OMG
Growing seedlings has always been a challenge. I have tried using grow lights, starting the seeds in February. Mistake. By the time the plantings were ready for the garden, they were either too leggy or dead. So, last year I waited until we returned from our Southern trip and I was amazed at how easily the seeds would grow just putting them under the heat pad for a few days (until they sprouted) and then out to the sunroom or into the greenhouse during the day and back in the kitchen at night. I had lots of good seedlings, but too many tomatoes (90) and too much kale.
So this year I promised myself I would cut back to a manageable number and make it easy for me to keep control over them and not have too many left over. Well, something happened along the way to really mess things ups. It was like some blob that just kept growing and growing and growing. I now have 175 tomato plants. Why? Well, that is another story.
I started by trying the Jiffy discs that have been talked about as being very good and 64 of them. I planted my seeds, covered them and waited. Nothing happened. I started a second set of seeds in some generic "seedling" soil. Some grew, some did not. I also had used some seeds from years prior so it might have been a mix of soil and bad seed.
However, I came upon bags of Jiffy starter soil that was mostly peat moss and vermiculite. And that is where my blob became a reality. Just about every seed I put into the soil, sprouted. It was as if I had 100% of the seeds come up and bingo, I have 175 tomatoes. I have lots of broccoli, all varieties of lettuce, bok choy and I am now waiting for the kale to sprout.
So here are two shots of my seedlings. I will add the greenhouse plantings which include peas, spinach, radishes and lettuce. Outside the peas have popped up and seem to have survived the snow last Sunday.
So this year I promised myself I would cut back to a manageable number and make it easy for me to keep control over them and not have too many left over. Well, something happened along the way to really mess things ups. It was like some blob that just kept growing and growing and growing. I now have 175 tomato plants. Why? Well, that is another story.
I started by trying the Jiffy discs that have been talked about as being very good and 64 of them. I planted my seeds, covered them and waited. Nothing happened. I started a second set of seeds in some generic "seedling" soil. Some grew, some did not. I also had used some seeds from years prior so it might have been a mix of soil and bad seed.
However, I came upon bags of Jiffy starter soil that was mostly peat moss and vermiculite. And that is where my blob became a reality. Just about every seed I put into the soil, sprouted. It was as if I had 100% of the seeds come up and bingo, I have 175 tomatoes. I have lots of broccoli, all varieties of lettuce, bok choy and I am now waiting for the kale to sprout.
So here are two shots of my seedlings. I will add the greenhouse plantings which include peas, spinach, radishes and lettuce. Outside the peas have popped up and seem to have survived the snow last Sunday.
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| Most of these seedlings are tomatoes, which some bok choy and broccoli in the mix. |
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| These are mostly lettuces and bok choy. The starting mix I use is on the left. |
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