"Natural" Selection

Katherine came over last night to observe the massive growth we have seen in the seedlings since they were planted about ten days ago. Equipped with dirt, more small containers, and advice from her mother (the master gardener), she also arrived to perform another important function: help select the seedlings strong enough to survive. Since we planted multiple seeds together (because who would have thought that ALL of them would grow), we now are inundated with small seedlings crowding each other. Of particular concern were the cucumbers, which are growing inches above the rest of the plants.

Together, we began pulling out some of the smaller seedlings. As Katherine put it, "First time gardeners often have a hard time understanding why they would kill the little plants they worked so hard to grow." I agree. It was a challenge, but we saved some of the cukes and cleaned up all the containers. We made another important decision: it is time to move the lettuce outside. This weekend, we hope to migrate the lettuce outside to the yard as well as the rosemary I have been keeping for about a year in my house.

Take a look at the cukes, now spaced out to one (or two) per container:

When we move the seedlings, there may be room for some additional seeds to start. So, I found a list from a Container Gardening Tips website (http://www.containergardeningtips.com/) of plants well suited for containers. I took some highlights from the list and will consider them carefully. My options are:

Sage, Dill, Thyme, Garlic, Mint, Oregano, Fennel (Sweet Florence), Sweet Marjoram, Ginger, Eggplant, Squash, Spinach, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Bean, Radish, Blueberry, Potato, and Corn

Some of the plants on the list surprised me. Apples were even on the list as suited for container gardening. While I think we are a ways from starting an apple tree, there are quite a few issues to ponder regarding the garden and our seedlings. After the lettuce, we have to determine who will be ready to go into the great outdoors.


One last note, we also noticed the chives becoming a bit more "chive-like":