In the Greenhouse

We had a week of unseasonable warmth, but now things are a bit more normal for March.  The low last night was 36 degrees.  Tonight will be about the same.  I'm glad I didn't jump the gun on tomatoes, which you can see above are doing pretty well in the greenhouse.  Like last year, I've gone a bit wild on them.  Varieties I have started include Rutgers, Persimmon, Peron Sprayless, Paul Robeson,  Cherokee Purple,  Tomande Hybrid, Ildi, Chocolate Cherry, Yellow, Yellow/Orange Beefsteak, Park Early Challenge Hybrid, Big Beef Hybrid, Red Cherry, and Mortgage Lifter.  That's 14 types of 'maters.

Here is their progress on the hanging rack.  Only one of the types hasn't done very well...the Persimmon Tomatoes.  I'm not sure why, really.  They are in the second level down from the top.

Other things are doing well.  In the foreground are Brussel Sprouts.  In the background is Chinese Cabbage.
The rest of the plants I have in the greehouse include Mammoth Sunflowers, Moulin Rouge Sunflowers, Cantaloupe, Red Watermelon, Yellow Watermelon,  Genovese Basil,  Lemon Basil, Eggplant, Broccoli, Kung Pao Pepper, Orange Bell Pepper, Thai Bird Peppers, Asparagus, Onions, Impatiens, and Cauliflower.

Above is the Genovese Basil, doing quite nicely.  I haven't had any luck germinating cabbage seed or Altris Pepper Seed.  The Altris seed is home-harvested seed from hybrid plants I grew last year..  I wasn't sure if they would germinate to start with.  The cabbage was from packaged seed.  I'll try sowing directly into the garden with them.

I started using a new system to germinate seed and grow seedlings.  We saved empty toilet paper rolls.  I fill them with moistened seed starting mix, and put them in larger plastic planters, which I have in quantity thanks to my parents.  Insert seeds, cover with clear plastic wrap, and remove it when little green leaves start to show.  I will be able to plant the tubes directly into the garden with minimal stress to the plant, and if I leave just a bit of the TP roll above the dirt level, it will bar cutworms from attacking the seedling.