Cell of Bright Lights chard ready to separate into individual cells

A typical season (since I dove into heirlooms in 1987) would mean 5 or 6 plug flats, all 50 cells filled with seeds. This season is now so clearly different - 2 plug flats, one of which less than half full (the greens plantings). A few days ago I planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and basil. That’s it - my 2024 garden is now well underway, including varieties that will be in my back yard and the Veterans Healing Farm Flag Garden, with a few planted to bring to local events. I’ve also separated and transplanted the greens that were seeded a few weeks ago into individual cells in a plug flat. It is the last day of February - I’d call this progress.

Here is the list and seed lot number of what I planted:

Abraham Brown T23-4 - for my garden
Polish T23-5 - maybe my garden, maybe VHF garden
Big Sandy T23-7 - for the VHF garden
Lucky Cross T23-8 - for my garden, and perhaps the VHF garden
Brandywine T23-13 - maybe my garden, maybe VHF garden. If T11-7, 11-49 and 11-60 germinates, one of them could be in my yard, the others at the VHF
Cherokee Purple T22-3 - both gardens. If T11-51 germinates, that will be in my yard
Cherokee Chocolate T22-2 - both gardens. If T11-13 germinates, that will be in my yard
Cherokee Green T23-22 - backup
Earl T21-5 - one or both gardens
Lillian’s Yellow Heirloom T23-10 - my garden
Cherokee Green T16-142 - my garden
Lucky Bling T23-24 - not sure
Mary’s Favorite Yellow T23-27 - not sure
Captain Lucky T23-173 - both gardens
Potato Leaf Yellow T23-36 - both gardens
Sun Gold hybrid JSS packet - my garden
Egg Yolk T23-46 - my garden
Mexico Midget T21-70 - my garden
Dwarf Choemato X Dwarf Walter’s Fancy F1 hybrid T23-123 - my garden
Dwarf Blazing Beauty X Dwarf Walter’s Fancy F1 hybrid T23-124 - my garden
Dwarf Zoe’s Sweet X Dwarf Walter’s Fancy F1 hybrid T23-125 - my garden
BrandyFred X Polish F1 hybrid T23-126 - just a check to see if the cross took.
Fairytale Angel T23-132 - VHF garden
Lillian Rose T23-133 - not sure
Fairytale Fruit T23-131 - not sure
Nepal T23-150 - VHF garden
Red Brandywine T18-11 - VHF garden
Sample sent to me to confirm whether dwarf
Uluru Ochre T23-52 - to share
Dwarf Gloria’s Treat T23-60 - to share
Dwarf Eagle Smiley T23-199 - to share
BrandyFred T23-88 - to share
Dwarf Beauty King T23-97 - to share
Dwarf Wild Spudleaf T23-111 - to share
Dwarf Saucy Mary T23-110 - to share
Sweet Scarlet Dwarf T23-117 - to share
Dwarf Purple Heartthrob 7583 - to share
Dwarf Chocolate Heartthrob 7577 - to share
Shishito pepper T23-3 - my garden
Pinata pepper T22-9 - my garden
Midnight Lightning eggplant T23-3 - not sure
Mardi Gras eggplant F23-1 - not sure
Skinny Twilight eggplant T23-4 - not sure
Twilight Lightning eggplant T23-2 - not sure (I will plant 2 of these 4 in my garden)
Various basil - Devotion, Prospera, Genovese, Caramel Chianti, and saved from the WNC Arboretum - 6 cells, a pinch in each - I will have some in containers in my yard

Separated chard seedling all tucked in deep

Reiterating thoughts on both gardens: For the Veterans Healing Farm garden (VHF), there will be big changes from last season. The farm has to relocate, so there is no use of the greenhouse. We will have use of the flag garden on the other side of Shaw’s Creek for this growing season. Current plans are to put the plants into prepared straw bales, 2 plants per bale. We hope for 30 bales/60 plants, focusing on those varieties that combine flavor with productivity. The varieties I planted will cover our needs. We will also have a few bales ready for varieties for the farm volunteers. The main challenge will be providing adequate water. The tomato team will surely rise to the challenge!

2 of the three transplanted greens flats - spinach, kale, collards, lettuce, chard

For my garden, I plan to put one plant in each bale, with 12 bales for tomatoes. I may have a few driveway containers for experimental varieties. Anything I planted that won’t be grown out are extras to distribute at my events.

The above does indeed represent a significant change, and I look forward to have the ability to focus more on each plant and share techniques and care during the weekly Instagram Lives. It should also leave plenty of time for me to complete the book on the Dwarf Tomato Project.