Starting Seeds……

I get so excited when the seed catalogs start rolling in after Christmas!

My favorite way to add to our garden is to buy already established perennials

and bushes from the nursery.

BUT, if you’d like to save lots of money and be able

to add a lot of plants at one time…..

seeds are the way to go.

There are several plants that I personally don’t have the patience to

start from seed because they would take 10 years to

reach maturity from seed.  ugh.

I definitely get those at the nursery.

BUT, there are lots of wonderful plants that are easy to grow from seed

and mature very quickly….so you feel like

you have accomplished something.

Now is the time to start your seeds in most areas of the US.

To find out when the best seed planting time is….

check to see when your usual last frost date is

for your area.  Ours is April 15.

You want to start seeds about 6 weeks before the last frost date….

so, for me, that would be around March 1-7.

May favorite way to start seeds inside is in peat pots…

called Jiffy Pots or Jiffy Pellets….inside a black plastic flat.

You can purchase these at Lowe’s, Walmart….pretty

much any large home store.  I save the flats from year to year and

just refill them with new Jiffy Pots or Pellets.

These are so wonderful because when it is time to plant

you just put the whole thing into the ground, instead of having to

disturb your new little plant by digging it up.

How much money can you save planting seeds?

Well, one shasta daisy plant at the nursery is around

$4-$5……..a packet of shasta daisy seeds, 75 Jiffy Pellets, and a

plastic flat is around $7 and you will have 75 shasta daisy plants!

Here are my favorite plants to start from seed:

shasta daisies

hyacinth bean vine

moonflower

morning glory

hollyhocks

black-eyed susans

chives

basil

foxglove

Here’s what you will need:

desired seed

black plastic flats/trays

Jiffy Pots or Pellets {Pellets are my favorite}

a bright spot in your home

{We put ours right in front of the dining room windows on TV/table trays}

Here’s how you do it:

1. Read the instructions on each seed packet….it will tell you how far in advance of planting in the garden you need to start your seeds.  For most it is 6-8 weeks.

2.  Fill your pots with soil or soak your pellets and let them expand into pots.

3.  Put pots or expanded pellets into your trays and put 1-2 seeds into each pot/pellet for large seeds……6-8 seeds for teeny seeds.

4.  Cover your tray with a clear plastic cover…if your tray doesn’t come with one you can use plastic wrap.

5.  Put in a warm, bright place until they begin to sprout. {This can be anywhere from 7-14 days}

6.  Once your seeds have sprouted take the cover off and check them each day….do not let them get dried out!

{See below}

I had a tray of beautiful seedlings last year and forgot them for a couple of days and they went kapoot!

7. Also, do not overwater them!

8. A week before planting them outside you will need to do what is called “hardening off”.  You will take your flat of little seedlings outside each day to get them accustomed to being out of their ‘greenhouse’.  Make sure this is in a shady location {we use our porch}.  The first day you will let them stay out for a few hours….and each day you will increase their time outside.  By day 7 or 8 they will be staying outside in their shady spot all day and all night.

9. Plant your new little plants in your garden!

Be sure to keep an eye on them the first few weeks….make sure they stay moist and don’t dry out.

Hope your week is off to a super start!

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