February started cold, much like January. There have been the occasional day with glimpses of the spring we all wait for, but overall it is still winter.
With the exception of winter sowing a few hardy greens like kale and corn salad, most gardening has been indoors.
Cleaning and prepping seed starting trays is not that much fun, but it nonetheless needs to be done. My microgreens are still delivering greens alongside my grow buckets, which were dismantled at the end of the month.
I only have so many full-spectrum growlights, and they will soon be needed more for my pepper and tomato seedlings.
Over the years, I have learned to be patient. I used to start all my seeds in January and February, but I soon found myself caring for large plants indoors while waiting for the weather outside to warm up.
Nowadays, I start the bulk of my peppers in February and most of my tomatoes in March.
This year, I am growing all my favourite peppers, including Bhut Jolokia ghost peppers, long slim Cayenne peppers, Padron peppers, and Jalapenos. But I am also testing a few new varieties, like the Naga Jolokia ghost pepper, one Tabasco, and one Vindaloo cayenne pepper variety.
Overall, less than 2% of my pepper seeds failed to germinate. That’s pretty good, and I do feel quite comfortable starting any pepper variety from seed these days.
I used coconut coir for some of my pepper seeds. So far, I am pleased but I will get back to you when we are past the first leaves stage,
My spring-planted garlic is doing well, and I can see green leaves poking through. I know from experience that garlic is very hardy, so I do not worry about the plants when the temperature goes below zero.
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Gardening photos February 2024
Gardening photo of the week: 26 February – 3 March 2024
Gardening photo of the week: 19 February – 25 February 2024
Gardening photo of the week: 12 February – 18 February 2024
Gardening photo of the week: 5 February – 11 February 2024
