Click on a thumbnail picture below to see the full size version. 11 Entries. Monday, January 4 View Page Only 15 weeks until seed starting! WooHoo! This year I have my plans firmly in mind. These are the starting six: 1505 Holland - (1385 Jutras X 1142 Van Kooten) 1467 Perham - (1385 Jutras X 724 Perham) 1211 Toftness - (1385 Jutras X 1334 Daletas) 1240 Bogie - (1385 Jutras X 904 Stelts) 1725 Harp - (1385 Jutras X Self) 1987 Bhaskaran - proven red/orange producer! My own seeds are not on that list... However, I do plan to start several 720 Warren seeds which will be first in line to backup if any of those in the starting lineup go down. In my experience, you're always going to have a seed that doesn't grow, or a double-vining plant. You just have to over plan and have some backups ready to go in when problems crop up. Monday, January 4 View Page LOL, make that the 1087 Bhaskaran..... Monday, January 11 View Page Only 14 weeks until T-Zero! I actually setup all of the seed starting equipment. This is a steel frame with multiple shelves, lights, and everything anyone would need to start seeds. We usually have this all setup for six months of the year anyway. Pretty soon I'll be starting onions, and anything else I can justify this early. Ah, can't forget about test germinations of the giants... gotta have lots of that. Monday, February 1 View Page Eleven weeks to go. I have a 720 Warren growing right now... not to plant but just to dream. This winter has been mild, although at this moment it does look like a winter wonderland out there. I think GroundHog Day will bring us good news.... Monday, February 22 View Page I just counted, I'm shocked! Eight weeks until seed starting! Wow... it was 9 degrees this morning. I sure hope the weather cooperates with this plan! Monday, March 1 View Page Here we are, March 1st... The weather just started to improve. Yesterday was wonderful, sunny sky and temps in the high-40's. I still have patches of snow on the garden, and the ground must still be frozen because it isn't draining. I can't believe that I will be starting seeds in seven weeks! March is the month that winter ends... Monday, April 12 View Page I can't believe that one week from now I intend to start seeds. Am I ready? No. Sunday, April 18 View Page Started these seeds tonight, as well as two from my own 720. Clockwise from the top-left, 1087 Bhaskaran, 1240 Bogie, 1211.5 Toftness, 1725 Harp, 1467 Perham, and 1505 Holland. For each of the last five seeds, the mother seed was the 1385 Jutras. Friday, April 23 View Page All eight of my initial batch of starts came up. The 1505 Holland and 1467 Perham were up in three days (in pots). Then at four days, the 1725 and the 1240 Bogie were up, as well as one of my 720 were up. Now, this morning at 4.5 days all are up, including the 1211.5 Toftness, 1086 Bhaskaran, and another 720. Last night I also started four backups: 1392 Bresnick, another 1211.5, a 1293 Bhaskaran, and, would you believe, a 922.5 Emmons? I grew a 922.5 years ago and it blew up for me as well as it did for so many others. I like to live dangerously. Thursday, April 29 View Page I built all six hoophouses on Monday. They're better than any I've had in the last 5 years. Since then, the weather has been terrible. Today (Thursday) is going to be another day of high winds and high temps in the 40's. I hope to get the plants out by Friday night or Saturday morning. They're in one-gallon pots now, they look awesome, but I've never held plants inside for so long. Monday, May 3 View Page My patch.