Ready, Set, Plant!

For some gardeners the arrival of March triggers their Green Thumbs to itch to tear open seed packets. Anticipating the thrill of sprouting their own plants, it can be a difficult wait. I confess that I have jumped the gun just a few times and ended up planting leggy seedlings (deep enough, of course, to encourage roots to pop out of their too long stems). Starting seeds indoors the last week in March will give you a thirty to sixty day jump on the gardening season.

Many of the 75 million gardeners in the U.S. start their garden plants from seeds. After seeing all the resources in bookstores, the library, and on-line, it's apparent that most of them have documented their gardening experiences (myself included). That's a lot of information out there to dig into.

Every gardener, through trial and error, discovers what works best for them. The basics are simple: Seeds want to grow. It's their job. You provide them with the basics: soil, water, light, warmth; and with basic care, and your seeds will grow into healthy, strong plants.

Since you'll be caring for your plants for a few months (hopefully), you'll want to choose your crops carefully for your garden. Some plants that benefit most from an early start indoors include garden staples like tomatoes, peppers, and basil, as well as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, chives, collards, eggplant, endive, escarole, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, marigolds, onions, and petunias.

Not all seeds should be started indoors, just those that germinate slowly and need warm soil. Seeds that germinate best in cool soil should be planted directly outdoors. Avoid starting root crops indoors since they don't transplant as well. Other seeds should be planted later in the season at the time when seeds naturally fall from the parent plant, such as foxgloves, hollyhocks, and poppies.

Buying seeds can be as simple as selecting from a local store or choosing from the multitude of catalog and on-line offerings. When one company alone can carry over 800 varieties, the choices can seem endless. Try to narrow down the type of seed first: Organic, Heirloom, Hybrids to produce more fruit, Pest resistant hybrids, etc. My personal favorites are the heirloom varieties whose seeds can be collected for next years garden.

A little planning will help you avoid starting more plants than you have the room or time for. Also, don't feel compelled to plant ALL the seeds from each packet. Save some lettuce and sweetpeas to plant a few rows in the cool temperatures of autumn. Sharing seeds with friends is a great way to try something new and have a nicer variety. Remember to also “Plant a Row for the Hungry” (more info about this worthy cause coming soon).

You'll need to use seed starting mix since garden soil is too hard and may carry disease or pests that are harmful to your delicate seedlings. Be diligent about keeping the soil moist. The first tiny hair root can't be allowed to dry, or the plant won't start any leaves. Too soggy, and it will rot.

Great places to start your seeds are in a sunny window or just a sunny room. Keeping a plant/grow light hanging a few inches above the soil for 12 to 18 hours each day will produce compact, sturdy seedlings. While seed trays are handy to use, seeds can be started in pots, egg cartons or even in yogurt cups.

Come May, should you need or want to supplement your seedlings with heirloom variety plants for your garden, we will be offering a nice selection of heirloom tomatoes. Or you can show your support for the Scituate High School Agricultural program by purchasing some heirlooms from them. They will be selling heirloom plants this year at the Farmers Market (more details coming soon).

Lastly, carefully read the specific planting instructions on your seed packets. These activities should distract your Green Thumb long enough to welcome Spring.