Time to start those seedlings!

Starting seedlings indoors early before the season can be a great family event. It will save you money once its time to start planting the garden. Most peppers, tomatoes and even basil require at least eight weeks of growing time before they are ready for transplant. (I would argue 10-12 weeks if you want a hearty plant that will endure the fluctuations in early spring temperatures).

Planting:

Be sure to keep the standard plastic four to six cell plant holders that you may have from previous years from buying plants at local stores or big box stores. These can be used multiple years to save on the cost of potting supplies. Many brand name growers recommend seed starting potting soil or dry peat seed starters. Here is the run down on those, yes they work, yes when you add water they fill up and create the optimal environment for starting seeds. These pellets and / or kits will cost between $15 and $20 or more.

My personal opinion is that they dry out very quickly if the proper humidity and watering is not maintained. Additionally, the peat will often fall apart when the plants are removed from the container, leaving bare roots and forcing you to push the plant out by crushing the plastic. The alternative is you can pick up a bag of 25 Quart Miracle Grow Moisture Control for $10 which will easily be more than enough to fill 36 planting cells and then some. You will need to filter out the larger sticks that come in the soil but it will hold its moisture and form a solid base for plant roots to grow. Additionally, when you go to remove the plants, the roots and soil will be one instead of crumbling apart. The best part is the fertilizer is already in the seedling leading to strong and healthy plants!

Here is what we just started this week, all of which are available at Burpee:

(Please note we are in Region 6 of the plant hardiness chart, please plan accordingly!)

• 10 Roma Tomatoes (Great for sauces).
• 5 Fourth of July Tomatoes (Sweet, great on burgers, mozzarella, and salads).
• 5 Jelly Bean Cherry Tomatoes (My son loves these! They make a great snack).
• 10 Salsa Tomatoes (Excellent for homemade salsa’s and canning).
• 10 Big Guy Hybrid Jalapenos (Great flavor, medium heat, excellent for hot and cold canning. The cold canned ones were amazing!).
• 10 California Wonder Sweet Hybrid Peppers (Great for anything where you don’t want the heat!).
• 10 Sweet Cubanelle Peppers (Mild Heat, great for stir fry’s or anything where just the slightest heat is desired).
• 12 Genovese Basil Plants (I use basil in many dishes, its a versatile herb that will grow for most of the summer).

Know your plants:

Its important to note that Basil is available in many flavors, if your not familiar with basil I would recommend starting with the greek or the genovese.  These types of basil offer a strong flavor and scent of traditional basil.  The flavors and strength change mildly from plant to plant but some differences can be significant.  My suggestion would be to taste the different basil plants (if possible), or buy a selection and identify the ones you like.  A few of the small leaf bush varieties offer strong flavors in a tiny leaf.

Lastly, another great find that I came across is the, “Conceptual Creations Mist’r Lizard Junior for Reptiles” available at Petco.  Its designed to mist Lizard cages, however, the 16 oz bottle is built to last with a pressured nozzle that makes watering seedlings a breeze without risking any potential damage to the new plants.  You can get it online for about $5 and it easily outperforms the other misters I have seen.