All of the first seeding of tomatoes and peppers are doing fine and getting stronger everyday. In a few more weeks it’ll be time to pot them and eventually moving out to the greenhouse for finishing.
The second seeding of back up plants is just starting to germinate (started two weeks after the first). Any that aren’t needed will be gifted to others once it’s warm enough to transplant outdoors.
After just a week, most of the first seeding of Tomatoes have popped out of the soil. Sitting on the soil warmer helps to get these hot Summer vegetables off to a start. Now to keep them close to the lights so they don’t get leggy before heading outside later in May.
The peppers are still shy and hiding under the soil.
A friend asked what tomatoes and peppers were started. Here’s the list:
Tomatoes (days to harvest from transplants)
Cherry/ small
Super Sweet 100 (65)
Juliet (60)
Yellow Pear (78)
Red Pear (70)
Gold Nugget (55)
Golden Jubilee (72)
Blush (70)
Indigo Blue (75)
Italian Ice (65)
Maglia Rosa (70)
Large
Lime Green (58)
Great White (80)
Celebrity (70)
Black Sea Man (75)
Black Keim (69)
Mortgage Lifter (80)
Red Brandymaster (75)
Brandy wine (100)
Pink Brandymaster (75)
Yellow Brandymaster (75)
New Yorker (66)
Bushsteak (65)
Peppers (days to harvest from transplants)
Gourmet (orange) (85)
Sweet Sunrise (yellow) (85)
Red Knight (red) (77) (green) (57)
Intruder (red) (82) (green) (62)
Seeded tomatoes and peppers today – indoors of course! Several varieties of both cherry and full sized tomatoes along with four varieties of sweet peppers.
A second seeding will take place a week after these germinate.
It seems like it’s been a long time coming, but the Spring Melt-Off has started. Soon it’ll be the Mud Season until all the melt off soaks into the ground.
The final project focus will be with Birchen that have Blue rather than black body color. These are called Silver Blue and Lemon Blue. Here are the adult patterns.
The last two projects involve varieties based upon a pattern called Birchen. They are a solid color body with striped necks and laced breast feathers. Males also have striped feathers leading into their tails. The lace pattern is reversed from the normal Laced pattern in that the feather edges are a lighter color than the center area which matches the body color. The third project will involve the black body varieties called Silver Birchen and Brown Red. Here are photos of adults.
The second focus for Cochins this year is varieties of Columbia’s Cochins. These are not as common as the Laced varieties and come in two basic colors – White Columbian and Buff Columbian. The are a basic solid color with black stripes on the neck and tails. Males and females are similarly patterned. Here’s a photo of adults in each variety.
Bantam Cochins have been a mainstay livestock on Fluffybottom for several years. They have been useful in study selected poultry genetics especially in exhibition breeds (as well as a source of organic compost). Each year different varieties are the focus of the breeding program.
One of varieties in focus this year will be what’s known as Laced – specifically Silver Laced and Gold Laced. The genetics involved produces an attractive pattern that highlights the females, but not so prevalent in the males. The basic pattern looks like this
While not perfect examples, Here are photos of the adult patterns on both males and females
The goal this year will be to increase our flocks of each to 2 males and 6-8 females for future breeding.
