Last weekend I started my pepper plants. They are starting to germinate so as they do so I am moving them under the lights which frees up space on the germination mat. This year we are growing some old favorites and some new varieties. Last year we grew a tomato called Siberian. It was a tomato found by my friend Bobbie. It is bred for growing in the north and it sets fruit at colder temperatures than many of the other tomato varieties, making it extra early. It worked out pretty well so I am trying it again along with a couple of other early tomatoes.
We usually grow a combination of slicers, pastes, and cherry types. Most of our choices are heirlooms or open pollinated. We do grow one or two hybrids. These are the varieties I am starting from seed this year:
Big Beef
Brandywine
Tigerella
Siberian
Moskvich
Speckled Roman
San Marzano II
Sunrise Bumble Bee
Costoluto Genovese
White Cherry
BHN 968
Black Vernissage
Matt's Wild Cherry
Next will be to start the flower plants to attract pollinators.
Spring seems so far away. Snow is predicted again this weekend. Supposed to start during the early morning. We are in the 7-12 inch range. At least the temperatures are mild. I think we might hit 40 one day next week.
I honestly never knew there were so many varieties of tomatoes or peppers. I also didn't know that you needed to attract pollinators. Gardening just looks like fun, I know there's tons of science and hard work involved, but I never really thought about it before....
ReplyDeleteHi Kim, I wonder if there aren't getting to be more and more. It seems like the big box stores have the same few varieties but when you look online or in some of the bigger catalogs it gets really hard to choose. This weekend during the storm I was watching these homesteading videos and the gal was growing peppers to make her own canned chilies, chili powder, cayenne powder, sriracha sauce and Tabasco. I might have to look for more varieties next year.
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