• My account
  • Cart
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

The Coeur d'Alene Coop

Raising Chickens and Urban Gardening

  • Home
  • About Our Heirlooms
    • About Candace
  • Garden Consulting
  • Shop
  • CdA Coop Blog
    • Gardening
      • Soil and Compost
      • Garden Seed Series
      • Growing Tomatoes Series
      • Growing Garlic Series
    • Backyard Chickens
    • Recipes
    • Garden Glossary
      • How Often to Divide Perennials & Winter Care
      • Q/A Sheet: How to Decide What to Grow in Your Garden
      • Ripe for the Picking: A Quick List of Common Fruit and Vegetables to Ripen On or Off the Vine
      • Vegetable Plant Family Chart
      • Seed Starting Charts
  • Contact Us
You are here: Home / Gardening / The Heirloom Grow-Operation

April 13, 2013 By Candace Godwin Leave a Comment

The Heirloom Grow-Operation

The Great Tomato Takeover

The "Green" House | The Coeur d'Alene Coop

The “greenhouse” at the 2nd Street Chicken Ranch (also known as our family room).

This is my third year in growing heirloom tomato plants from seed, and by far, my most ambitious.  Last week I completed the task of transplanting the tiny seedlings into individual pots — 454 of them.

When I tell people that I have over 400 tomato plants growing, they immediately think I have a greenhouse.  Well, not in the traditional sense of the word.  My greenhouse is the family room with a lovely, large, south facing window. Nearly every surface is covered in plants.

Thankfully, this indoor tomato jungle is temporary; in another week or so the plants will be moved into the garage to harden-off, and then be ready for sale.  If you are interested in purchasing plants, you can find the list and description of varieties here.

Growing Heirlooms in Paper Cups | The Coeur d'Alene Coop

Tall cups allow for a stronger plant root.

I’m trying something new this year by growing the plants in 20-ounce paper coffee cups.  I’ve seen other growers use these, and I like the cups for a couple of reasons, 1) they are less expensive than plastic pots 2) the cups are recyclable, and 3) they allow for a deeper transplant, which means more of the plant’s stem can be covered and that promotes a stronger root system. The plants are doing great in the cups, so next time you visit your favorite coffee shop, consider the potential before tossing the cup into the trash!

Basil Starts | The Coeur d'Alene Coop

Basil ready to transplant.

Of course, tomatoes aren’t the only veg I’m growing inside.  This year we are branching out with basil and a limited number pepper plants; followed by cucumber and summer squash offerings.  Let me tell you, it is a labor of love to transplant those tiny basil seedlings into pots (which is why you will get 3 plants in every pot!).

Spinach and lettuce in the covered bed | The Coeur d'Alene Coop

Spinach and lettuce grows in a covered bed.

But not all the action is happening inside. The warmer-than-usual days of late March allowed me to get a jump on the outdoor gardening chores, and provided an opportunity to get a few rows of peas and radishes started in the covered raised beds.  We’ve already had several large harvests of arugula, spinach, lettuce and kale, and I still find that pretty amazing for northern Idaho.

The covered beds have really been wonderful for getting a jump on the season, especially with our relatively short growing season. After a long winter, there is nothing better than getting your hands back in the dirt!

What about you?  How are your seed starts coming along?  Let me know in the comments below!

Filed Under: Gardening

Get Garden Tips & More

« Growing Heirloom Tomato Plants from Seed
How to Harden Off Tomato Plants »

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts from The Coop

  • The Juicy, Weird, and Wonderful Secrets of the Tomato August 15, 2025
  • Dig Into The No-Dig Method Of Gardening for Better Soil August 1, 2025
  • Ten of the Best Easy to Grow, Feel-good Garden Plants August 1, 2025

Search Our Plants Here

Shop by Category

Cart

the coop on facebook!

The Coeur d'Alene Coop The Coeur d'Alene Coop is at 2nd Street Chicken Ranch.

1 day ago

The Coeur d'Alene Coop
I didn't plant many snap beans last year. I might have over compensated for that this year. Why grow a "green" bean when there are so many other gorgeous colors? And yes, these all have slightly different tastes.Red Swan, green Roma, Yellow Pencil Pod, Purple Royalty, Dragon Tongue, green Farrari, purple Sequoia. #thecoeurdalenecoop #heirloombeans #organicsnapbeans#nongreenbeans ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

the coop on instagram!

thecoeurdalenecoop

#thecoeurdalenecoop
@thecoeurdalenecoop
Heirloom tomatoes 🍅🍅
Organic gardening 🥕🌶
& Urban chickens! 🐔🐓

I didn't plant many snap beans last year. I might I didn't plant many snap beans last year. I might  have over compensated for that  this year.  Why grow a "green" bean when there are so many other gorgeous colors? And yes, these all have slightly different tastes.Red Swan, green Roma, Yellow Pencil Pod, Purple Royalty, Dragon Tongue, green Farrari, purple Sequoia. 

#thecoeurdalenecoop 
#heirloombeans 
#organicsnapbeans
#nongreenbeans
Follow on Instagram

Join the Flock!

Sign up to get gardening & chicken keeping tips delivered to your inbox.

Copyright © 2025 The Coeur d'Alene Coop · Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83814 · Privacy Policy · Log in
Website Design: Godwin Marketing Communications LLC