It's all happening in the glasshouse here at Struan Farm. Basically we're out of space to pot up any more seedings until the end of October, when the risk of frost is meant to be past and veggies can be planted outside in the garden.
This year I've got 500+ tomato seedlings potted up, with surplus of some varieties still in seed trays. Varieties include Oxheart, Black Oxheart, Vintage Brandywine, Black Cherry, Cherokee Purple, Pink Berkeley Tie Dye, Chef's Choice Black (King's Seeds mix of different good black varieties), and then my saved seeds from the best tomatoes last year: Big Red Heirloom, Big Black Heirloom, and Big Red and Black Heirloom (I got a bit lazy at the end of the season and mixed them). This year I decided to try colour coding varieties with their pots to avoid having to use quite so many craft sticks and labels. It should work as long as I don't mix them up in the glasshouse by moving them around!
Seedling "Musquee de Provence" and "Blue Prince" pumpkins, "Black Coral" Zucchini and chiles are also growing away. For some reason the butternut squash doesn't want to germinate, I may need a new packet of seed. I plant lettuce seed, corn, beans and potatoes/kumara out directly, those aren't started inside since they don't especially like being moved.
In terms of flowers seed trays of marigolds, snapdragons and straw flowers are growing away. If I had space I would pot up some of those, but they'll have to hold on a bit longer in the seed trays. Flowers are pretty understanding like that.
At the moment garlic, shallots, broad beans, radishes, rocket, spring onions and coriander are taking off outside. I'm also feeding beds and troughs with manure, blood & bone and lime to gear the soil up for the main event. Compost was dumped everywhere a few months ago too.
So now I'm girding my loin for Labour Weekend. I will start sharing tomato plants at our Piopio Community Fruit & Veg Stand, Maniapoto Maara Kai Roopu community garden, and a few local schools in late October as well. I've been told that the kids love Black Cherry tomatoes to snack on and I'm happy to encourage that.
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