The Jenkins Clan

Flowers from cuttings are amazing!  The 1-inch tall un-rooted cuttings are now up to 7 inches tall and blossoming like crazy.  We started them in 105- or 168-cell trays on January 8, moved them to 48-cell trays 3 weeks later.  Now they are in 3 inch pots, where they will remain until the Farmer's Market starts the end of April, or will be put in hanging baskets ready for the market.  We also provide Mother's Day flowers, so they will be very nice in May.

I like the almost-instant gratification of the cuttings.  The seeds we started a week later are (mostly) up and still at the 2-leaf stage.  We have learned that we probably did not need to have them as early in the year, so we'll order earlier, but for a later arrival date. Great learning experience!

In January every year, I think somehow THIS will be the year I get everything done... So, I'll try again THIS year to do a blog weekly.  Last time I made only 1 entry.  Surely I can do more!

We have tried something new already this year.  We ordered un-rooted cuttings of flowers, planted them after dipping them in rooting hormone, and have used our old-faithful electric blanket and shop-light set up to grow them.  The are doing AMAZING!  The company we ordered them from said to expect 3 to 5 weeks before they would be rooted.  We had 5 of the 7 varieties rooted in 10 days!  It's been 3 weeks since purchase, and all 7 are now rooted, and 5 have had their first 'pinch' so they will branch out and be full.  I took off a petunia bloom last night so it would not actually blossom!  We are happily impressed.  WE WILL have flowers for the opening day of the market!

Thursday, January 6, I seeded 18 broccoli cells.  Today, the 11th, everyone of the cells have plants up! I've plugged in the lights, and we're off with the garden season.    I'll finalize the rest of the seed orders today.   I sure hope it's a good year!