First 2008 season milestone: transplanting seedlings

First 2008 season milestone: transplanting seedlings

I've reached my first 2008 growing season milestone: transplanting my
Connecticut Broadleaf and Shade seedlings into pots and getting them under
a 250W halide bulb. As with previous years, I'm growing these for seed,
for distribution through the Seed Savers Exchange[1] and any
interested a.s.c members.

I was fortunate enough to find a seed company, New Hope Seed[2], that
offers both varieties, packages a fair quantity (1/10 gram), and sells
them at a decent price ($8.25 each). 100% of the seeds germinated.

As an aside, I find it reprehensible that companies, who shall rename
nameless[3], charge $2.20 for 25 seeds because they're "hard to find."
One seed pod can hold thousands of seeds; an entire plant can hold
millions. If they're that hard to find, don't sell them. You're doing
your customers a disservice by not selling them enough seeds to ensure
genetic biodiversity.

I want to state that the glow of a halide light, increased electricity
usage, the purchase of little plastic baggies (to hold the seeds) and
finding Jamaican beer bottles ("Hooray beer!") in the recycling
bin is not enough cause to request a "no-knock" warrant. :)

You can see a picture of the seedlings (they're a month old) in 4" pots
here; the Broadleaf are in the foreground, the Shade in the background:

* pobox . com /~thevision/private/images/ntabaccum_20080331.jpg

Regards,
Greg

[1] * w w w .seedsavers.org
[2] * w w w .newhopeseed . com
[3] Eden Organic Nursery
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