Even though it’s only the beginning of March, I still feel a bit behind the curve in my seed starting because last year began so early. We still have at least 10 weeks until our official last freeze date, but I’ve found myself in a tizzy about getting some seeds into some soil and under our grow lights!
I’ve switched up my seed starting pods a bit by stuffing some straw in the bottom of each toilet paper tube before adding in my soil. I’ve found that this works well to help retain moisture and creates a barrier in the bottom so the soil doesn’t just fall out. The newspaper strips I used before were helpful, but I like this method better (especially since we always have straw on hand, but don’t always have newspaper laying around). The whole things can be plopped into the ground (or up-potted into another container) without disturbing the tiny roots and it all just breaks down into the beds.
Last weekend I started some tomatoes, peppers, basil, broccoli, cabbage, tomatillos, and eggplant to add to the (five) tomatoes and (one) luffa I started in February. While I really don’t know what the spring weather will have to offer, I have a feeling I will be up-potting lots of tomatoes and peppers and spending a lot of time bringing them outside during the day and inside at night before being able to actually put them in the ground. It will be worth it in the end with a few tomatoes in June and a few heirlooms ripening on the vine instead of in my garage. Right now, it just feels nice to have a couple of warm days to get my hands in some dirt and have the sun on my back 🙂
Now it’s your turn! Have you started any seeds indoors yet? What are your priority plantings? Do you have any seed pod or seed starting tricks?
xoxo,
M
Linking up to Harvest Monday @ Daphne’s Dandelions,
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Thank you for sharing your post with us and I hope to welcome you over at Seasonal Celebration again today! Rebecca @Natural Mothers Network x
I love that you can just pop it all in the ground. I have a linky called Tuesday Greens on http://www.craftygardenmama.com. I’d love to have you join us with your gardening posts. Thanks and have a great week!
Hi Becky! Thanks for visiting my space! I will definitely check out your Tuesday Greens link up 🙂 Thanks for the invite!
We just planted seeds earlier in the week in our “indoor greenhouse”. Today I notice the broccoli and sweet peas are already sprouting, as well as the oregano & basil. The others are coming shortly I’m sure. I’m feeling very clever for creating an indoor greenhouse for early inside planting, & it all gets put back inside itself & placed in the attic afterward until needed next spring! 🙂 Thanks for sharing this post. (visiting from Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways)
~Taylor-Made Ranch~
Wolfe City, Texas
http://www.taylormaderanch.com/blog
Thank you for stopping by! I just checked out your post about your mini greenhouse and you *should * be very proud! So simple, so effective! Fantastic!
You are ahead of me. I need to get going with peppers and tomatoes! I need to get some dirt on my fingers too. 🙂
It really is amazing hoe good a little dirt can feel 🙂 Hope you’re able to get to it soon.
Oh you are good reusing toilet rolls. I have to admit being addicted to black plastic when it comes to raising seedlings. I need to sow some more of my winter crops but somehow time is just slipping away at the moment.
I am the worst at sowing fall and winter seeds in the heat of summer. The fact that it feels so far away coupled with the business of summer make sit nearly impossible! I am planning to be better about it this year…we’ll see, though…
I started collecting TP rolls and have a stash. But then I saw the posts about soil blockers, and Johnny’s had a sale, so I bought some blockers. Still have my rolls in reserve, and if I don’t use them I will feed them to the worms. I think they are still a good idea if you are starting a plant with a long root system like corn that doesn’t transplant well.
Ah yes…soil blockers! I’ve yet to invest in some. I like your plan of feeding any unused rolls to the worms! As long as they’re not going in the trash, it’s a good thing 🙂
I like your straw stuffing for the tubes – clever idea. We have lots of seedlings going and more to be planted yet. It get’s really busy around here starting in late February and doesn’t much let up until a lull in May when things are growing but no big harvests are underway quite yet.
Ah yes…there are several ebbs and flows to the gardening season(s). I think May and early June might be the most frustrating…everything shows such potential, but nothing is ready yet!
Well, I’ve gotten as far as ordering all seeds and the seed starters I’m using this year! Does that count? I have limited space until our greenhouse is up and running! (Snow, go away)
Yes, it absolutely counts! I am jealous of your greenhouse! I think we’ve run out of space on our small plot so I might not get one while we live here. Eventually, though…eventually 🙂
I’m too disorganized to save toilet paper rolls, although I always admire the folks who do!
I’m too disorganized to save toilet paper rolls, although I always admire the folks who do!
I’m too disorganized to save toilet paper rolls, although I always admire the folks who do!
Lol…we go through waves where they seem to be everywhere! On the bathroom counter, on the back of the toilet, on the kitchen counter when we bring them downstairs… Then, I organize them by throwing them into two boxes in our garage until I’m ready to use them 😉
I’ve got a bunch of spring veggies started in newspaper pots and 4-inch plastic pots – snap peas, snow peas, pea shoots, cabbage, kale, broccoli, lettuce, beets, watercress. I won’t be starting any summer veggies until the end of the month. With my mild winter weather I can put my flats of pots outside during the day and bring them in at night. They like sitting on the floor indoors at night, I have radiant heat that keeps them warm!
Radiant floors sound divine! Now, how do your root veggies do being started indoors and then transplanted out? I haven’t tried that yet but would love to if it can be successful! Do tell 🙂
Hey Melilssa…I’ve been saving toilet paper tubes to for this–did you cut them in half or leave them whole ? I keep eyeballing them and thinking that peat pots are about half that tall…
It’s still a little early here, but we did go thru the seeds and make lists and I ordered organic seed potatoes last night. I think I will start the seedlings any time now though, even if it’s hard to do when there’s still snow on the ground. lol
I keep them whole for long root plants (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, luffa…) and then chop them in half for pretty much everything else.
I still have not ordered my potatoes. I get them through Seed Savers Exchange and they don’t have them available yet. I know there’s still time, but I’m feeling quite anxious about it! Lol…who knew I’d get so excited about potatoes?!
I too spend a lot of time bringing my seedlings outside during the day and inside at night before being able to actually put them in the ground, but this excercise is so worth it especially with the eggplants.
Oh yes, I am hopeful that our eggplants will do well this year! Last year was our first attempt and we didn’t have a single plant set fruit!
I definitely get worried about being behind. I was last year and my tomato harvest was super late and super pitiful. Not happening this year!
I hear you! It seems as though tomatoes rule the day…as long as one has a good tomato harvest, all is right in the garden 🙂
Too worried about getting my new boxes ready, but the seed starting should have been done about 6 weeks ago here. I do have some nice little baby tomato plants in the ground. If they pulled through this last freeze I’ll be happy and go with determinates for the rest.
Really, tomatoes are all that matter. If those little babies pull through, all the rest are just icing on the cake 😉 And hey, new beds are *super* exciting!