Garden Update

A few weeks ago, I posted My Garden Plan, and I've got some updates on its progress.

With the help of SmartGardener and the weekly To Do reminders and emails, I've already got some seeds started, and I will be starting more this weekend.

Last weekend, I started green onions (I'm growing Evergreen Bunching). Using an empty egg carton with the top half removed, I filled 10 of the egg cubbies with seed starting mix, and placed 2 seeds in each cubby. The egg carton is sitting on the window sill in the kitchen, where I can see it and remember to water it every few days. I've got 1 square foot of my garden plan allocated for green onions, and that space will accommodate 16 plants.

I also purchased the Succession Planting Smart Add On from SmartGardener ($1.99 one-time cost), so I'll be using that tool to remind me when to start another batch of green onion seeds (every few weeks). Succession planting like this will give me a more steady supply of produce throughout the growing season, instead of planting 20 plants all at once and having a one-time overload of a particular item!

Green onions are best if they're used when fresh, but they can be cleaned, sliced, and frozen for later use, and that's exactly what I plan to do.

This weekend, my SmartGardener To Do is to start my bell pepper seeds (I'm growing California Wonder). I'll use the same method I used for the green onions, except I'm only going to start 6 seeds. I've allocated 6 square feet of my garden plan for bell peppers, and I'll be succession planting them as well.

Bell peppers can also be cleaned and frozen for later use. In our house, we eat a lot of bell peppers in things like fajitas and Italian dishes, so I'll go ahead and slice some to freeze for that type of use, but I'll also probably prepare some stuffed bell peppers as freezer meals (more on this topic when the time comes).

Are you planning a garden this year? If so, what seeds have you started or will you be starting soon, and what do you plan to do with your harvest?