Austin Organic Gardeners' Spring Plant Sale
Date: March 3, 2012
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Place: Zilker Botanical Garden
Vegetable, herb and ornamental transplants will be available
Place: Zilker Botanical Garden
Vegetable, herb and ornamental transplants will be available
The Austin Organic Gardeners (AOG) club members have been preparing for the annual plant sale for weeks. The plant sale is an important fundraiser for the club.
I started working on my contribution to the plant sale just before Christmas. My first step was to expand my grow rack to accommodate more plants. My homemade PVC grow rack can comfortably accommodate four flats.
Inexpensive T12 shop lights using blue spectrum, 6500K, daylight deluxe bulbs provide the light needed to grow seedlings and propagate cuttings.
In December, I started trailing rosemary cuttings. I sure wish these cuttings looked a little better, but they're not dead, so at least that. To save space on the grow rack, the cuttings have been moved to the greenhouse. I'll try to coax them along with a diluted solution of fish emulsion and seaweed.
At the same time I started the rosemary cuttings, I also started sweet basil from seed. The basil is my pride and joy. I just think these little guys are adorable, and they already smell great too!
During our January AOG club meeting, I learned that we needed more peppers. I've never grown peppers before from seed, so I thought it would be fun to try. Peppers need soil temperatures of 85-90 degrees, so I decided to purchase an inexpensive heat mat. On January 11th, I started California Wonder bell peppers and by January 29th, the peppers were ready to be bumped up to 4 inch pots.
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| A plastic spoon serves as a scoop. |
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| Seedlings are gently placed into their new home. |
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| California Wonder pepper seedlings at 18 days. |
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| Excelling past the others, 2 plants (front left and middle) were bumped a week earlier as a test. |
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| California Wonder peppers at 24 days. |
My fellow AOG club members are growing all sorts of plants for transplanting into your vegetable and ornamental beds. Come out and support the Austin Organic Gardeners' plant sale. Hope to see you there.
Thanks for the information - I'll make sure to go. I look forward to trying to grow my own peppers. Can I grow them in a pot indoors? Who knows, this may be the start of my own vegetable garden.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Starting peppers and other vegetable seedlings indoors is fun and rewarding. Best of luck with your vegetable garden.
DeleteLooking good. The basil is just darling.
ReplyDeleteCindy S.
Thanks Cindy. It's going to be hard parting with my little babies. Hopefully they will go to good gardening homes and will grow up to be pesto some day :)
DeleteThanks for posting about the seed starting stands - I never did write down the wattages of the lights.
ReplyDeleteYou bet. If you need better pics or more information, just let me know.
DeleteHey Ally - all your seedlings are looking great. I've started some seeds indoors too - as influenced by you at the go-go! I've got some snap peas and purple basil. I seeded the purple basil to add color to my garden and grow next to the green basil. I have enough to share with you.
ReplyDeleteThat's a great idea, I bet the purple and green will look very striking together. Thanks for thinking of me, I'd love some of the purple basil. See ya soon.
DeleteWhat great information! And they are so cute, too. I'm sharing this with a viewer who's trying seeds indoors for the first time.
ReplyDeleteThanks Linda. I hope your viewer finds the information helpful as well. Of course, they can always post questions. I'm always happy to help if I can.
DeleteI just found your site and was wondering if you had the plans for your PVC stand? I'd like to make one for myself so I can start more veggies inside.
ReplyDeleteDebora Cadene.
I found the original plans on the web, and modified them to accommodate double light fixtures on each level. I'm going to build a second PVC light rack soon and when I do, I will post a parts list with instructions. Look for the post in late summer.
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