LOL’s 2025 gardening season

[Land of Lincoln]

Wanted to document my 2025 gardening season from start to finish, the good and the bad, all of it. I’m just a hobby gardener with some chickens and the two seem to go hand in hand.

I live in central Illinois, zone 6a I think it is now after they updated the growing zones recently. Everything is grown naturally and without the addition of chemicals. I use compost and chicken manure as I have both on hand here on the property. Compost has become an addiction and I try and have a pile going at all times.

I have only been gardening around 8 years or so and wish I’d have found this passion a few decades earlier. I’ve had chickens for about the same amount of time and really enjoy having them as well. The two go hand in hand for me and the garden has the chicken coop incorporated into it.

With all of that said, I’d love to hear everyone else journeys, tips & tricks and whatever else as well.

Happy gardening!

 

[Land of Lincoln]

It’s seed starting time here for me and I wanted to document the season, so here goes.

Today I started peppers and the pictures I post below are how I’m starting seeds this year. I use cut up pieces of denim, moisten them, place the seeds in a 2oz. container with a lid and place them on a heat mat.

These are the cups I use, I bought them on Amazon last year for around $10. I like them because they don’t take up a lot of space and I can place several on the same heat mat at one time.

 

[Land of Lincoln]

I’m growing 6 different varieties of peppers this year. Fire & Ice patio pepper, big red bell peppers, jalapeño peppers, lilac bell peppers, etuida pepper & cayenne peppers. My favorite is the Etuida pepper, super sweet and good sized.

I cut a piece of denim, place the seeds on the denim, moisten it all, fold denim over and make sure denim is touching the seeds, moisten again and place the denim in the cup with the lid and place it on a seed starting heat mat.

 

[Land of Lincoln]

I started some purple coneflower seeds earlier this past week on 2.18.25. They were not cold stratified so I wasn’t sure how well they’d do. I had pretty good luck with with them. Some I started on the denim and some were started on a piece of paper towel. The totals were fairly even as I did not count them.

I ended up placing 20 germinated seeds in a coffee container filled with a mix of Promix & 20% worm castings. I drilled some holes in the bottom of the coffee can for drainage, placed the seeds in an covered the top with plastic wrap held on with a rubber band.

Placed it on a heat mat and will hopefully they will start growing. I’ll separate them into their own containers after they’ve grown a bit more.

I’ve never grown these before let alone start them from seed. It’s all a learning experience for me but it is fulfilling.

 

[Land of Lincoln]

Transferred sprouted pepper seeds to individual containers today.

Started tomato & watermelon seeds using the same method as above.

 

[Land of Lincoln]

A couple or Orangelo Watermelon seeds have sprouted and the root system is developing

 

[Land of Lincoln]

Crimson Sweet watermelon

 

[City farm]

Think about becoming a Seed Librarian or Host of a Garden Exchange Stand. See all the details along with a blog on how to get on the global map. Gardenexchangestands.org