Starting Seeds

There is nothing more miraculous than watching a seed push it's way through the surface of the soil towards the light, other than the birth of a child.

Seriously, a seed so miniscule and seemingly inert when put to soil with added moisture, heat, and sometimes light (depending on the seed) will suddenly erupt into a power of life that can move mountains compared to it's size. That must be where God's meaning behind "faith the size of a mustard seed" stems from.

The conditions must be right in order for the seed to awaken from its dormant slumber.

• moisture to soften and swell the seeds tough outer shell


• heat to awaken the life inside from it's slumber


• light to show the way and beckon it forth
  
  

Just about any container will work if it will hold soil and allow excess moisture to drain away.

Trays that have fitted domes will help keep the environment moist and warm creating a incubator effect for the seeds. Once the seeds have germinated the lids will come off.

A heating mat will help create the right amount of heat for fast germination so the seeds do not sit in the soil and rot.

Lighting must be supplied, as even the light from a southern facing window will not provide enough light for an emerging seedling in early spring.

It's best to water from the bottom up, keep the soil moist but not soggy, and keep the lights within inches of the upper most leaves.

Read your seed packets so that seeds planted together will share the same needs for moisture, heat, light and space.

Take good notes and any mistakes made the first time around will not be repeated.

Once you know exactly what you will be growing you should sit down and make the final plan for your gardening space. Pay close attention to specific requirements for each plant and check to see if certain ones would be happier together or far apart.

I know I promised a video but I will be much more careful in the future to not promise something that is not already in the making. The person I was to video today opted not to involve herself. Maybe another time.

This should get you started, and start you must if you are in the North. The season is short and any way you can extend it will help you get the most out of your crops.

Dusting off the Organic Gardening Blog

I look at the date on my last post and I think, OMG, where did all that time go?

So now it's time to dust off this blog and get back to business.

It's spring in my neck of the woods, and that usually means being busier than a one armed wall paper hanger.

We've talked about it before, if you're an organic gardener you know that the gardening season really begins in the fall with lasagna style sheet composting and getting that organic matter into your gardening space for the spring, which is now.

Over the winter, while the weather outside was frightful we all curled up with our favorite hot drink and our seed catalogs, dreaming of warm spring days with the sound of song birds on the air and the scent of something sweet blooming nearby.

Now, while spring fights to get her foot in the door and ol' man winter struggles to keep hold just a little while longer, it is time to get the seed starting mix out, sort through all the seeds that have arrived on our doorstep and get to planting.

The biggest mistake made now is planning a garden too big for the time and energy we have to invest AND not having the right seed starting environment to get our plants off to a healthy start.

Seeds have a specific requirement for heat and light. If either of these requirements are not met, the whole process may never even get off the ground, let alone thrive.

Heat can be provided by heating the whole area where you are germinating seeds or you can simply heat the soil the seeds are planted in by providing a germination mat. Light needs to be a full spectrum bulb that is adjustable so that it can be kept within a few inches of the plant.

I have a video planned for tomorrow which I will post here that will show you an example of how simple a set-up you need and the small space that should accomodate you.

Until then,

Christy

AllAboutOrganic