Category Archives: Seeds: Collecting, Saving & Planting

FEBRUARY: Getting the Greenhouse Ready

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It’s time to get your greenhouse ready for planting! Carlotta's Little Greenhouse

Start with cleaning the shelves using 1 part bleach mixed with 9 parts water.
Read eHow for tips on cleaning a small greenhouse:
http://www.ehow.com/small-greenhouse_care.html

Sterilize your trays & pots with this same bleach solution. Purchase or make your seedling mix (which is a soil-less mix), gather your plant labels & permanent markers and you’re ready to plant.

Read how to make your own soil-less seedling mix Organic Gardening website: http://organicgardening.about./seedstartingmix.htm

To calculate greenhouse planting start dates, check each seed packet and plant according to the instructions. Count back the weeks needed for seeds to grow and when you want them really for the garden club’s plant sale or to plant in your garden after the last frost.  Seeds typically need 8-12 weeks to grow. For example: AGC’s plant sale is May 11 2013, 12 weeks back from May 11th is February 16th, 8 weeks back is March 16th . Check your seed packets for start dates.

Below is a list of flowers you can start in your greenhouse in February: Petunias, Impatiens, Lobelia, Lupine, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, Coreopsis, Salvia, Lavender, Scabies, Delphinium, Pansies, Shasta daisy, Forget-me-nots, Gaillardias, and Nasturtiums.

You can also start: Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts, Beets, Lettuce, Cilantro and Spinach seeds. It is recommended for larger vegetable seeds, like beets, to soak them 12 to 24 hours before planting.

To begin: fill your sterilized trays with seedling mix, water the seedling mix thoroughly, and then let them sit until the next day to warm up.  On day two, plant your seeds, mark your trays/pots, then water them in.

Seeds need warmth to germinate. Check out Heirloom Seeds’ website showing seed germination/soil temperatures:
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/germination.html

You can provide warmth with heating mats (available at garden supply stores) which sit under your seed trays or you can warm your greenhouse with a portable heater.

Some seeds also need light to germinate, so place trays a few inches below a grow light or a florescent light, and keep the lights on 24 hours a day.

After the plants have developed several sets of true leaves, transplant them into sterilized pots with a good garden variety potting soil.  To avoid transplant shock water them in with a B1 solution; B1 is available at garden stores. Once plants are established in their new pots, fertilize them once a week with a 1/4-strength water-soluble fertilizer. During the rest of the time use plain water; keep the seedlings moist, but not wet. Keep plants under the lights, keep them warm and watch them grow!

By: Carlotta Lucas & Melody Jones

Seed Swap: Feb. 5th 2013

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Seed Swap
At the North Mountain Park’s seed swap you can save money, grow plants adapted to our local climate and exchange information with other gardeners. It’s fun and simple—just bring seeds you’ve saved from your garden and some bags or envelopes for taking seeds with you. The Nature Center will also be selling low-cost seed, harvested at the park by volunteers.

Pre-registration is not required
AGES: All ages welcome
DAY: Tuesday
DATE: February 5th, 2013
TIME: 7—8pm
PLACE:  North Mountain Park Nature Center
COST: Free
INSTRUCTOR: North Mountain Park Staff

Give the Gift of Seeds!

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Blue Hubbard Squash

Blue Hubbard Squash

Learn to harvest your own seeds with these basic instruction on the International Seed Saving Institute web site: http://www.seedsave.org/issi/issi_904.html

Then, print this free seed packet template I found on Country Living’s web site: seedpacket template or on Fine Gardening’s web site:  http://www.finegardening.com/make-your-own-seed-packets

These self-made seed packets look great when printed on brown recycled paper. If possible, buy brown recycled paper locally, otherwise it is available online at: jampaper.com 

submitted by: Carlotta Lucas

Ready Your Greenhouse!

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It time to get your greenhouseready for February planting.

  • Make sure the shelves are clean (use a bit of bleach mixed with water)
  • Wash your trays too
  • Purchase your seedling mix
  • Have a gentle water source ready
  • Assemble plant labels and permanent markers in your greenhouse

Let’s use May 1st as the last frost date, so February 16th will be 10 weeks until then: Fill your trays with seedling mix, water them thoroughly, and let them sit until the next day to warm up. You can now plant cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, beets, lettuce, cilantro and spinach.

Here is a list of flowers you can also plant in February in your GREENHOUSE; they need 8-12 weeks before the last frost date.

Petunias, impatiens, lobelia, lupine, echinacea, rudbeckia, coreopsis, salvia, lavender, scabies, delphinium, pansies, shasta daisy, forget me nots, gaillardias, nasturtiums…to name a few.

Make sure you read the package instructions of each plant.

When your GARDEN SOIL is ready, not too wet and breaks apart in your hands like chocolate cake, DIRECTLY SOW : peas, radishes, arugula and carrots. Transplant your greenhouse plants into individual pots, then hardened them off, after this you can plant them into your garden. There is no thinning this way and you get to put the plants exactly where they will grow for the season.

Keep your plants watered, the cold air will suck out the moisture if not watered. You can heat your greenhouse with a bathroom heater if you have no other heat, that’s what I do. You can also purchase a heating mat from a garden supply company.

Melody Jones

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Hardening off… “exposing your seedlings to outside conditions incrementally, over the course of six to fourteen days, depending on your patience, the temperature and the fragility of your seedlings.”….. Read more on how to harden off plants here:
http://Hardeningoff.htm
Link