Not sure how many May flowers we are going to be getting out of all this rain, but I hope it is a lot!
My seedlings have been doing well for the most part. I have unfortunately lost all of my turnip seedlings. Left them one day too long and they dried out. I was disappointed in myself, but I will direct sow some this week. The beets I started aren't doing well either, nor the chard. Not sure what is happening with those. Maybe just low germination rate. I will also direct sow them. The sweet potato slips are now in containers with soil - so we will have to wait and see!
Fungus gnats have been a huge problem this season. They may have contributed to the demise of some of my smaller seedlings. I am trying a remedy of my own thinking to try and rid my plantings of them. Instead of paying a ton of money for a product that is formulated to treat for fungus gnats, I got some mosquito dunks (which contain the same strain of Bt that the gnat product does) and put a chunk of a dunk in a gallon of water. I use that to water the seedlings every second watering. I also moved the more infested plants outside - seemed to be more prevalent in the pot that I am trying to root some bay in. Fingers crossed! If it doesn't work, next season I will probably purchase that other product.
Due to business booming, I've not had the chance to do a whole heck of a lot in my own garden. I still need to construct my two new raised beds for veg. And I need to get more things planted out in the hoop house - as it will be coming down in another month! Luckily, one of my clients had a walk-in greenhouse that she never used and was kind enough to give to me, so I've been able to put some other seedlings out there.
I have found out that my thumbs might just be greener than I had thought...as I have been the only one that had success starting our year old Ramapo tomato seeds! I wound up with 61/62 seedlings out of 65 seeds, when at least 2 other people only managed 20 seedlings out of 65! It will cut down on our Master Gardener Association fund raising, as we will be selling the seedlings at Earth Day, but I am glad mine did so well!
Another day of wet weather, means I can take the day off and go work in the hoop house!
Happy Gardening everyone!
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Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seeds. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Seed Starting...Getting Started!
Well, it is finally that time…I got my hands dirty (with the help of my 3 ½ year old niece) and got my seeds started. Phew. This is my third season starting my own seeds, and I am a novice at best! Each year I do something a little different to improve upon last year’s crop.
So how does one start seeds? Well, first things first. Plan! Before starting your favorite seeds indoors, you must be certain that you have room outside to put them once they are ready! Another part of planning, is deciding which seeds to start and the best time to start them.
Once I’ve decided which seeds to start indoors (vs. what I am going to direct sow in the gardens in spring) I gather my supplies. Now you are probably thinking, do I need to buy seed starter trays, expensive grow lights, etc.? The answer is NO! I personally do use the multi-cell starter trays, but that is my own personal preference. However, once the seedlings need to be potted up, they go into containers I have collected over the years – food containers are fantastic – sour cream, ricotta cheese, yogurt…and the easy way to put holes in the bottom for drainage? A corkscrew. Yes, you read that correctly! I use an old broken corkscrew, gently pressing the point into the bottom of the “pots” to make multiple holes around the outer rim and a half dozen in the center. And if cared for properly, these containers last from year to year! I clean mine and store them in the garage, out of the sun. I also save pots from purchased plants! Just give everything a nice soak in a mild bleach solution! As for grow lights – I use 2 4’ shop lights – each with one soft white bulb and one cool white bulb. The mix of bulbs provides different wavelengths of light – totally acceptable for starting seeds.
I have found that using a soil-less starting mix works best for me. I pour a good amount into a small tub and gradually add water to moisten. It is important to not over water the mix. You want it to sort of stay together when you squeeze a handful of it. It shouldn’t clump or drip. A little on the drier side is best.
Once the mix is ready, I begin filling my containers, compressing it lightly, just to make sure that the container is filled. Then, with seeds in hand, I begin sowing! For very tiny seeds, I will put in a small pinch 3-5 seeds, in each square of a 72 cell flat. For larger seeds, such as those for Swiss chard, I place only one per cell. Just follow the directions for sowing depth, lightly cover with some more mix if the packet calls for it, place in a marker and you are done!
I cover my flats with the plastic domes they came with – but I’ve used cling-film in the past, anything that helps keep the containers moist. Then the trays go onto the grow stand (that I built the 3 seasons ago, and plan on adding one more light to the top) to germinate!
I write down everything in my Garden Journal and then I wait!
Here is a quick list of supplies, to help you get started!
Give it a try! It can be so satisfying to watch the emerging seedlings, knowing in a few months you will have gorgeous and nutritious veggies from a small effort on your part and a few tiny seeds. Isn’t nature grand?
Next time…I’ve got them sown, NOW what do I do??
So how does one start seeds? Well, first things first. Plan! Before starting your favorite seeds indoors, you must be certain that you have room outside to put them once they are ready! Another part of planning, is deciding which seeds to start and the best time to start them.
Once I’ve decided which seeds to start indoors (vs. what I am going to direct sow in the gardens in spring) I gather my supplies. Now you are probably thinking, do I need to buy seed starter trays, expensive grow lights, etc.? The answer is NO! I personally do use the multi-cell starter trays, but that is my own personal preference. However, once the seedlings need to be potted up, they go into containers I have collected over the years – food containers are fantastic – sour cream, ricotta cheese, yogurt…and the easy way to put holes in the bottom for drainage? A corkscrew. Yes, you read that correctly! I use an old broken corkscrew, gently pressing the point into the bottom of the “pots” to make multiple holes around the outer rim and a half dozen in the center. And if cared for properly, these containers last from year to year! I clean mine and store them in the garage, out of the sun. I also save pots from purchased plants! Just give everything a nice soak in a mild bleach solution! As for grow lights – I use 2 4’ shop lights – each with one soft white bulb and one cool white bulb. The mix of bulbs provides different wavelengths of light – totally acceptable for starting seeds.
I have found that using a soil-less starting mix works best for me. I pour a good amount into a small tub and gradually add water to moisten. It is important to not over water the mix. You want it to sort of stay together when you squeeze a handful of it. It shouldn’t clump or drip. A little on the drier side is best.
Once the mix is ready, I begin filling my containers, compressing it lightly, just to make sure that the container is filled. Then, with seeds in hand, I begin sowing! For very tiny seeds, I will put in a small pinch 3-5 seeds, in each square of a 72 cell flat. For larger seeds, such as those for Swiss chard, I place only one per cell. Just follow the directions for sowing depth, lightly cover with some more mix if the packet calls for it, place in a marker and you are done!
I cover my flats with the plastic domes they came with – but I’ve used cling-film in the past, anything that helps keep the containers moist. Then the trays go onto the grow stand (that I built the 3 seasons ago, and plan on adding one more light to the top) to germinate!
I write down everything in my Garden Journal and then I wait!
Here is a quick list of supplies, to help you get started!
- Soil-less seed starting mix
- Seeds
- Containers
- Plant markers (either store bought or popsicle sticks or plastic knives)
- Plastic to cover
- Warm place (some people use the top of the fridge!)
- Light source (shop lights, grow lights, a nice WARM sunny windowsill!)
Give it a try! It can be so satisfying to watch the emerging seedlings, knowing in a few months you will have gorgeous and nutritious veggies from a small effort on your part and a few tiny seeds. Isn’t nature grand?
10 Days after planting!
Next time…I’ve got them sown, NOW what do I do??
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Cabin Fever
I love the cold of winter. I like seeing the trees dormant. Sure I miss going out and spending time in my garden, getting soil under my nails, and mud all over my boots. I do have my hoop house, but that pretty much takes care of itself.
January is that time of year that every gardener looks forward to, when they are experiencing cabin fever and are frantically thumbing through the nursery and seed catalogs and searching websites for new and exciting specimens; placing orders and planning out their gardens. This year I almost dread it. The catalogs are flooding my mailbox and feeding my cabin fever! How long until the last frost date? When do I need to place my order by? Where will I put all these plants?? What type of weather will we get in the spring? Will my efforts be in vain? Ugh!
I have found myself mentally circling all the things I'd like to purchase this year, though I know I don't really need anything nor can I afford anything new this year. I did go a bit seed-happy last year, buying a packet of this or that each time I went past a display! But this year, I need to stick to my budget, which is next to zero. How will I fill my desire to grow things?
Luckily, I did not plant every seed I purchased last year. I saved half of each packet of vegetable seeds and stored them in a cool dry place. I also saved seeds from my own garden for favorite self-seeding annuals and perennials, along with a strange collection of interesting blooms and cuttings from a few clients - who were more than happy to share with me.
My preparation for the coming spring is planning on what seeds to start, when, and where to transplant the seedlings. I will be adding a third light to my grow stand. When the ground thaws out, I am going to start cutting a new bed for a mix of herbs and veggies.
How to stick to a garden budget? Here are a few tips to get started.
Until I get my seeds started, I will still thumb through my catalogs while sipping hot tea, looking out upon my dormant beds dreaming of what my garden will become and await the first bright green leaves to push their way out of the soil...
January is that time of year that every gardener looks forward to, when they are experiencing cabin fever and are frantically thumbing through the nursery and seed catalogs and searching websites for new and exciting specimens; placing orders and planning out their gardens. This year I almost dread it. The catalogs are flooding my mailbox and feeding my cabin fever! How long until the last frost date? When do I need to place my order by? Where will I put all these plants?? What type of weather will we get in the spring? Will my efforts be in vain? Ugh!
I have found myself mentally circling all the things I'd like to purchase this year, though I know I don't really need anything nor can I afford anything new this year. I did go a bit seed-happy last year, buying a packet of this or that each time I went past a display! But this year, I need to stick to my budget, which is next to zero. How will I fill my desire to grow things?
Luckily, I did not plant every seed I purchased last year. I saved half of each packet of vegetable seeds and stored them in a cool dry place. I also saved seeds from my own garden for favorite self-seeding annuals and perennials, along with a strange collection of interesting blooms and cuttings from a few clients - who were more than happy to share with me.
My preparation for the coming spring is planning on what seeds to start, when, and where to transplant the seedlings. I will be adding a third light to my grow stand. When the ground thaws out, I am going to start cutting a new bed for a mix of herbs and veggies.
How to stick to a garden budget? Here are a few tips to get started.
- Check with fellow gardeners or local garden clubs, see if anyone you know saves seeds and is willing to swap! Check out gardening websites to see if they have seed exchanges.
- Need to thin out some of your plants? See if a neighbor is willing to take some in exchange for something of theirs - maybe you have a green thumb for flowers and your neighbor excels with vegetables.
- If you live in a rural area, see if the pony owner down the street is willing to let you haul away an older section of their manure pile - many will be glad to be rid of it! And you can get a great deal of free compost! And don't forget to thank them with some of the produce!
- If you don't do so already, save seeds or take cuttings from your favorite plants this year. Make sure you do your research first! Many specimens are cultivars and the seed you save may not produce the traits of the parent plant that you so admire. See if cuttings are a good way to replicate the parent plant!
Until I get my seeds started, I will still thumb through my catalogs while sipping hot tea, looking out upon my dormant beds dreaming of what my garden will become and await the first bright green leaves to push their way out of the soil...
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