Nasties on the Move

After producing two blooms last month, the nasties weren't budding or blooming. It's been a little challenging finding a sunny enough spot for them, and last week I moved them back to the veggie garden where those two buds were produced. Although the foliage seems less happy with the heat and sun in this spot, the nasties are budding again. Maybe we'll have a few blooms to show off for Bloom Day next week!

Sorry for the tardy post - work, the holiday, and a hospitalized relative took priority over blogging.

I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds.

The Happy Nasties

What a difference a month makes! In case you missed it, here's what this pot looked like last month. Started in the basement under lights, the first nasturtiums were spindly and sad. During the past month, three of the original sad nasties expired. The three that remain have sprouted more leaves, and look much better. The seedlings started after the pot went outdoors are much happier and healthier-looking, and even cover the spindliness of the lower stems of the older ones.

Having never grown nasturtiums before, starting them in the basement was a learning experience. What not to do: Don't try to get a jump on the season with nasturtium seeds by starting them indoors. Even my expensive, high-powered sodium grow light doesn't provide the right light to produce sturdy, happy nastie seedlings. While adequate for stocky veggie seedlings, and overwintering tropical and tender plants grow and bloom happily under the light, nasturtium seedlings seem to need natural, full-spectrum sunlight for healthy growth.

Now that that's settled, I'm enjoying the cute round leaves on the happy nasties, and looking forward to buds and blooms.

I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds.

Seed Grow Project

I'm participating in the Seed Grow Project, sponsored by Renee's Garden. We're growing this fiery nasturtium from seed and blogging about it. For more information on the project and links to participants' posts, visit the GROW project.

I've never grown nasturtiums. I had been thinking trellis, now I'm thinking spiller. Maybe both? What do you think? A few may show up in the veggie garden, mingling with peas and cucumbers.

Seeds in the mail! That's always a thrill, even more so when they're free seeds. In the envelope with the nasturtiums, Renee included a bonus packet of cosmos. Last fall our two largest silver maples were limbed up and back from the roof of the house. The garden will receive more sun this year. It will be fun to experiment with cosmos in the sunniest spots.

We've had a warmer-than-average late March and early April. That means our heat hasn't been going on as much as usual this time of year, and the basement is a mite cool for starting seeds. Pepper seeds started almost three weeks ago were languishing unsprouted. Last March was chillier, the heat was running more and the basement was warm. Last March, peppers sprouted within days.

Peppers, and many other seeds, require warm temperatures for sprouting. I don't have a heat mat. The warm top of the fridge can be a frugal alternative. Here's a spot to experiment with . . .

Instantly, (almost,) they sprouted.

I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks to Renee's Garden for the seeds.