This year, I’ve decided to plant a vegetable garden for the first time in many years. It will be small this year, but if I am successful, I will have a crop full of cherry tomatoes, carrots, and peas. I also decided to try starting my garden with seeds, rather than buying plants (except for the strawberry plant you see in the 2nd picture).
Day 1 Day 10
Starting the seedlings has proved to be very easy, because all of them came up. But I was advised to put more than one seed in some of the cups, so now I have at least two seedlings in each cup (except for the peas).
I am using a planter this year, instead of putting a garden bed on the ground, so I had to make sure the plants that I chose all had similar requirements for sunlight, etc.
To do this, I bought some organic seeds, organic seed-starting mix, and biodegradable seedling cups from menards.com. I filled the cups with the seed-starter, inserted the seeds as directed on their packaging, and watered them. I give them water almost daily, because it’s very important to keep the soil moist. I also give them just a little bit of organic plant food occasionally. And I’m using an old desk lamp to give them light, because I don’t have a place for them in front of a window. Some people say I should use a “grow lamp” to get healthy plants, and some people have said I don’t need a light at all, but my seedlings seem to be doing just fine with the ordinary lamp. I’m also giving them fresh air by opening a nearby window or door when weather permits.
I was very excited to see each one sprout! I can’t wait until their ready to be planted in the planter I have outside!