One of the easiest ways to garden indoors is to obtain healthy seedlings or plants to start with, but the thrifty gardener or those who prefer the challenge of taking the plant from seed to maturity may want a little help along the way.
Though the process of raising plants from seed takes a lot of patience and can be frustrating at times, it is also very rewarding. There is a certain sense of satisfaction when the shoots first begin to emerge and when brought to maturity there are many milestones you are taking along with the plants you are raising.
The information below will present you with a guide to getting started raising your first plants from seed.
Germination
A seed contains everything needed within its shell to begin life as a plant. As a grower you initiate the process of life by providing the proper amounts of air, warmth, moisture and soil, but if one of these elements is missing, or lacking in the right form the seed will not become a healthy plant; therefore, all are crucial in the development of the seed.
Soil
Some seeds can be germinated without soil, but most do start life in the soil, so it is one of the most important aspects of germination. Start with good soil and part of the battle is won. The plant spends its life and takes its nourishment through the soil, so it must be given the nutrients necessary through this medium.
A mixture of half compost and half sand is a good starter for germination, or you can use a commercial brand labeled as starter soil.
Once you have the appropriate soil, you’ll have to determine the depth to plant the seed. Generally, the gardener’s rule of thumb is to plant the seed at twice is size in depth. For example, if planting a celery seed which is one of the smallest seeds available, you would barely cover the seed. If planting a squash or melon you may be planting it at 1” or more. To insure correct planting depth always check the seed packet instructions.
Warmth
Temperature acts as a catalyst for seed growth. The proper temperature must be maintained to enable seed growth. Without the right temperature development may be suspended (which will lead to rot) or the seedling will grow too slowly and may acquire a fungal disease.
A good standard temperature for most seed germination is between 65-75 degrees. Even cold weather crops like the Brassicas (cabbage, kale and broccoli) require germination temperatures of 65 degrees. Once established they can continue to grow in lower temperatures.
A good place to start germination is to place peat pots or containers at the top of a refrigerator or water heater where they can absorb the extra warmth.
Moisture
Beginning gardeners tend to make the mistake of believing that if water helps the seed to grow then more water is better. Water content within the soil determines whether your seed rots where it lays or will thrive as a healthy seedling. Most seeds need slightly moist, not wet soil. Keeping it slightly wet (as a wrung out sponge) is the perfect moisture content for germination.
Light
Once the seedling emerges, the amount of light the plant receives is crucial to its continued development, but not until it shows itself breaking from the soil.
Despite the weather, the black cherry tomato still produces fruit. It's been slow, but keeps going.
Locally, there have been several wrecks and quite a bit of damage to property due to the ice. Still, though it is beginning to warm a bit, the falling ice continues to cause problems. It's a beautiful, but deadly element to deal with in Arkansas.
I've posted several photos. Enjoy.
At the corner of Honeysuckle and Barker.
Mailbox on Barker
Another blocked driveway.
Frozen Transformer
Started working on the annual beds for spring planting (photo is 'before' shot).
The dimensions for this plot are: 41 x 40 x 35. We have approximately 700 sq. ft. to work with, not including air space (for trellising).
I'm planting in guilds, because this is a no-spray site and we're only using biological pest control (and ingenuity).
Here are the guilds I've planned so far:
1.) Brassica (cabbage), dill, onion, lettuce
2.) Marigold, parsley, tomato, jalapeno, basil
3.) The three sisters: squash, corn, beans (I'm adding amaranth)
4.) Carrot, onion, lettuce
5.) melon, radish
Squash includes pumpkin and butternut so far and marigold and sunflower will also be planted throughout along with a few other flowers.
Globe artichokes (5) will be planted in another area, but still haven't found good companion plants for these.
I hate those instruction pamphlets that come with the inexpensive DIY bookshelf assembly projects. For that matter, I hate the projects.
All the pieces (numbered in pamphlet) "Screw A (4)" and listed on the material list which has to be checked and double-checked, just in case something is missing is frustrating. The anxiety starts mounting before I even get out of the store.
"Okay," I ask the woman behind the counter, "If a piece is missing do I bring the whole thing back?"
Putting it together: "Lay Piece 1(a) flat on the floor with bracket hole facing you..."
A project that should take 30 minutes to put together can run into hours. I know, I've done it--and hated it.
Once finished with the labor intensive project the result is usually something that looks cheap, flimsy (at best) and may or may not hold up to the wear it was designed for.
As a gardener, there are all manner of projects that come up that must be attended to, if you are to really have the garden you want. For building blunderers like me, this aspect of the gardening process is more like pulling teeth.
The process of trying to figure out what tool to use for particular tasks or how to get the task done can be a bit overwhelming for me. I'm not hammer friendly and I don't like building things. I grow things and that should be enough.
So I've decided to create a program for construction friendly, but produce poor builders. Here's the classified:
Do you have aggressive tendencies, love to pound on wooden beams, use drills, pound stakes into the ground and are handy with a skill saw?If you've answered yes then we may be a match. Single Hispanic female needs building buddy. Do you like fresh fruit, ripe and ready to pluck from the branch? How about juicy, sweet homegrown tomatoes? Sensuous, delectable peaches anyone?...
I can't say I haven't considered such drastic actions, but it would cause more problems than it would solve, so I've managed to learn a bit about healing the disgruntled builder in myself and though I still have yet to figure out how to put a trellis up, I do know how to poke a stake into the ground and weave string (or rope) to create some very nifty alternatives to the building process.
Okay wait. I know that some reading this will probably misconstrue some of what I've written here, so just to let you know this does not mean that I am some wilting violet. No. I am not miss priss running around the garden in high heels. I wear mud boots (at times) and can be just as ruggedly tough as any gardener, but I really, really, REALLY hate building things--this is a building block.
I think the most frustrating of it all is the idea that I may be stuck with recycled brown plastic cold frames for the rest of my gardening life. Not that there's anything wrong with recycled plastic...noooo... I just don't want the ugly stuff in my garden.
I want the beautiful cedar cold frames that will last twenty years I've seen gardeners using on Youtube.
I will grow anything I want in January if only I had those frames.
But for now I'm still trying to get past the building block. I can use a hammer and a screwdriver, but still have an aversion to saws. Perhaps it's the metal teeth?
I may just stick with indoor gardening for the winter months.
Indoors: Black cherry tomato plant. Should have tomatoes next month.
Before we even get off the ground (so to speak) the Dandelion Garden Project may be shut down in the coming weeks.
The landlord has filed for bankruptcy and will find out next week if we'll be allowed to stay or have to move on to another area, because of foreclosure.
This economy is affecting everyone, including the states that are supposed to be nearly immune to a recession.
Despite this, if at all possible there will be some planting going on this coming spring--even if that means guerilla gardening.
We all know life is just a series of ups and downs. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope the slope curves in a favorable direction soon.
Updates will be forthcoming.
Callicarpa americana or the American Beautyberry is truly a beautiful plant regardless whether in bloom or not. When not in bloom, there are usually bright colored berries hanging from it's limbs.
Yesterday, while on a hunt for a particular tree, I found this specimen in the woods around Lowell. There were several shrubs, but because I was having a problem getting the identity confirmation for this particular plant, I wanted a lone specimen.
I had to edit this post because I misidentified this plant as C. americana. It is of the Symphoricarpos genus--most likely orbiculatus.
According to the Plants for A Future database, the berry is edible though it contains saponins. It is best cooked (which eliminates the saponins), but can be eaten raw.
I tried some while out in the field and though it's a bit mealy, there is a hint of sweetness to it, so I'm going to assume it can be used for jelly or wine.
The video below is a great example of what someone can do in an urban setting with a very small space.
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