I took some new pictures of the seedlings today, and decided I better post these older ones before they're completely outdated. Before I get to the pics today, I'm going to spend a little extra time talking about the joy of seeds.
We gather our own seeds for as much as we can, and I highly recommend this practice. It is usually very simple, and over time you can develop your own strains of plants that are specifically adapted for your own little patch of heaven. The financial savings are also worth mentioning. Because we grow a large variety of different things, we would easily spend $100-$200 or more each spring just on seeds. Now I spend between $0-$10. Also, I hear that in some parts of the country gardeners are having a difficult time getting seeds due to COVID related restrictions. This level of uncertainty added into the growing season is a headache that I can happily avoid. Many seeds can be used in sprout mixes, which are delicious and good for you. If you have some green thumbs in your circle of people, seed collections can also make great gifts.
I want to start the post with the accidentals, because a lot of people ask me what they need to do to get their seedlings started. The short answer is keep them damp and at the right temperature. These chamomile seedlings planted themselves last fall in these cells of lavender that didn't get planted last season. After sitting out all winter, they are one of the early starters in the spring, requiring just a few days in the 50's to germinate. Chamomile seeds are practically dust, so they can be difficult to gather. They will however reseed themselves each year if you let some flower heads mature in a decent patch of soil.
This is probably a wild cucumber, but could be a yellow squash. This is coming up in an old compost pile, which all cucerbits seem to really enjoy. The compost pile also generates enough extra heat that these types of seeds germinate a little earlier, and withstand frost a little better when grown on a pile of compost.
The brassicas and many greens can go out pretty early, and many like this spinach can be directly sown, especially if you have row covers to help with super cold nights. I've found however that I get a better harvest if I start them indoors. Hopefully I will be eating some of this spinach by mid May.
The red lettuce is a new one we tried last year as part of an edible landscaping plan. It did very well, and we're happy to have it back! I have not yet been able to gather any of these seeds yet, but I still had several left from last year.
I had also never had Swiss chard until last year, and it was another great find. It is a very prolific grower, and most varieties have very striking colors. The flavor is somewhere between spinach and beet greens, with the texture closest to the beet greens. This is another one I have yet to gather seeds from.
Some collected cannabis seeds that actually germinated well. We've struggled with germination of these seeds the last few years, and were finally able to propagate some last year. Naturally, now that we have lots of our own seeds, all the found ones are germinating just fine.
Cauliflower is another one that was new to us last year, and the woodchuck ate it all. We're hoping to have better luck with it this year, and hopefully will be able to figure out how to get some seeds from these.
We have more seeds planted, but these were the very first ones up, all sprouting in less than 4 days. For planting my seeds in cells like this, I first fill the cells nearly full with already damp soil. Any potting soil will work. I generally buy whatever I can find for cheap. When I have it, I like to add some extra perlite and vermiculite to the soil, because sometimes I don't water as often as I should. I then put 1-6 seeds in each spot, depending on what I know (or expect) the germination rate to be. After that I cover them with 1/4"-1/2" of more damp soil, and water them with a 3d printed sprinkler on a half gallon jug. You can use water in a spray bottle, the important thing is that you want to water gently until your seeds sprout, or they may just wash up to the top. Seeds will sprout as long as they are viable and stay damp. Even if you plant them wrong they will usually just take longer to sprout. There are of course, always some exceptions. Some seeds need sunlight to germinate, and must be left uncovered. Other seeds, like many trees, have a protective husk that must first be softened or removed. I hope to address all of them in later posts.
That wraps up my most informative post yet. Questions or suggestions, even critiques, are welcomed in the comments. Hope you all enjoy, we'll have the update on these soon!
