Transplants



Tomato seedlings

Because we're so far off the grid, we don't have heat and lights for the seedlings we raise.  They sit close to the windows to get light and are, therefore, cold.  This keeps them growing very slowly, but they get fairly sturdy and develop some hardiness.

I don't feel badly about my tobacco seedlings, because I am the only person around here growing the herb; my plants look great.  However, my peppers and tomatoes seem so scrawny compared with everyone else's!  I have to keep reminding myself that I always get lots of the fruit in the end.



Tobacco seedlings

Sometimes, when I'm in this mood, I think that I should just buy my transplants.  Two things keep me from doing this.  One: the varieties I grow usually aren't available locally.  Two: I just like to prove that it can be done, that even if our economy were to collapse or a natural disaster occurred, we could save our own seeds and produce tomatoes and peppers under sinple (some might say, "primitive" conditions.


A neighbour's pepper seedling on the left; mine on the right