Seed Starts 2021

This is the first step in our garden expansion dreams for 2021. I decided to start my first round of seed starts this past weekend (February 20th) by planting one tray of seeds and nine pots of wildflowers that will be transplanted outside when the weather warms up. All of the seeds planted are from my beloved mom, Kelly. I look forward to continuing her legacy in the garden and seeing the beauty and bounty it brings.

Step One: Gather your seed packets and decide which ones you’d like to plant. I start with seeds that have a longer harvest timeframe – for example, my Kentucky Blue pole beans will be ready to harvest in 60 days but my San Marzano tomatoes and onions will take 120 days. I want to get the tomatoes planted and going since they take a longer time to grow.

Step Two: Fill your seed starter tray with soil that’s made for growing seedlings and create a small hole in the middle of each cube for your seed.

Step Three: Make a note of what seeds you put in each cube – it can be easy to loose track. I like to use graph paper and map out the starter tray (see photo in the gallery) and include additional information like how many days to harvest, planting depth, space for thinning, the variety, and the size of the fruit/vegetable when ready to harvest.

Step Four: Cover over each seed with soil and water – I like to mist the seeds at first and then use a small watering can or measuring cup after they have sprouted. Let the soil dry slightly between waterings – you don’t want to over water them.

Step Five: Find a bright sunny spot in the house for your seed tray – like a south facing window. This year I am trying out a new full spectrum grow light that recreates natural sunshine. Set your grow light on a timer if you can, 15 hours on and 9 hours off. Instead of rigging up my grow light with cable ties I decided to use velcro to attach it to the underneath section of a buffet table.

Step Six: Watch your seeds grow!

In this first round I planted:

• Cascadia dwarf snap peas
• Kentucky Blue pole green beans
• Snow peas
• Crookneck squash
• Carrots
• Cherry Belle & White Tip radishes
• San Marzano tomatoes
• Green and red bell peppers
• Parsian gherkin cucumbers
• Onions
• Black Beauty eggplant
• Cilantro
• Dill
• Thai Basil
• Nine pots of Recycled Ideas plantable paper hearts – this special paper has seeds embedded into it to grow daisies, zinnia, poppies, columbines, cosmos, marigolds, and more. These were found in my Mom’s garden seeds and the hearts fit perfectly with our theme of love on this site.