Starting some Seeds
It doesn’t feel like it, but this is really only the second season that I’m vegetable gardening in earnest. Clearly I am still learning, and there are many firsts that I’ll go through. For example, starting seeds.
Inside.
In March.
We are about 10 weeks before being frost free. I know for others, down south USA or in Britain for example, spring has sprung. But today, it was snowing here. At least I can start some seeds, or try to anyway. The microgreens didn’t turn out so well, so I’m not completely confident in my success. But for the price of a single plant, I can start multiple plants. I like that.
All winter I’ve been reading different gardening books, and one that did a good job of showing how to start seeds with not a great deal of effort is The New Victory Garden book by Bob Thomson. While he uses 4″ pots, I’m going to recycle some plastic tubs from cottage cheese and yogurt. The idea to split them is my wife’s. So she gets the credit for that.
Here we are with the tubs. They were thoroughly washed.
Cut while connecting the dots.
One tub + one lid = two potting buckets
Drill holes to allow drainage (and wicking)
I’ve got tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, peppers, celery.
Planted and sitting in a bath – we’ll see if it wicks up by morning.
Once moist they go on a heating pad until they germinate.
So we shoud have spouts in a bit of time, then they’ll move into the sunny south window. Follow along, it should be educational.
Until next time, Keep Digging & Eat Well!
March 6, 2011
>I like the way you did the pots. I wish I had thought of that since I have way too many butter dishes.
March 6, 2011
We had a lot too becky, We were going to throw them in the recycle bin, but the DW had the bright idea. She's a keeper!
March 7, 2011
>Like the idea of re-using the plastic tubs, but I hope you didn't buy new foil trays to stand them on!
Can you give me more details of heating mats? Did you get them online or at a garden centre? I wonder if they are available here…
March 7, 2011
Hi Mark, the foil trays I reclaim from office catered lunches else they end up in the recycle bin or worse, the rubbish. I use them for cooking on the grill, and all sorts of things.
The heating mats are $29 for a flat size, a three flat was 70 as a garden center and I found these so the prcice was right. They can get wet, but don't immerse them. The raise the temp by 10-20F over ambient room temp.
March 7, 2011
>David, thanks for the info on those mats. I'm tempted to get some. Do you think they would be OK to sit on a bedfroom windowsill – I mean, would the heat damage the paintwork or anything?
March 7, 2011
Mark, They get warm, not hot. I don't think it would be a problem. and my mistake they were 19 USD for a flat size