If you haven't ordered your seeds yet...it is time!  Don't let something new and interesting not be in your garden because it is out of stock.

Once you get them, sit down and plan out your garden and seeding schedule.  Once the warm weather arrives, you will be happy you did.

Besides, what else are you doing on a cold but sunny winter's day that can't wait while you soak it up by a sunny window?

Time to start seeds, spring is coming...I just know it!

I officially have all my seed orders in hand with the exception of the items that get shipped later (after the ground is no longer covered with two feet of snow.

Rather than re-write the whole process, I will just share my link to the prior post on seed starting.  

Gardeners have hope.  We look at tiny seeds the size of a period and see new life.  It is amazing to know that in that capsule that looks like a comma, there are tomatoes that will grace our table at the end of summer.

I have a word of caution to those starting seeds indoors by themselves.  Please remember the essentials for success:

• Sanitation-Make sure everything you have is sterile (pots, soil, table...) and use only new soil starter.  It does not pay to cheap out and deal with consequences of insects and disease problems.
• Warmth-seeds need warmth to start in 99% of our garden crops unless it is something you are direct seeding later, even then it needs some warmth.  Germination percentages will be greatly affected if you choose to compromise on their needs here.  It also can affect the success of seedlings.  Damping off can take everything if you don't keep the seedlings warm as well.  Germination mats and domed covers will help you control the temperatures in ways that costs so little for your gain.
• Water-Moisture is essential in the correct amounts.  Too little, and your germination suffers.  Too much, and your germination suffers.  You should find the happy medium where you are not blowing dust off the top of your trays and you can hardly lift your trays because of the water content.  It is best if you check them at least once a day.  Domed lids will help you regulate this as far as water loss is concerned.
• Light-Plants can't live without it.  Even seeds that germinate best with dark conditions need light once they break that seed coat.  Keeping seedlings within 6" of their light source is best.  A sunny south window is still not enough light in the northern climates at this time of year.  Always use some sort of supplemental light, even a florescent shop light will do.

Look at your seed packets and try to time out your crops to their optimal starting time.  I error on the side of caution and time them for the shorter time (later rather than sooner) so I am not dealing with larger plants indoors because it is too cold to move them out. Plan your seeding ahead of time and then you will be able to move through the season with less worries about forgetting something or not timing your crops as needed.  

Happy Spring...I know it's coming!

So, what's up?

I kept myself pretty busy with gardening this week.  So much is happening inside and outside the house now.  I will do a quick run-down on the seeds I have gotten in and what has sprouted so far.


Seeding


On 4/9 I seeded agastache, hollyhocks, petunias, impatiens, thunbergia, radicchio, and lettuce.  The hollyhock were up on 4/12, petunias on 4/14, radicchio 4/12, and thunbergia on 4/18.  The impatiens have also started sprouting but very spotty.  That does not make me happy.
On 4/7 I seeded some of the garden seeds. Flowering sweet peas and garden peas were both soaked 24 hours and then into the ground.  The garden peas are up as of 4/18, nothing with the flowering sweet peas yet.  I seeded more outdoors on 4/12, green onions, beets, Swiss chard, radishes.  The radishes were up by 4/18.
On 4/15 I seeded tomatoes, peppers, marigolds, asters, zinnia and nasturtiums. Tomatoes, marigolds, asters and zinnias were all up on 4/18.  
I have one more round of seeding this next week for indoor plants.  I will get the soybeans in the ground this next week along with some of the direct seeding of flowers.  I put the first round of cilantro seeds in the ground over the weekend.  Let's see if I remember to get a few seeds in every couple weeks this year.


Transplanting


This weekend I was able to transplant the earliest seeding from mid-March.  I started them before going on vacation and they had less than ideal germination without someone checking on them twice a day.  I do not hold this against my eldest as she did bring some of them through for me.  The viola germinated the best, and I was able to transplant 36 good seedlings.  Heliotrope came through with 6 plants.  We won't talk about the mammoth stock which are not living up to their name.  I also moved my coleus into larger pots so they can put on a little more growth before May garden time.

Transplanting viola seedlings

Misting in the seedlings

Transplanting coleus to larger containers

If you find a good misting head for your hose, it is a good investment for watering your new transplants.  They stand up to the watering better and are less likely to be washed out until they can put on enough growth to stand up to the regular watering heads.


Some things I have learned this spring...

• Wash all your pots and flats before winter.  It is so much easier to do this job outside than it is in the basement and it keeps the extra dirt outdoors and out of your drains.  I am finding out the hard way that I should have done this.  I have been using bleach and also some leftover pool sanitizers for this job.  Follow label recommendations for use.
• Make a seeding chart, even if it is simple.  I have done a much better job of keeping on task with seeding and transplanting because I had a schedule in my kitchen as a reminder.
• Think about numbers.  You may get 100 seeds in a pack, but if you only want 12 plants, seed only about twice that.  You will go through a lot less guilt over throwing out the ones you really don't need or cannot pass on to someone else.
• Save money on containers in several ways.  Buy containers at the end of the season when they are discounted.  I have saved many pots through the years.  I can't imagine how much I would have spent if I had to go out and purchase everything new.  Even cell packs can stand up to a few seasons of use if you treat them gently enough and clean them up for reuse.  Check with local greenhouses and nurseries if they have containers they are going to dispose of that you may be able to get for free.  Check the curbs in June.  Many people set this stuff out next to their trash in hopes that someone will come along and take it for reuse. 
• Salvage items from the curb for trellising your garden plants.  You never know what you will find for free.  Check out my pieces of orange snow fence that are going to trellis my garden peas.  I also have some curly willow stuck in the rows of sweet peas to add some interest and support.