Round 2

So the big meteorological news around the Bay Area is that we’re soon supposed to see snow — at least, if we look up at Mount Diablo or other local peaks. Suffice to say the garden will be frigid, even if not likely covered in white powder, so today I kept the seed tray inside, and will continue to do so until temps rise. The chilly weather seems to have killed off the first roselle, and while a second has a malformed appearance that may spell its doom, my fingers are crossed that an emerging third will manage better in the consistently warm house. I’ve given up hope for the first mystery bean, whose stunted growth probably had nothing to do with the cold, and the cucumbers constantly worry me as they keep threatening to yellow up and die. The four Kamo that germinated don’t look totally healthy either, and as of yet the Gaeguri continue to be a collective no-show. Surprisingly, Lady Choi was the big winner this week, with eight of nine seedlings now visible. I’m curious to see what effect staying indoors has on everyone. Unfortunately, the whole tray only gets full sun for maybe an hour or so in the late morning, so I don’t think I can keep it in here for that much longer.

The Korean cosmos in the small Orta Seed Pot had been dormant for so long that I decided to bring them inside several days ago. I put them on a shelf where they didn’t enter into my usual line of sight, and of course their subsequent quick germination (all three of the new set, one from the saved set) escaped my notice. They weren’t near a window and got super leggy, so I ditched them. Today I rebooted the comparative trial, and also started a new set of mainly Second Generation Seeds with some biodegradable starter pots I found at my folks’ house. I put in five each of the Cha Jogi, Kamo, Suyo Long, Lady Choi, roselle, Gaeguri Chamoe, and black chestnut soybeans, as well as saved Manoa lettuce, Kkaennip from last year, and Kkaennip from… I’m not exactly sure?