It's Seed Starting Time!

No matter where you live, it is time to start those seeds. If you are in a warmer climate, it might be time to start those more delicate plants like tomatoes and melons, if you are in colder climates it is time to start the hardier plants like radishes, broccoli, and spinach. You can do an online search for your area for information on when to start seeds and when to transplant.

For those who might be new to starting seeds, or are limited on space, there is the option to start with a kit. This is a miniature herb garden that my husband bought me for my birthday, I just love anything miniature, so I love this kit! Everything is included for one low price of $4.95 at the local hardware store.

Aren't the pots adorable?

I forgot to take a picture of the dehydrated soil pellets that it came with. The instructions are so easy, you put one pellet in each pot, add 2 TBS. of water, and wait 5 mins. After they are hydrated, each pot is filled with the perfect amount of soil.

Place a few seeds in each pot and cover with a small amount of dirt, next, place the greenhouse cover over the pots, and you should start seeing signs of life in about 5 days.

Wahoo, signs of life, I must have done it right.

Of course kits are not necessary, I'm sure the pioneers didn't bring cute seed starting kits across the plains with them. But, for those of us who just have a yellow thumb instead of green might feel a little more confident starting with a kit. I bought a kit a few years ago and it really worked well. You can find many kits out there either online or at a nursery.





Once you have bought the kit, there is no need to buy the same kit the next year. I found the soil pellets to refill these types of kits for just 10 cents each at the nursery.








This picture is to show you the size difference between dehydrated and hydrated pelets. Most seedlings are not ready to be transplanted for anywhere from 4-10 weeks depending on the type of plant. These little bits of soil are not sufficient to sustain the plants for that long. You will need to transfer the plants to a larger pot until they are ready to be transplanted outdoors.





I suggest making newspaper pots, it is economical as well as ecofriendly.



















~marisa