Let the Spring Planting Begin!

I'm out of town for the month of March but that didn't stop me from getting my seeds started! Thanks to my wonderful friend who is house-sitting and keeping my seeds watered.

So with a few trays, a bag of organic growing medium, and a handful of seeds I am currently germinating:

Organic: Tomatoes: San Marzano
Organic: Tomatoes: Roma
Heirloom: Tomatoes: Yellow Pear
Heirloom: Tomatoes: Polish Linguisa
Heirloom: Sweet Peppers: Chinese Giant
Organic: Onions: Walla Walla Sweet
Rosemary: Romero
Thyme: Common
True Lavender

These are just a handful of the seeds we'll be planting this year. Ones that I could confidently start indoors and will be ready to transplant when I return from my trip in April. The rest of our seeds will be sewn outdoors.

Only time will tell how the germinating will go but the planting was very easy. It was $8 for 3 flats at Lowes, they came with trays and plastic tops, and hold a total of 216 plants. The bag of growing medium was another $8 and saved me time mixing my own. Each packet of seeds was between $1-2 and I still have plenty leftover seeds to sew in the garden when I return.

Starting seeds is a simple matter of filling the trays with growing medium and dampening. Planting your seeds according the the packet instructions, usually 1/4 inch deep in the soil, and covering with the plastic top or damp newspapers. Set the seeds in a warm spot to germinate and that's it! A couple days after the seeds have germinated you can remove the plastic covering and let your seedlings get some fresh air and sunlight. The trays underneath will be handy for watering from the bottom and the seedlings will be ready in 4-8 weeks. I know that by the time I return the chance of frost will be past so I will harden mine off and transplant them early. Blogging updates on our seedlings to follow!

Here are the other seeds we will be planting this year:

Heirloom Sweet Corn: Golden Cross Bantam
Heirloom Cucumber: Lemon
Spinach: Matador
Organic: Carrots: Scarlet Nantes
Organic: Peas: Oregon Sugar Pod
Organic: Garden Bean: Provider
Organic: Cantalope: Hearts of Gold
Organic: Onion: Evergreen Long White Bunching
Organic: Summer Squash: Early Prolific Straightneck
Organic: Summer Squash: Burpee's Fordhook Zucchini
Organic: Summer Squash: Early Summer Crookneck
Organic: Okra: Clemson Spineless
Organic: Watermelon: Moon & Stars
Fennel: Zefo Fino
Green Beans: Santa Anna Pole
Brussel Sprouts: Catskill

Organic: Chives, Garlic: Allium Tuberosum
Organic: Sweet Basil: Ocimum Basilicum
Organic: Cilantro: Coriandrum Sativum
Organic: Parsley: Single Italian Plain leaf
Organic: Genovese Basil
Organic: Gourmet Lettuce Blend
Chamomile: German
Oregano: Mediterranean
Stevia: Honeylead
Dill: Dukat
Basil: Siam Queen
Sage: Broad Leaf

Posted on: www.asimmeringpotandamom.blogspot.com