Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Last-minute seeds
Well, the White Cushaw finally came up (barely). It definitely is taking its own sweet time. These are the last to be moved from the warm spot by Bernice's cage, out into the garage under the lights.
This weather's screwy. Chain controls going up the mountain to work yesterday, but today, short sleeves and iced tea. 72 degrees tomorrow, and 50-something on Thursday.
Yesterday, on a whim, I jumped online and bought two packets of seeds: lemon grass and loofah. The loofah I read about in You Grow Girl (sounds like a fun project) and lemon grass because I killed my pot of lemon grass this winter by keeping it outside. Hope they get here soon so I can get them started.
My husband Rob gave me his uncle's trunk this week. It's his mother's brother. He committed suicide back in the early '70s after he had been back from Vietnam for a while, and this trunk is the only thing Rob has of his. It's a pretty non-descript trunk, handmade of plywood and covered with peeling yellow (!) paint. Rob's always kept his guitar magazines and his songbooks in it. I've asked him repeatedly over the years if I could have it, or refinish it, and he's always said no. But this week he finally relented. I asked him if I could fill it with dirt and plant something in it this spring. He said yeah, and that his uncle probably would like that. Then I asked him if it was okay if I drilled some holes in the bottom. He gritted his teeth, but said, yeah, that would be okay, too.
I think I'm going to start an Asian soup garden in it: lemon grass, cilantro and Thai basil. I don't know if all those will like being in a space together, but it's a cute idea, no?
Shit, now I have to buy some basil and cilantro. Okay... here: http://www.gardenguides.com/seedcatalog/herbs/herbs.htm
Lemongrass, East Indian
Scientific Name: Cymbopogon flexuosus
Common Name: East Indian Lemongrass
Plant Type: Perennial
Where To Plant: Full Sun to Partly Shady
Soil Types: Average
Zones (See US Zone map): 11+ or Pot plant
Germination: Easy
Basil Thai
Siam Queen
(Ocimum basilicum citriodorum)
Thai basil is known to the Vietnamese as "Hung Que" (and eaten raw with noodle soup in the morning) and in Thailand as "Horapha". Siam Queen basil is a distinct improvement over old Thai basils; the yields are impressive because the leaves are twice the size of other Thai basils - 3" to 4" long by 1.5" to 2" wide. Acompact plant with beautiful pink & purple flowers on red-purple stems makes Siam Queen a very attractive container variety. This packet plants 1 - 8 foot row.
Plant Type: Annual
When to Sow Outside: In spring, 1 to 2 weeks after average last frost, and when soil is warm
When to Sow Inside: 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside.
Seed Depth: 1/4"
Seed Spacing: 1"
Row Spacing: 1'
Days to Emerge: 5-10
Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 6" to 12" apart.
Cilantro
(Coriandrum Sativum)
For a couple of herbs, coriander and cilantro sure do cause a lot of confusion. There's really no need for the fuss because they're just two parts of the same plant: cilantro is the pungent leaf and coriander is the citrusy seed. Cilantro is the staple ingredient in salsa and other Mexican dishes. Coriander is used whole or ground in curries, Oriental dishes, and savory baked goods.
After the flower umbels have formed, allow them to go to seed. Cut and dry the heads, and harvest the seeds.
Life Cycle: Annual
Height: 12 - 24 inches
When to plant: In spring, after the last frost. Plant seeds every 2-3 weeks for a long season of harvest.
How to plant: Plant in the garden, directly where the plant will grow. It's not a good idea to start indoors because cilantro doesn't transplant well. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and 1" apart in rows 8" apart. When seedlings ar 2" tall, thin to 6" apart. Seeds can take 10-15 days to germinate.
Ideal location: Cilantro will grow in almost any type of soil as long as there is adequate moisture and lots of sun. Perfect for containers on your deck or patio.
Ah, impulse shopping on the web.
This weather's screwy. Chain controls going up the mountain to work yesterday, but today, short sleeves and iced tea. 72 degrees tomorrow, and 50-something on Thursday.
Yesterday, on a whim, I jumped online and bought two packets of seeds: lemon grass and loofah. The loofah I read about in You Grow Girl (sounds like a fun project) and lemon grass because I killed my pot of lemon grass this winter by keeping it outside. Hope they get here soon so I can get them started.
My husband Rob gave me his uncle's trunk this week. It's his mother's brother. He committed suicide back in the early '70s after he had been back from Vietnam for a while, and this trunk is the only thing Rob has of his. It's a pretty non-descript trunk, handmade of plywood and covered with peeling yellow (!) paint. Rob's always kept his guitar magazines and his songbooks in it. I've asked him repeatedly over the years if I could have it, or refinish it, and he's always said no. But this week he finally relented. I asked him if I could fill it with dirt and plant something in it this spring. He said yeah, and that his uncle probably would like that. Then I asked him if it was okay if I drilled some holes in the bottom. He gritted his teeth, but said, yeah, that would be okay, too.
I think I'm going to start an Asian soup garden in it: lemon grass, cilantro and Thai basil. I don't know if all those will like being in a space together, but it's a cute idea, no?
Shit, now I have to buy some basil and cilantro. Okay... here: http://www.gardenguides.com/seedcatalog/herbs/herbs.htm
Lemongrass, East Indian
Scientific Name: Cymbopogon flexuosus
Common Name: East Indian Lemongrass
Plant Type: Perennial
Where To Plant: Full Sun to Partly Shady
Soil Types: Average
Zones (See US Zone map): 11+ or Pot plant
Germination: Easy
Basil Thai
Siam Queen
(Ocimum basilicum citriodorum)
Thai basil is known to the Vietnamese as "Hung Que" (and eaten raw with noodle soup in the morning) and in Thailand as "Horapha". Siam Queen basil is a distinct improvement over old Thai basils; the yields are impressive because the leaves are twice the size of other Thai basils - 3" to 4" long by 1.5" to 2" wide. Acompact plant with beautiful pink & purple flowers on red-purple stems makes Siam Queen a very attractive container variety. This packet plants 1 - 8 foot row.
Plant Type: Annual
When to Sow Outside: In spring, 1 to 2 weeks after average last frost, and when soil is warm
When to Sow Inside: 6 to 8 weeks before transplanting outside.
Seed Depth: 1/4"
Seed Spacing: 1"
Row Spacing: 1'
Days to Emerge: 5-10
Thinning: When 2" tall, thin to 6" to 12" apart.
Cilantro
(Coriandrum Sativum)
For a couple of herbs, coriander and cilantro sure do cause a lot of confusion. There's really no need for the fuss because they're just two parts of the same plant: cilantro is the pungent leaf and coriander is the citrusy seed. Cilantro is the staple ingredient in salsa and other Mexican dishes. Coriander is used whole or ground in curries, Oriental dishes, and savory baked goods.
After the flower umbels have formed, allow them to go to seed. Cut and dry the heads, and harvest the seeds.
Life Cycle: Annual
Height: 12 - 24 inches
When to plant: In spring, after the last frost. Plant seeds every 2-3 weeks for a long season of harvest.
How to plant: Plant in the garden, directly where the plant will grow. It's not a good idea to start indoors because cilantro doesn't transplant well. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and 1" apart in rows 8" apart. When seedlings ar 2" tall, thin to 6" apart. Seeds can take 10-15 days to germinate.
Ideal location: Cilantro will grow in almost any type of soil as long as there is adequate moisture and lots of sun. Perfect for containers on your deck or patio.
Ah, impulse shopping on the web.
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