The Seedlings

I have been working in my grow room to start some seeds for transplanting. With the warm weather and sunny skies I am tempted to want to get a start on everything, but I must be patient and follow my plan. I want to have things maturing right around the first farmers market of the season, and I also know we are still due for more winter. So far, the leeks and swiss chard have germinated and are growing close to the lights so they don't get too tall and leggy. Today I started flats of the early peppers and fennel. Soon to be growing are also early tomatoes, tomotillos, and husk fruits. Tomatoes do not like frost, but they also do not like being confined in little seed starting trays. They often "graduate" into bigger pots 3 times before finally being transplanted into the ground. This would also be the time to start brassica (kale, collards, broccoli) seeds for early Spring planting. However, I am not planting an early round of these crops, but will have them for the fall harvest, due to limited space and time. I really want to build soil fertility, so have decided to grow a quick, summer cover crop on part of my fields. This buckwheat cover crop will get turned under to provide organic matter and nutrients for the late planting of kale, collards, broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.