Garden thread

[ChocolateMouse]

Today I finished up my garden organization list.
Now I sit on my thumbs and hope my seeds get here soon.

Well, OK, that's a lie. I have to clean up my seed starting area. But I sure FEEL like I'm sitting on my thumbs waiting for those seeds! The celery's supposed to go into their planting cells on feb 1st!

I've downloaded a new gamify your habits habit building app to help me manage my tasks on time.
I also need to start my spring prep workout routine! Gotta get those flabby hibernating muscles into gear for spring planting so I don't feel like noodles after 20 minutes.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I went through all my seeds. It looks like I don't need to buy to many. Just tomato, spinach, turnip seven top, and sweet peppers. That leaves a bit of room in the budget for flower seeds.

Many bulbs in the front gardens have rotted or were carried away by squirrels.
I need to do a lot of ground work out there. Lifting and dividing iris, and a few perennials.
I think I will do the he whole bed so I can see what's up with what WAS 600+ tulips. Then perhaps a swath of cosmos and wild flowers.......

 

[Melodychick]

Daffodils are starting to bloom. They are one of my favorites!

 

[rosemarythyme]

But I sure FEEL like I'm sitting on my thumbs waiting for those seeds! The celery's supposed to go into their planting cells on feb 1st!

I also need to start my spring prep workout routine! Gotta get those flabby hibernating muscles into gear for spring planting so I don't feel like noodles after 20 minutes.

Mm I know that feeling. Nothing like manually clearing patches of grass with a hoe and later that evening you can't figure out how to sleep because both arms are throbbing.

I've got my seeds started indoors and the tomatoes and basil are already starting to poke up. Waiting for rain to stop long enough so I can till the bed for peas, I had the yard cart loaded with soil and had to stash it in the garage as the rain started up on me. Hoping to get both varieties of peas in the ground by Feb.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

My seeds came in! Hooray!!!

I love holding all those chunk packets!

Now I need to finish cleaning my seed starting area....! I can get some things like parsley and celery into soil right now if I clean up!

 

[Melodychick]

Where do you start your seeds?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

I have this whole huge shelving setup in the basement. One of the shelves I got from costco, one I made with plywood and PVC and is much better. I have T5 grow lights over them, some dome lamps and any other misc lighting we didn't need elsewhere in the house tbh.

I think I have some old pictures from previous years but I've made it much nicer since then...

Yeah this is all I could find from 2 years ago. We've put in a whole 'nother shelf since then and a whole bunch of better lights. So it is much better than this now, but I still have a mass of nonsense lights on a couple shelves just cause the garden's expanded that much. Just some have real T5 4-bulb grow lights instead.

Right now I'm just organizing my seed packets by planting date.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Where do you start your seeds?

I basically have the "fancy" version of what ChocolateMouse posted: a 2 tier grow light stand from Gardener's Supply. As I direct seed most veggies I didn't need a big set up so a compact 2 tiers is enough for me. I have it in the study/sitting room since that keeps it out of the way of things plus there's a door that shuts to keep the dogs from messing around with it.

Someday... I'll have a proper greenhouse and I'll make the mess out there instead of inside the house. Not fun cleaning up spills and soil inside.

 

[Melodychick]

How do ya’ll fertilize seedlings? What do you use, when and how often?

 

[ChocolateMouse]

How do ya’ll fertilize seedlings? What do you use, when and how often?

Most seedlings are delicate enough to not need any serious fertilizing. I start my seedlings in this;



With a few crumbs of my own compost at the very bottom. It usually has enough nutrition to carry them through to transplant. If it doesn't I throw a little compost tea in there after a month or so.