Just a quick update to note that today I sowed 3 more (the last of these seeds) Sun Sugar Hybrids from William Dam Seeds. Also sown today was 7 Sub-Arctic Maxi seeds from Apache seeds. And the final seeds sown this afternoon were 4 organic Sweet Genovese Basil from Seeds of Change.

That's all for now.

Propagation Pictures

The propagation photos are here!

Below are the Hot Wax peppers all the green stakes and the ones without stakes. The 4 blue stakes at that end of the tray are the Toma Verde Tomatillos. Word from a friend is these become fairly large plants once they get going so I am only going to try 4 plants this year.

I used peat pots this year to see if they can help eliminate the need to complete an interim transplant - in previous years I have propagated seeds in 1x1 cells then transferred to 4 inch pots before transplanting again into my full size patio pots. I am hoping that this year I might find a way to take them straight to the patio pots by starting them in the larger peat pots.

These seeds were sown 1 to a pot yesterday, April 7, 2012.

Above: I keep the tray holding the pepper seeds on the living room radiator, cheaper than buying a heating mat and this has worked 3 years in a row. Usually I see plants emerge in about 14 days.

Below: This tomato tray contains the Sun Sugar Hybrid tomatoes (orange stakes) and the Lemon Boy Hybrid tomatoes.

Above: I am keeping the tomato tray in the full sun on a small table right by the patio door for the warmth of the west sun. Come back and check out the progress in about 14 days, and happy gardening.

Welcome to the 2012 Edition of Just Leafy!

Last year came and went without any Just Leafy blog posts, not entirely sure why, since I had a great crop of tomatoes and peppers and peas off the balcony. Last year I decided against renewing the community garden plot, finding that there were times I felt I could not make it down there often enough to care for it. I thought that I also was getting a really good crop off the balcony so it might be charitable of me to let someone with less successful private gardening space of their own to enjoy my old plot.

So this year I have decided to grow the following from seed:

Hungarian Hot Wax Peppers - Veseys Seeds (Sowed 12 seeds April 7)

Tomatillo Toma Verde - William Dam Seeds (Sowed 4 seeds April 7)

Lemon Boy Yellow Tomato - Veseys Seeds (Sowed 7 seeds April 7)

Sun Sugar Orange Tomato - William Dam Seeds (Sowed 9 seeds April 7)

Sub Arctic Maxi Tomato - Apache Seeds (not yet sown)

Other things I might grow:

Cilantro

Chives

Mesclun Mix

Hollyhock

Our most recent harvest saw some really tasty purple beans (they turn green when steamed) onions, carrots and tomatoes come in. The little cherry tomatoes are super sweet. It has been a moist summer so everything is nice and plump.

This is Urban Eden

Overview of the plot

Tomatoes!

The urban eden plot.

The master gardener at his plot in the Urban Eden

From the Urban Eden Plot

So I am cheating on my balcony containers a little bit - I also have a community garden plot that has taken up quite a bit of time. Sadly I keep forgetting to bring the camera with me when I head down there. Here is the harvest from the Urban Eden today:

July Update

July Garden Update:

The tomatoes are doing quite well all things considered (lots of rain and not too many sunny days) but the peppers are not doing as well as they did in Vancouver. Once again not enough heat and I think the soil has too much peat, and not enough sand - too damp.

Happy Canada Day! The view from our balcony party: