Ahhh, it feels good to have my hands in wet soil mix once again! Our first seeds are popping. I started a couple of weeks later than I had planned, but I figured since we don't have a greenhouse, there is really no need to be super early since we will be having a little trouble with leggy plants. I thought I would share a bit about our seedling setup since I have people asking about it on a regular basis, and since I'm doing a small garden-amount of plants, all the easier for sharing with other home gardeners.
1. Plastic trays with drainage holes, these are cheap at greenhouse stores, and you can keep reusing them. Forget any sort of plastic cell or peat pot.
2. Small Soil blocker, probably mostly found through the mail, Johnny's is a good spot to shop. This is the greatest. I will try to post photos next time I use it. We have the larger size, too. Once your seeds germinate they will be transferred to the bigger blocks.
3. Soil mix, we sell it at Mississippi Market, but you can find organic mixes here and there. We usually made our own soil mix at the farm, but wow, is it easier to just buy from a respected producer.
4. Clear plastic lids for your black trays. Find these at the same place you buy the trays. Seriously essential for keeping your seeds moist and warm. You will remove them after germination, so you don't need a lid for every tray, just have a couple for your germination station.
5. Light(s). We always used regular fluorescent bulbs, but we are being fancy this year and using purple full-spectrum bulbs. It's cheaper when you are buying 2 bulbs vs. 20.
6. Seeds. I ordered a lot of tried-and-true varieties. Hybrids are legit, but stay away from treated seeds if you are trying to be organic. Many hybrids are available as organic. I balance my tried-and-true hybrids with some artisanal heirlooms. Like all things in life, finding a balance is essential. You don't want to order all heirlooms and have a lot of trouble with production.
7. Heat. This year I am using an actual heat mat that is supposed to be used for germinating seeds. Peter was using it for his bonsai this winter. At the farm we actually used heating blankets which can be found on clearance this time of year. If you use a heating blanket, make sure you cover it with plastic. Space heaters help, too. We're having a warm spring thus far so the mat seems to be doing the job. Your lights will give off heat, too.
We have a darling table to use. My dad made our old CSA farm sign into a table. How fitting. It's in our living room. It's warm in there and really, we like to watch our seeds grow, it's way better than TV.
Plastic trays - one with the plastic dome lid still on top. Make sure you label! You will not remember what is what, especially if you have one more variety of pepper, or whatever. The heat mat is under the trays with a layer of plastic under the mat to protect the table. I may add a cookie sheet to catch more moisture.
The lights are low, this prevents some of the legginess. As the plants grow we will move the lights higher.
Peppers germinating. In this batch I started parsley, bell peppers, chiles (WAY to many but I will just pick the best when transplanting), and some flowers. The flowers are in one tray and the peppers in the other.
Some sunflowers getting huge already. I don't know why we started these already, for fun I guess. They will be giant before we're ready to plant them outside.I'll be starting tomatoes, eggplant, and kale next. Stay tuned!
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