Sad Plants and More

I had been bringing my plants in and out of the house so they could get some sunlight. Due to the fact that I don't have enough windows letting in enough light. However, about 4 days ago it cooled off drastically here. The last day I tried to put my plants out to get some sun, several of them died due to the cold. So, they are back in again, rotating through spots close to the window. This is starting to me a logistical nightmare since I have 10 flats going and have only just begun to get my seeds planted. It had better warm up here so i can put them out for a while during the day or I'm going to have to start cutting holes in the walls to let in some daylight.

Meanwhile, I am devouring the pages of the Seed Savers Membership book. If you become a member of seed savers (a great thing to do and now you get a discount on seed), you get access to the membership catalog. In this catalog, almost any variety of any fruit or vegetable that you could ever imagine is listed with a member that has been saving it's seed. The mission is to preserve as many varieties of seed as possible and to slow down the loss of varieties. If you thought that the only apples there are to eat are red delicious and jonathans, you are in for a huge surprise. The catalog lists about 400 varieties. If you thought the only varieties of tomatoes there are are the ones you can buy from Burpee, again, you have a huge surprise instore. In the membership catalog, there are several hundreds of varieties available. So, this year I'm going to request a couple of different varieties of plant seeds and save the seeds. Hopefully, next year I can be one of the members that is trying to preserve the seed pool and along the way, I'm going to be eating some delicious fruits and veggies.

My native perennials are still in cold storage. I hope to take them out and get them started early next week. They look good, a couple were starting to dry out. So, I added some water. I'll keep you posted on how they are doing. Meanwhile, about half of the ones that didn't need any pretreatment that I started are beginning to sprout. Hopefully, the others are just being slow and I haven't drowned them or something.

Starting Your Herb and Veggie Seeds

This is one of my favorite times of year, I love when the promise of spring lets me justify playing in dirt. I love the magic of a seed popping itself out of the ground. The miracle of this never stops astounding me. As you can imagine, I spend the next couple of months in a kind of perpetual bliss.

Tonight, I spent most of the evening starting my cold weather seeds. Lots of different kinds of veggie and herb seeds. I choose to start most of all my plants indoors. There are a couple of reasons for this. First of all, it gives me a head start on the season. Additionally, it lets me have more control over their growing conditions. Before I go to plant them out in my raised beds, I'll know exactly what I have. This is important to me because I have limited space in my garden. By starting my seeds indoors, I can space them in my garden exactly how I want, I don't have to thin out plants and I don't have to worry about poor germination because I'll know that I all ready have a plant to put there. There are some seeds that don't do well being transplanted and are best suited directly planted in the garden. Some are obvious, such as root vegetables like carrots or radish. Some are less obvious, such as cilantro and corn. For the most part though, I put most of my plants into my garden as transplants.

Starting seeds inside is easy and doesn't require much special equipment. You can start your plants out in a lot of different containers. Personally, I use the seed trays that you can buy at a seed store. But butter tubs, yogurt containers, egg cartons even Dixie cups will work equally as well. Just make sure you have drainage holes in the bottom (and make sure you have this set in something to catch the drainage water.) Fill the container with a seed starting medium. I always buy this, you want it to be sterile and you don't want it to contain any fertilizer, organic or not. Seeds have all the nutrients it needs to get started, it can actually be detrimental for the plant to get too much food right after it sprouts. After they get their first set of true leaves, we will transplant these starts into larger containers, then we will give them some food.

After you've filled up the container with starter medium, place the seed in the medium. The seed package should tell you how deep to put the seed in. A good rule of thumb is the smaller seed the closer to the surface it should be planted, conversely the larger the seed the deeper it will go. A few seeds need sunlight to germinate, the package should tell you this. Make sure you label your seeds, I use whatever I have handy. Popsicle sticks make a cheap marker.

Now, you need to water the seeds. I always water my seeds from the bottom. Because I sell my extra plants, I need to make sure they are the correct plants, if I were to water from above, the medium could float into another tray. Also, once the seeds start to sprout, watering from above could facilitate a condition called damping off. So, I pour the water right into the drainage tray. The medium will soak the water up to the surface. Watch your containers for a couple of hours, adding water periodically until the surface of the containers show it's become damp.

It will take several days for your seeds to start to poke out of the soil, depending on the plant. Plants like lettuce should germinate in about 5 days, some like lavender germinate sporadically and could take up to two weeks. Be patient, during this waiting time, make sure the starter medium does not dry out. Find a happy balance, though, you don't want the seeds to be swimming in water either.

***I forgot to mention light. It is not necessary to have your seedlings in light to get them started. However, as soon as they start to sprout, put them in the sunniest location you can find. By a window or under grow lights will work, I've even taken my plants out in the morning and in again at night so get them in the sunlight.

Some of these plants, we will put outside soon after they get their true leaves (these will actually seem to you to be their second set of leaves, called the true leaves), such as the lettuce. Others we will transplant into larger containers and give them special treatment for a few more weeks in the house, such as tomato or eggplant.

Stay tuned, we are going to talk about how to plant in a cold frame and in a couple of posts, how to build a cold frame. They are easy and really useful for getting a jump start on the season.

Starting Perennial Seeds the Cold Moist Stratification Way

I love growing perennials. How can you not be grateful to a plant that returns year after year despite your neglect. Not only that but it gets larger and more beautiful along the way. I'm particularly enamored with perennials that are native. They are especially suited to the natural conditions of where i live and thrive despite my lack of care. So, you will tend to see a lot of posts on my blog about growing perennials.

This year, I've decided to start some perennials from seed. There are several ways to propagate plants, planting seeds is but one. Some of the seeds that I got don't require any pretreatment and I will just start them in seed starter when I'm ready. However, some of the seeds need to believe they have been in the ground over the winter in order to sprout. One way to do this is to actually plant them in the fall. This is a great way, it's easy and reliable. However, I want more control over where I plant the ones I'm keeping and also, plan to sell some of the extra plants. So, I'm going to start mine using cold, moist stratification. This will trick the seed into believing there has been a winter.

I'm experimenting with a couple of different ways to see which gives me better germination. The process is fairly simple but takes some advance planning. You need to start the seeds about 4-8 weeks in a cold place before you can plant them in your seed starter. All in all, this means it will take about 2-3 months before your seeds will actually germinate. To start the seeds you will need some baggies, paper towels and some sterilized medium - such as vermiculite or seed starter. I've chosen seed starter medium. Some seeds will need to be scarified before you start them, this means to scratch or weaken the seed casing. This should be noted on your seed packet if it is necessary.

For half of the seeds, I wet a piece of paper towel and just put the seeds directly on top of it. Make sure the paper towel is just damp and not soggy, once you put it in the plastic bag you do not want a lot of water sitting in the baggie. The water will not evaporate and you don't want your seeds sitting in water or they will rot, not sprout. For the other half of the seeds, I put a small amount of seed starter on the damp paper towel. I then placed the seeds on the medium, dampened a little more and then folded up the paper towel and put it in the baggie. Again, make sure the whole package is not too wet.

Then place in the refrigerator, I put mine in the fruit crisper drawer. They will be in here for several weeks, so you should check on them periodically. You want to make sure they don't dry out, or that they aren't staying too wet. Also, if they start to sprout while in the refrigerator go ahead and take them out of the refrigerator and plant them in whatever you are going to start them in.

In about 4-6 weeks, I'll be pulling these out and getting them planted in pots. So, stay tuned for more tutorials.

Hey, Is That a Sprout?

We love sprouts. They are super nutritious, nutrient packed powerhouses. We eat them on salads, raw, stir fried and in breads. They are versatile and super easy to grow. All you have to do is provide optimal conditions and let the seeds do what they are designed to do. You can go super high tech or as low tech as sprouting out of a glass jar, which is what we often do.

First buy seeds. Please, buy organic seeds. You will be eating this seed and you want it to be organic. Most health food stores will carry seed and sprouters. One of our favorite online places to order seed is from Sprout People, they carry a large assortment of seeds and seed mixes.

Next, get a place to sprout your seeds. You can take a glass jar and cover it with a couple of layers of cheesecloth and secure it with a rubber band. Or you can buy a sprouter. There are a wide variety of sprouters but basically they are just some kind of container that has small drainage holes. We've tried an assortment of sprouters and they basically work about equally well. We've not tried the hemp bags for sprouting but they look interesting.

We soak our seeds overnight. I'm not sure this is necessary but it seems to work well for us. The next morning we drain the seeds well. Rinse. Drain. We repeat this as we remember, at least a couple of times a day. In the summer, you will probably want to do it an additional time or two during the day. It is important that you don't let your seeds dry out. It is also important that you don't let your seeds sit in water or they will mold and shouldn't be eaten. Seeds should get good air circulation but remain in a place where they are not directly in sunlight, we have ours on our kitchen counter. Once they have shed their hulls, or about the fourth day it is time to uncover the sprouts and let them get some sunlight, so they can produce chlorophyl. This will give them their nice green color and the nutrients that go along with it.

It depends on the type of seed, how long it takes it to sprout. The small seeds, such as alfalfa, broccoli and micro green seeds will be ready to eat in about 5 days. Bean seeds are most often eaten just a few days after they are started. The general rule is about the time the root is the length of the seed. Often for beans this is in 2-4 days. Grain sprouts are super easy, they only take about 24 hours, then they are wonderful cooked in your favorite bread or used as a breakfast cereal.

Sprouts should be eaten within a couple of days of being ready. Put in the refridgerator to keep them fresh longer.

Some seeds should not be sprouted and eaten because they contain a toxin and some sprouts need to be cooked before consunption. But as long as you get your seeds from a health food store or a reputable online seed store you should be okay. They will most likely come with instructions about the best sprouting method for those seeds and how long until they are ready to eat.

Some of our favorite seeds to sprout are alfalfa, broccoli, radish, mung bean and some of the absolutely wonderful mixes that the sprout people have put together.

Give sprouting seeds a try, it's easy, delicious and nutritious.

I know it doesn't even seem possible. Temperatures are below freezing and a lot of the country is up to their backsides in snow. However, it is time to order your seed catalog. There are a lot of things to consider when ordering your catalog because you want to get the best, most reliable seeds possible. It's easy to pick up a couple of packets of seeds at your local hardware store but it you want a great selection and reliable quality, go all out and order from a seed company. Besides, you will learn a lot about gardening and the specific plants from these catalogs.

I think of a couple of things when I'm thinking about what kinds of seeds I'll want, which is how i decide where i want to get catalogs from. The first is what kinds of vegetables do me and my family eat. There is no reason to buy eggplant seed if you've never even eaten one - unless you feel adventurous this season. I always try a couple of different vegetables every year. So, make a list. What kinds of vegetables do you love? What kinds of vegetables just taste so much better straight from the garden than from the back of an 18-wheeler that's just driven across the country (or now-a-days even further.) This category will probably include most all veggies, but there are some we know for sure. There is nothing like fresh lettuce (and nothing easier to grow) and nothing like eating tomatoes straight off of the vine.

So, now you should have one list, what kinds of vegetables and herbs you would like to grow. Next, consider what is important to you. For me I really enjoy growing heirloom varieties of vegetables. I love that they have a history, I love that they are usually more tasty (because they haven't been bred to ripen quicker, or last on that truck ride across the country), and i like that they are not genetically modified. So, I look for seed companies that carry a large selection of heirloom seeds. It is also important to me to try to get organic seed as often as possible. I order a lot of seed from seed savers and their members - sometimes it is seed they have collected from their backyard. I know chemicals have not been used on the seeds even though they are not certified organic. So, if i can i buy organic seeds if not, buy from a company (or better yet a person) that you are familiar with and know their growing practices. There are a lot of regulations and organizations that have been formed to have a tight hold on the organic certification process. This can make it very cost prohibitive for the small producer. (If you are using your seeds to make sprouts, please, buy certified organic!)

Now, that you have an idea of what kinds of seeds you'd like. We need to find some companies that carry seeds that meet those qualifications. You can google seed catalogs or you can choose from some of my favorites. I'll give you the low down on some great seed companies and their catalogs. There are a couple of companies that don't print paper catalogs and you'll have to order from them online. I'll give you a link to each of these companies and let you know how to get their catalogs.


My new favorite catalog this year is from Baker Heirloom Seeds. This is a gorgeous catalog. They have gone all out this year. Baker is a great place to order seeds from. They carry an incredibly large selection of heirloom seeds. They carry vegetables, herbs and flowers, many are rare and you won't find them anywhere else. You can request a catalog from their website.




My second favorite place to order seeds from is Seed Savers Exchange. They also carry an enormous selection of heirloom seeds. As a matter of fact, they have made it their mission to try to save as many varieties as possible. A great organization, a great catalog. The catalog gives you a lot of information about each variety. They also have a lot of rare varieties, which i love to try. You never know when you'll have a new favorite. You can request a catalog from their website.



Next, I get lots of seeds from Bountiful Gardens. This is an off shoot of John Jeavons and Ecological Action (of the grow biointensive movement.) I love John Jeavon's books, they are incredibly useful if you are trying to grow enough food to live on in a small area with no inputs that come off of your "farm." The seeds he offers are perfect for this type of growing. One thing this catalog offers that I absolutely love is variety packs. You can get one packet of carrot seeds that will contain 10 or 20 different varieties of open pollinated seeds. This is a great option for those with limited space and limited budgets that still want a variety of seeds. I highly recommend getting a Bountiful Gardens catalog.

A great place that does not have a print catalog but specializes in tomato seeds is Tomato Fest, my mother in law gave me a gift certificate to there last year. I ordered a lot of seed from them and will again this year. Great variety, great seed. check them out.

A couple of other good places to get catalogs are

Seeds of Change - they have a good selection of seed and gardening supplies. all of their seed is certified organic.

Johnny's Selected Seeds - they are starting to have more organic seeds. Carry mostly your standard varieties.

Territorial Seed Company - also has a large selection, some of which are open pollinated, some are organic.


Get those seed catalogs order, in one of the next couple of posts, we'll talk about what to look for when picking out seeds