  Not sure what I will plant instead, maybe some leaf lettuce or another row of carrots.  I wish I could get better spinach germination, I'm thinking of trying a different variety to see if the germination is better.   It was a little warmer this morning.  It was only 27 when I got up.  The last two days it was 11 degrees.