Plants? In the greenhouse.

My first year gardening in Alberta, I thought I'd start my own tomato seeds.  It was a pathetic mess.  They got lanky and fell over and were generally not usable.  So the next year I bought a small greenhouse at the local hardware store and set it up in one of our tall south-facing windows.  It works like a charm.  I start all my seeds in it and they thrive in there.

As do other things.  The first thing to sprout every year is fuzzy ....

Our cat, Jack.  Enjoying the warmth and sunshine in the greenhouse.

I also have some pumpkins sitting in our basement.  My plan was to cut them up and can them - but they are a little past their prime, so last week I cut one open to get the seeds.  Several of them were germinating in the pumpkin, so I planted them.  It's early for squash.  I think you want to go more like 3-4 weeks before the last frost - we're more like 10 weeks out, but they were ready to go.  I'll have big plants when they are ready to put into the ground. 

I also started basil today.

Winter! And tomatoes.

Hello everyone!

I've decided to split off my gardening/urban farming posts from Renaissance Woman and create a separate blog for them.  So welcome to Northern Urban Farming! 

I'm wondering if "farming" is a good word for it.  I don't actually farm.  I don't raise chickens or rabbits.  But someday I might.  And since Urban Farming is a good catch phrase, I'll stick with it.

For anyone new to my blogs or unfamiliar with where I live, I'll just give you some relevant info.  I live in a small town (about 12,000 - which, if you think of it, several hundred years ago would have been considered an urban centre) in Central Alberta, Canada.  It is March 18, 2013 and this morning it was -19C when I woke up.  This is not typical weather for March.  But, then, at any time of the year you can hear anyone say that it isn't typical weather.  We have unpredictable weather here.  The forecast for less than 2 weeks from now is for +10C every day.

Gardening here sounds like it is a challenge - and I suppose it can be.  But since I never seriously gardened anywhere else, it just seems normal to me.

I hope I can share useful information here for other people trying to garden in colder climates.  I'm just about sharing information, so if you have something useful and practical to add in comments, I welcome them.

As I stare out the window at all that snow, it's hard to think about growing food out there in the garden.  But it is actually time to think about planting.  Yesterday I planted tomato seeds for the summer.  I usually plant between 125 and 150 seeds thinking some won't start.  Usually they all do - but some don't start soon enough and the plants will never produce tomatoes.  So start more than you need.  But early to mid-March is the time.  Don't start them any earlier.  They won't mature earlier, somehow they all seem to produce at the same time anyhow, no matter when you start them.  But later than mid-March and they probably won't. 

You need a VERY sunny spot to start tomatoes.  Anywhere without enough sun and your plants will get long and lanky and will never survive or stand on their own.  So warm and sunny.  Later, when it is warm enough to take them outside (10C or above), I'll try to remember to tell you how to ease them into it.  Indoor sun is different from outdoor sun and you have to let them get used to it.  Imagine throwing yourself outside all pale and sensitive from being inside all winter - you'd get sunburned!  Well, I've had a lot of sunburned plants over the years from leaving them out too long too soon.  But getting them outside early is important.  The more wind and movement they get as young plants, the stronger they will be as mature ones.