Argh! So, I go out to the barn today and instead of freezing my arse off (yes I said arse!cover your eyes) it was down right balmy in a February kinda way. Immediately the obsessive side of my brain clicked into spring mode and wanted to start seeds. "Aha! I can start onion seed" so off I went with my catalogue to the nearest Vesey's vendor and they DIDN"T have the seeds all up yet! Argh! The frustration of it alll!!! Don't they realise how we NEED that seed to be on the racks when we get hit with the Spring seed starting brain flip?? Now tomorrow it'll probably be minus 20 again and I won't care but today I doooooo...waaaahhh...

Alison, off to suck her thumb in the corner....

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

Answers

So, you probably don't want to hear about Hubs carrying in my new seed starting stand and me going to Wally World and buying potting soil and getting my broccoli and cabbage seeds started today, do you?!

Mean streak? What mean streak?! I don't know what you're talking about!!

Love you, Hon. Get out of that corner and start thinking tulips!!

(Onions from seed are a bitch anyway!)

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

Well, Alison, if you're just going to insist on living in those frozen nether regions that are too cold for human habitation you just have to expect these little hardships. ;)

I was just looking at the bedding plants at the feed store yesterday and decided I didn't really want to play "dodge the frost" just yet so let the tomatoes and peppers go. I do have broccoli, kale, and collards planted out though. I'm wrestling with how large a garden I want to put in this spring. Got so much to do and really only the weekends to do it in.

You can snidely remind me of how cool it is up there this August when I'm dodging hurricanes if it'll make you feel any better. :)

.........Alan.

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

Alison, I had a uppity friend once and her favorite words was "arse" She thought she was being so proper. I was thumbing through one of my dictionaries one day and ran across the definition for arse. That dictionary said that it was the "archaic, vulgar form of ass". Of course, I never told her! It was my own little chuckle time each time she used it though. Opps, is that thread drift? Yes, I'm looking forward to planting also but right now, I'm still working on the walls for the pantry. I do have to look at the raised beds just sitting out there doing nothing right now and I'd rather be there than swinging a hammer. Momma would rather I swing the hammer until this project is finished. Then she'll let me work on the garden. After I move the freezer. Does this sound reminiscent of Cinderella to anyone but me?

Wildman, (Wishing for Summer)

-- Anonymous, February 13, 2002

I've never started onions from seed. What do you all do? I usually buy sets. Tried plants once too. Any recommendations?

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Thank you Anne and Wildman for not rubbing salt into my wounds..sniff sniff... Polly!! Et Tu Brute sound familiar?? :o) Anne, my friend has no luch raising onions from sett but has lovely onions each year from seed. I too can't master the set but she gave me seedlings last year and Voila I had some onions (would have had more if I'd looked after them). Broadcast the seed in a flat and do not thin or replant when you have growth (use your usual method for starting seed in a flat if you have one). The greens are going to get really long eventually so snip them off to use like chives and let the seedlings keep growing. Come setting out time you should have a flat crammed with lovelly little seedlings with somewhat bulbous root ends thanks to the haircuts you gave them. Her preferred varieties are Candy and Redwing. I was going to give Norstar a shot. Turns out I have 'some' latitude for being po'ed at that shop according to others with itchy green thumbs. They've had the dang boxes of seed sitting there for at least a couple of weeks!!

Looking for cortisone cream for my thumb, Alison

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

That's allright there, girlie - you know how to get back, don'tcha?! I say starting onions from seed is a bitch.....you blithley inform everyone how easy it is - you know darn good and well that I'm going to have to go try it and OF COURSE I don't have any onion seed so I'll have to go BACK to town and then the damn things are going to take up space on my seedling rack mutter grumble grouch grump....

Saw blooming pots of daffs and tulips at Wal-Mart yesterday - there was lust in my heart....

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

oh dang...........now does this mean I have to start seeds AND sets??? I am telling myself I don't have to, but am quite certain I will.

Alison, if I am sucking my thumb I can't eat that comfort food that is getting me fatter and fatter, right??. Must try it!!!

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Well, um, my spring garden got planted last fall...I have peas, garlic, cabbage, favas (ahem..), just ready to go into major production mode. I still have lots of winter vegetables, too: kale, collards, broccoli, turnips, overwintered carrots, beets, brussels sprouts, etc...Still no room to plant spring ones. Better get eatin' or taking stuff to the office...

The soil is really wet here (even with raised beds) most of spring. Stuff usually gets planted a lot later, but with overwintering, we can get a jump on a few things. As I recall, a lot of you folks will be harvesting warm weather vegetables about the time that I'm just planting them. This is a big continent!

Hey, do we have forum folk from outside N. America?

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

I thought that Alison Homa had the password here???

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Alison, so when do we start the seeds?? Is this too early?? I have my grow shelf all ready. Does anyone know if onion seed will be viable if it has been frozen?? I have a big package that was sent to me by accident a couple of years ago, but it has been in the freezer. I have since discovered that some seeds shouldn't be frozen. Like Brussel Sprouts and Cabbage..............how about onions??

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

While we're talkin dirt n'stuff,can anyone recomend a thyme for my new walkway(for in between the stones).It needs to grow well in sand and be very short and dense.

Alison if it helps I will go to STokes for you and courier the seeds to you...:)

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Teri,

I'll have to look up the exact name but I believe the type of Thyme that you put between stoneways and such is referred to as Wooly Thyme. Will look it up and make sure of that though.

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Yes, Alison Homa does have the password here, although she hasn't posted recently. Plus David is off in Antarctica, so we're temporarily even more international!

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

Would mother of thyme work? I should dig out my Richter's catalogue and check for you but something tells me I may have pitched it or its next to my bed...hmmm....Hey they may have an online version and I think the address is www.richters.com. They are an herb company. Sorry Polly. You have more experience than I so maybe you are right that onions are a bitch..how does that saying go.."Takes one..."? ROFL ZING! You do know I am kidding, right? Anyhoo, since i don't do well with the sets and Donna does with seeds I thought I'd try her method. Lord knows if I'll succeed but if'n I do I'll have some stinky onion breath.:oP Diane, start 'em now gal! T'is time for onions and leeks.

-- Anonymous, February 14, 2002

I have this years Richters I will check there.I need to get goldenseal roots before they run out anyway.Just wondered if anyone had a favorite.THANX!!!Alison keep repeating...spring is coming spring is coming...:)

-- Anonymous, February 15, 2002

I was in town today and thought I check the seed status..they still didn't have anymore seeds up. What is WRONG with these people. Anyways, I poked around and what did I see? The box labelled onions was OPEN> So I snagged a couple packs of Norstar, told the clerk what I'd done and the catalogue price so she could ring them in. She muttered something about them not being ready to put up yet (no price tages) but I think she knew a gardener on the edge when she saw one because she rang them in. So I finally got to start my onions. I also have some mixed seed that I am sprouting for sandwiches etc (a lentil mix thats sooooo good). It didn't do the trick of soothing my need for earth in my hands. Oooh the potting mix I used was fabulous..not clumpy and very soft. Has compost and worm castings in it and smelled like heaven. aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.Now to find something to start the leeks in.........

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002

Sure the box was open. Uh-huh. We believe you....:oP

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002

Funny,Alison.....reminds me of when my mom used to embarrass us on shopping trips by poking around in the drawers under the display tables in clothing stores, which often contained extras. If she couldnt find a size, color, etc, she couldnt be bothered to ask a clerk, would rather do it herself.

-- Anonymous, February 17, 2002

It really was open! Honest!!!! Teri I looked up the thymes and mother of thyme is what you want (wild thyme). Minus thyme is also listed as good for pathways.

-- Anonymous, February 18, 2002