How to sow tomato seeds easily… and how to protect seed trays from marauding cats
This week is the first week of spring in our household. One reason for designating this particular week as the official end of winter is the fact that we can now close our front door for the first time this year. Every year, in cold/wet weather, it expands (or the door frame shrinks – one or the other), making it impossible to shut. Luckily we have a second, inner door that also locks so it’s not a huge problem – just something of a nuisance.
The second event marking the official start of spring chez Mr & Mrs Beans is the planting of this year’s tomato seeds – Brandywine and Gardener’s Delight (which will be followed by Tumbling Tom, on order from a seller on eBay). Like any small seeds, tomato seeds are fiddly to plant. I’ve evolved a method of doing so, which involves emptying them into a bowl and using a moist finger to pick them up one at a time, and plonk them on the surface of the compost in the tray. (Your hands may already be moist anyway, from handling the compost.)
For the next week or two while the seeds germinate, the seed trays will sit on our dining table. Lest our cats decide that they make nifty litter boxes, I’ve covered them with wire cake trays. (You can’t be too careful when it comes to cats, I’ve realised.)
Have also planted six mouse melon seeds – should be interesting to see if they come up.
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Categories: crops Tags: seeds, sowing seeds, tomatoes
My online seeds have arrived
Today I’ve been outside cleaning seed trays, ready to plant tomato seeds. Speaking of which, the ones I ordered online (a variety called Brandywine) arrived in the post today, along with packets of rainbow chard, mizuna, giant red mustard and another Oriental leafy thing called Green In Snow. There’ll be lots of stir frying going on in a few months’ time!
The Brandywine variety of tomato is described on the Tamar Organics site/seed packet as “a large pink-fruited tomato regarded by many as the best flavoured”. If it lives up to its billing, I will be a very happy tomato eater 😆