Ten days and counting. Boy do I have spring-fever. We planted lettuce, broccoli, carrots and two kinds of peas Monday night in our starter trays and by this morning they had already sprouted and pushed their heads up through the soil. I will be moving them outside on the fourteenth. I tried two approaches to see which would perform better. Half the seeds went in a 72 cup Jiffy Greenhouse Kit and the other half went in biodegradable peat pots filled with seed-starting potting soil and covered with cellophane.
I found the Jiffy Greenhouse Kit cumbersome, but it does appear to be performing better than the pots I filled with soil by hand. The peat pellets in the kit are compressed and dehydrated and come as small wafers. Before use, you must rehydrate them with an eighth a cup of water and slice open the top of the fabric that holds them together so that you can get the seed inside. The raised plastic lid also appears to be regulating the humidity better than the cellophane on the others. The cellophane is also going to have to be removed once shoots get much higher than the edge of the peat pots.
The only real obstacle that I foresee is distinguishing between each of the plants while they are young as my toddler has removed my markers.
Thanks for sharing this. I think I may have to try starting my own seedlings for the first time! I’m going to Walmart and Lowes to see if I can pickup a Jiffy greenhouse kit.
Any tips on where to get seeds? What types and varieties?
Thanks for sharing this. I think I may have to try starting my own seedlings for the first time! I’m going to Walmart and Lowes to see if I can pickup a Jiffy greenhouse kit.
Any tips on where to get seeds? What types and varieties?
Where to get seeds and what kinds to get are not simply questions. It depends on what you want to grow, where you want to grow it, when you want to grow it, and when you want to harvest it. I would be happy to make some recommendations to you if can provide some details about what you’re looking to grow.
The best place to purchase seeds would be from a seed catalog, but if you don’t have time to order something by mail, your local nursery will have enough to get you started. Nurseries only carry limited varieties but are sure to have some in stock. I will post another article shortly on gardening resources where I’ll give you a list of some top seed catalogs.
Where to get seeds and what kinds to get are not simply questions. It depends on what you want to grow, where you want to grow it, when you want to grow it, and when you want to harvest it. I would be happy to make some recommendations to you if can provide some details about what you’re looking to grow.
The best place to purchase seeds would be from a seed catalog, but if you don’t have time to order something by mail, your local nursery will have enough to get you started. Nurseries only carry limited varieties but are sure to have some in stock. I will post another article shortly on gardening resources where I’ll give you a list of some top seed catalogs.