Seeds of Change

So you want to start a garden. GREAT!!!! ...Why??? You like getting your hands dirty? You need to find a place to "get away"? You want to commune with nature becoming one with the earth, listening to the birds sing, and getting a dose of fresh air and vitamin D? You enjoy nurturing seedlings into mature plants? You want the convenience of having fresh veggies at your doorstep for every meal? You like the taste of fresh? You want to know where your veggies come from and how they was treated (pesticides, etc)? You want the optimum nutritional value of freshly cut veggies? You want a great workout? I don't know about you, but it is all of the above for me. I have been gardening since I was a teenager. No matter where we moved around the world, I grew a garden.

In the past years, I have grown the majority of my plants from seed. There are several reasons for this, the most important reason being that I wanted variety. Another reason is that the cost is cheaper. And lastly, I am able to give away all of the seedlings that will not make it to my garden. This has become my favorite reason. I have be able to connect with my gardening friends who love receiving free plants. It is incredible how word spreads; every year my "adoption program" grows. Some are even trying their hands at gardening for the first time! Those seeds are changing people's lives.

Starting veggies from seed is really pretty easy. This is how I go about it.

-I am fortunate to have a room in my house that gets a ton of sun so I really do not need fancy grow lights and heating mats. You must have a light source- natural or artificial.

-Next, I fill empty plastic containers (like from strawberries or lettuce) with specially prepared seedling soil. You can buy this soil at most stores early in the growing season. Just make sure the containers have holes in the bottom (you may have to punch holes yourself) and a lid. You need the lid to maintain heat and moisture to help sprouting. Follow the directions in adding warm water to the seedling soil. Pat down the soil and poke holes in the soil about 1/2 inch deep. Place 1-3 seeds in each hole. Cover the seeds with soil and water.

-I then put lid on the container. Make sure to label the container with the seed variety. Place your container on a tray in a sunny window. You may have to water a few times before the seeds germinate. Do not overwater! Once the all the seeds have completely germinated, you can remove the lid.
You really must rotate your seedlings daily to keep the plants from "leaning" toward the the sun and getting too leggy. This is where a grow light really comes in handy. If you are fortunate to have a florescent light, place it about 12-18 inches over the seedlings to extend you growing day.

- When your seedlings get a second set of leaves, they are ready for their own "home." I have purchased reusable trays from Territorial seeds that hold 50 2"x2" peat pots. Take each plant and put it in an individual peat pot, adding additional soil. This is the most tedious of jobs-every germinated seed gets their own peat pot-yes, every single one. I just can't stand to throw them out. Instead, I try to find a home for all of them! And as you can see, there is a craft stick in each with the variety.

-Lastly, you need to harden off you plants. This is done a few weeks before they go into the ground. You put them outside, starting for an hour or two and increasing time each day till they are out all night. Keep them out of wind and heavy rains.

So I know that you can do this yourself. It really is not hard. Some gardeners plant seeds directly in peat pots. Personally, I find the greenhouse dome effect of plastic containers help in germination. Either way, try it. If this is really not your bag, that's ok- there are seedlings sold everywhere. And don't forget, if you live in my area, and want some freebies to adopt, let me know. I will put you on the list and will contact you when they are ready to take home. Veggies plants to adopt include: tomatoes, peppers, hot peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, and cabbage.

Gardening from seeds changed my life...how about yours?