Starting Seeds In Pots

January 27, 2021 Sarah

My go to method for starting seeds has changed over the years, which isn’t shocking. A lot of gardening is learning what works and what doesn’t. For me, I want my methods to work, and to be sustainable. In that the pots will last year after year and not crack. That alone changed most of how we did it.

When I first set out doing market gardening (small scale farming) I got on the bandwagon of using small cell trays, since after all you could grow many plants in a small amount of space. For example, I used 72 cell and as well even went smaller, in the 100+ plus trays. I quickly learned there was a huge flaw. For one, watering was a huge issue – the smaller the growing cell, the quicker they dry out. In a greenhouse, on a sunny day (though not hot), I was often watering 2 to 4 times a day. I just don’t have that time! We also had to water using spray bottles for the smallest cells, not watering cans or hoses. Then, with a small cell you must transplant up quickly. For the smallest cells, that meant a small spoon to pop them out. I was done. I was cracking the cells barely looking at them. It was wasteful and tedious. And I noticed the seedlings didn’t grow as strong. I had to transplant up earlier so they had more soil to grow in.

I had long used 4″ pots for starting strawberry seeds, so I went to that for all our seedlings. What I found is I could plant multiples in the pots, and easily transplant them up when ready (outdoors, in the ground). I can grow 10 onion starts per pot, and 2 to 4 tomato starts (as I transplant these early on into gallon size pots), making this an easy way for plant density, but with the advantage of a larger pot, so they don’t dry out. It’s also a great selling point at market/plant sales, that my starter plants are robust and offer multiple starts per pot.

And yes, Solo Red Cups work great as well. Just use a large bit to drill out a drainage hole in the bottom. You can do 20 a time. Although you have to be careful moving them on trays, as they tend to be slightly unstable. You get used to it though, and you can fit more cups on a 1020 tray as well.

The other area you should invest in is 1020 trays. I use ones with holes if the plants are outside (as they are often in late spring) so they don’t drown if it rains, or for inside, I use standard ones.

The trays allow for keeping your grow area clean, but also make it so you can move the trays around to different areas as needed. Yes, they are not cheap up front. You can get better deals if you have a greenhouse store nearby or buy online directly from greenhouse supply businesses.

Soil…there is a loaded topic. Everyone has what they love. Some wear by sterile starter soil, that is bone dry. Others just use potting soil. Me? I make my own blend. In large quantities. I often have 50 1020 trays going at once. So that is a lot of prep work. I buy Sungro #1 potting mix (which comes in massive bales, and it is super compressed). You soak it first, if you don’t have a tub for it, pick up a cheap concrete mixing tub to do it in. Once it has expanded, I mix it with organic fertilizer (just a bit), and then cut it 50% with G&B organic potting soil. Let that sit a day and get to work filling all those pots up. I hand fill each pot, and shake each pot down to tamp it at bit.

If you want more of a peat moss experience to grow in, I have started using Coconut Coir instead of peat moss.

To Seed: Well, honestly? Follow the seed packet directions. That is the best advice I can give you. Seeds vary by how deep they should be planted. In some cases, like with strawberry seeds, you sprinkle on top and that’s it.

Now then….let’s talk about what I don’t like (I am not opinionated at all, eh?)

Jiffy Pots and similar. The pressed peat and or paper pots that promise to compost into the ground once planted. The problem is: They are expensive, they tend to get funky by transplanting time (if they sit in water), are a one time use, and frankly…it to me impedes root growth once planted. Skip them. Just knock your plant out in your hand, and plant away.

And yes, growing in newspaper pots you make, or toilet paper tubes, or even paperboard egg cartons work, but all are finicky as they will start composting while you are growing in them. They are though great projects for teaching children and often are free to use.

However, yogurt cups and similar are fantastic to upcycle as they last multiple years.

~Sarah

Easy To Grow Perennial Herbs

January 25, 2021January 26, 2021 Sarah

No matter where I have lived, I have always had herbs growing. Even in dismal cramped apartments I found ways to have life near me. It is what the hippies would have called Earth Grounding. That you can easily touch a living plant, and feel right with the world, inside or outside. Now then, I grow all my herbs outside these days, in the ground and in pots, spread across our land. Some of these cross the line between herb and flower, but all have medicinal or culinary purposes, and all but one is bee and pollinator friendly.

Most are easily started from seed, and once in the ground can be ignored outside of watering and trimming periodically. Many herbs are animal resistant, due to the bitter essential oils in them. Now then, a really hungry deer or rabbit will eat some to the ground if the winter is harsh. But often the plants will still survive, as the roots will generate once again.

If you are looking for seeds or starts, start at Strictly Medicinal Seeds. This is all they sell – herbs, flowers and more, all for the herbal lover. Great company to do business with.

In no order…..

Stinging Nettles. You might have these growing wild if you have a damp area, such as near a pond, lake, stream or even a well head. If not, you can purchase seeds. Unlike many of the herbs here, this one does need good watering.

Rosemary. In most areas rosemary is a durable evergreen herb, with woody stems. Its purple flowers are delicate and attract so many pollinators.

Helichrysm. Also known as the curry plant, due to its unique smell. The herb has a couple varieties, some can pass for lavender due to the bushy look at first, others are more sprawling. They produce button like yellow flowers, and often bloom even in winter, in warmer years.

Red Dock. If in a good sunny area, this can actually get pretty good in size. Otherwise, it is a small plant.

Feverfew. It is the one that bees don’t care for. The flowers are about the same size as chamomile. Feverfew grows tall. Deer ignore it.

Bee Balm. It has tall spikes with purple/pink flowers. For us it comes back, in cold areas it may not. It may need bracing, so it doesn’t flop over.

Marshmallow. The one plant deer mow to the ground here. The pastel flowers attract pollinators, the roots are what the plant is grown for. Marshmallow grows quite tall, a number of feet.

Echinca. It can be harder to start from seed, but once going is a sturdy short plant to add to the herb bed.

Chives. Plant once, have a million free starts for life! The flowers are always covered in pollinators.

Sage. Hardy and outside of rabbits not much likes it. If left be, it will grow to be a strong, woody plant. The purple flowers are quite pretty and bees love them.

Lavender. The drier and rockier the soil, so much the better. There are two types of lavender. Some you can grow from seed, and it is quite easy to do. Other types, which you are more likely to see for sale as plants, are started by rootings.

White Sage. Growing by seed is extremely hard, it takes a lot of effort to get it to germinate. There are tricks, such as using fire. However, if you can find a nursery that sells starts, go this route. When it produces long runners that flower, bask in it. They produce seeds!

Thyme. The pretty, tiny flowers bloom even into winter in mild areas.

And to not forget….all the many forms of Mint, from Peppermint, Spearmint and so many others. But always grow them in a pot, as they will take over your garden in a year’s time.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

February Garden Tasks & What Seeds To Plant

January 24, 2021 Sarah

January slips by fast, and once you see February looming, you know it is time to start planning again. Overall, I don’t plant much in January, my push is come February, but there are a few below that can be started this week (and through February), so I am writing this post a few days in advance.

We live in grow zone 8b, which much of Island County, Washington is in. We are overall temperate, with wet winters, but not a lot of snow or freezing days (we get frosts, but rarely get deep freezes) with sunny days sprinkled through to dry out. This advice can apply to those in Zone 7 through 8 in the United States though, if you are in a zone 7, just plant a week or two later.

Garden tasks to get done this month:

Figure out what you want to grow in the coming year, and purchase seeds. Now is your chance to get the best (and freshest) selections. This year do not hesitate.
Plan your garden layout for the year. Go walk outside, take photos, make sketches, even measure if need be. Work it out on paper, or online, using a program (there are a number of free ones, I prefer paper myself).
Clean up your garden work storage space – whether it is a shed, garage or a greenhouse.
Sharpen, and clean tools. Things get dirty in storage, and rust can set in. This gives you time to purchase new tools if needed, if something is broke.
Clean up tree debris, such as fallen branches and pinecones.
Assess fruit and nut trees for minor pruning, if needed.
If the ground isn’t frozen, plant bare root trees and shrubs. Bare root items tend to show up in nearly February in nurseries and stores. Buy early, before the items sit in hot stores.
Plant asparagus bare roots.
If using raised beds for crops, start making them. If existing, turn the soil over and remove weeds. Add more soil if needed.
If planning on in ground gardening, consider getting it ready – cover with cardboard to smother weeds, or get garden tarps down. Working in amendments can be tricky this early due to heavy rains in the PNW.
If you have ignored your compost bin, work on it. At minimum, start turning it weekly. Add in leaves if you have them. If you have animals, work in their manure and any wood chips.

What seeds to start in the greenhouse/indoors this month:

Below are seeds you can start in late January to February, which are either colder-weather crops, or need a longer start time – especially crops with a grow times of 80 and up days, in shorter grow time zones. The dates are not set in stone, it is a guide of what week may be most preferable to get them started. Needless to say, the start of February is a good time to have seeds on hand, potting soil and small pots – and a sunny window, greenhouse or grow light system on hand. And if you start them later? It’s OK for many crops. And for temperamental ones like broccoli, you always can grow those as a fall crop, where they often fare better than in spring, if you miss the window, or late winter is too warm and they bolt to seed.

I don’t plant outside this time of year due to the seasonal rains. The seeds just don’t do well.

Artichokes:

Indoors February 18th.

Beets:

Indoors February 18th.

Broccoli:

Indoors February 18th.

Brussel Sprouts:

Indoors February 18th.

Cauliflower:

Indoors February 18th.

Celery:

Indoors February 18th.

Chard:

Indoors February 18th.

Collards:

Indoors February 11th.

Herbs:

Indoors late February to early March.

Kale:

Indoors February 7th.

Kohlrabi:

Indoors February 7th.

Leeks:

Indoors end of January/early February.

Lettuce:

Indoors February 1st (if you want an early spring crop), and continue to seed starts every 2 weeks on.

Onions, from seed:

Indoors from January 21st to end of February for large onions (such as Walla Walla) to end of February for bunching onions (green onions).

Peas:

Direct seed February 18th to March 8th.

Peppers:

Indoor January 21st to February 18th. Keep inside a greenhouse until last frost has passed.

Rhubarb, from seed:

Indoor January 21st to February 18th. Keep in greenhouse until after last frost has passed.

Spinach:

Indoor February 1st, repeat seeding every 2 weeks until middle of Spring, as it will bolt.

Strawberry, Alpine:

Indoor January 21st to end of February.

Tomatoes:

Indoor February 18th and on, can be started throughout March for dwarf and cold weather types.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

When To Plant Seeds For Grow Zone 8b

January 22, 2021January 22, 2021 Sarah

Our homestead sits in Freeland, Washington on the southern end of Whidbey Island. We are on the edge of the Olympic Mountain Rain Shadow, which equates to us receiving a lot less rain yearly than just 10 miles away, although we receive on an average about 120 days of recordable precipitation. We can be driving home in the rain, and 5 miles from home it is dry. This of course can mess with some things, but overall we are solid 8b grow zone, which nearly all of Whidbey Island and Island County is. That is due to the close proximity of the open water, of the Salish Sea. This leaves us with a grow period of 200 to 250 days (which of course is dependent on where your garden sits – if in a hollow, or higher up, surrounded by trees, you will have less days). We tend to have dry summers, in the low 70’s most of the time. In winter our days are often in the mid to upper 40’s, even in January. Our last frost date is around mid-April, but can be to the end of April (if in a hollow/shaded area). My transplanting weekend for tomatoes is always Mother’s Day weekend, which is a week or so into May normally.

Altitude, shade, being in a tight valley or hollow, all these can affect your actual growing zone. These are things in your grow zone you should find out, and chart. It’ll help you quite a bit in when to plant.

What we are doing is using the last frost date as our guide, and backing up to figure out when to seed, be it inside, outdoors direct, or when to transplant your seedling you started inside.

So for Zone 8b, if the last frost date is April 15th, the dates going back:

1 week: April 8th
2 weeks: April 1st
3 weeks: March 25th
4 weeks: March 18th
5 weeks: March 11th
6 weeks: March 4th
7 weeks: February 25th
8 weeks: February 18th
9 weeks: February 11th
10 weeks: February 4th
11 weeks: January 28th
12 weeks: January 21st

You can easily change these dates to reflect your growing zone, just go back by weeks.

Seed Chart

Beans

Bush: 52-59 days, seed direct after last frost, start inside 2 weeks before last frost. Plant every 2 weeks for continuous crops.
Pole: 63-69 days, seed direct after last frost, start inside 2 weeks before last frost.

Beets

48-60 days, seed direct from March and on, every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Broccoli

70 days, start in greenhouse 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.

Cabbage

80 to 150 days, start in greenhouse 6 weeks before last frost, transplant 3 weeks before last frost date.

Cauliflower

75-85 days. Start in greenhouse 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.

Carrots

65-70 days, seed direct in ground, starting a few weeks before last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Celery

120 days, start in greenhouse 8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.

Corn

Sweet Corn: 65-85 days, seed direct after last frost date.
Popcorn: Same as above.

Cucumbers

Pickling: 50-60 days, seed direct after last frost.
Eating: 50-70 days, seed direct after last frost.

Greens

Bok Choy: 44 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Kale: 50-70 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Spinach: 44 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Swiss Chard: 55 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Swiss Chard and Kale can be reseeded, directly, or in greenhouse, through the growing season.

Herbs

Start in greenhouse in March, transplant or set outside after last frost.

Kohlrabi

60 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.

Lettuce

Romaine: 60-80 days, start in greenhouse 4 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.
Other leaf lettuce: 30-45 days, start in greenhouse 2 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.

Onions

Eating: 110 days, start in greenhouse 8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost. (We grow Walla Walla)
Bunching: 75 days, start in greenhouse 4-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost. Seed every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Parsnips

130 days, seed direct when seeding carrots.

Peas

Dwarf: Seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.
Bush: 55-70 days, seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.
Pole: 65-70 days, seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.

Peppers

Hot: 70 days, Start in greenhouse 8 to 12 weeks before last frost. Transplant after
Sweet: 75 days, same as above.
Ancho: 80 days, same as above.

Pumpkin

Jack Be Little: 95 days, start seeds 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost.
Regular Pumpkins: 90-120 days, start 2 to 6 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.

Radishes

24-30 days, seed direct after last frost.

Rhubarb

Start 8 to 12 weeks before last frost, in greenhouse. Transplant after last frost. Let establish before you harvest plants. A full year is the best.

Squash

Summer Squash: 40-70 days, seed direct after last frost. If starting in greenhouse, 2 to 6 weeks before last frost.
Butternut: 95 days, start in greenhouse 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.
Winter Squash: 105-110 days, start in greenhouse 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.

Strawberry

Alpine: Alpine plants produce ever bearing, for a fall crop from first year plants, start seeds in greenhouse 8-12 weeks before last frost. Slow germination is normal. Once last frost is passed, transplant to gallon pots, set outside to finish growing.

Tomatoes

Dwarf: 60 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost, or for bigger plants, up to 8 weeks. Transplant in first week of May.
Shorter Season: 48-68 days, same as above.
Heirloom: 60-80 days, same as above.

Watermelon

80+ days, seed direct after last frost.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading · Urban Homesteading

Homesteading: Why We Don’t Use Grow Lights

December 29, 2020 Sarah

When we were urban homesteading at our previous home, in town and not rural, my love affair was with my Sunglo greenhouse. Since the greenhouse was just a few yards away from the house, I had electricity piped in. This meant I could run grow lights all winter long. And I really bought into how superior this method was, in our dark winters in the Pacific Northwest, where in early January we have barely 8 and a half hours of “daylight”. In reality on January 1st we have about 6 hours of “good” light.

I really loved it, that first year and a half.

I had so much growing in there, shelves full. I was growing strawberries in winter, citrus trees loaded, even radishes and lettuce. I was also running a heater to keep it at 55* or so inside.

While tasty to nibble on…..it also was just weird to know I was eating them in winter. It wasn’t “natural”. To me it was like being in 80* temps in Florida in December. Not natural to me at all…haha! If anything, if I was working and the lights kicked on, I felt off.

Our greenhouse was recognizable in town, we lived along a rail to trail, and it got dubbed the party hut due to the purple and pink hues. I had the grow lights tied into the heater so they were on a LOT in the cold months.

Then I had an eye opening moment when Kirk told me how much we had spent in electricity. I wrote about the true costs of urban homesteading and our two biggest expenses (plot spoiler: water and electricity) back in 2018, after we crunched the numbers.

And that was the main reason it killed it for me. It wasn’t sustainable over the coming years. And even though we were running a solar array to operate the fans in the greenhouse, in the dark PNW there wasn’t enough day hours to run a heater AND lights. Without the heat the plants didn’t do well, because they were growing too fast under lights.

And that led to reason 2 why we stopped using grow lights.

Plants don’t grow as strong under them.

I know many might argue, but hear me out. What I noted, and charted those first years is that while the plants grew – and grew fast – they were spindly and flopped over easily. Tomato starts had to be staked early on. Lettuce was very odd, It would surge up and then flop down, as if it didn’t have the strength to sit up. I changed lights, positioning and more. Then I noticed that my citrus trees while producing, were not healthy as they should have been. Scale set in, and I couldn’t get rid of it on them, leaving the trees weakened.

When we moved in early 2018, my greenhouse now sits 2 acres from the house. There is no power near it. If I need power, it must be run via solar.

As we approached the start of 2019, I knew I had to make choices. How would I start my next year’s seeds? In the house? I didn’t have the space to do that. So instead I did it old school. I started all my seeds in an unheated greenhouse. In a field. Did it work? Once I figured out the learning curve, it did. (And by the way, this works in any kind of greenhouse, even those cheap one year lasting pop up houses – I use them every year to stash my extra plants in!)

Getting the greenhouse prepped in late winter. I pot in 4″ pots because I find they work better. I am not a fan of tiny cell pots.

These tomato starts would be thinned and transplanted into gallon pots soon after, and would grow quickly then.

What I learned over the past 2 winters?

Start your seed planting season later than everyone you see doing online. In our growing zone you gain nothing starting seeds in January. Listen to mother earth. If she is asleep, it isn’t time yet. With grow lights I was starting far too early for planting outside. In reality the earliest crops don’t go out till mid-March (lettuce, spinach, other greens, dwarf peas). I’d rather have shorter, bushier tomato plants than tall leggy ones when I go to plant on Mother’s Day weekend, which is early May. Look at when the last frost date is for your grow zone. For example, we live in an open (but wooded zone) and our last frost can occur as late as mid-April to April 30th. In reality we are usually fine by early April. But you never know. That is a gamble that can back fire. So for us, I plant tomatoes on Mother’s Day Weekend. It’s past the last frost date, the soil is warming up and we have enough hours of light then. Plants grow quickly at this point. And they are not sitting for months waiting, using their tiny bit of strength to stay alive. Seeds need daylight to “wake up” but 12 to 16 hours of daylight in January isn’t natural.

Over the years I have received compliments over my plants when selling them – how strong and green they are, not all spindly. And I tell my customers “I don’t use grow lights, so the plants are stronger”. And that is key…they are naturally hardened off because of not using lights or heat. When you grow inside under lights you must back off the lights and then get them ready for the outdoors, taking them out in the day, and coming back in at night for a while.

Where if doing it in an unheated greenhouse, they are protected to a point by the walls. If a deep freeze is slated, the simple use of frost fabric over your trays will save the day. We have done this a number of times, and not lost anything, even when we had minus freezing temps. With it being used inside, it doesn’t get dirty, or blown away, and can be reused many times.

Now then, how do you know when to plant? Well, consult your seeds! Read when it says to plant “Plant indoors 6 weeks before last frost” might be one, or “plant indoors 3 weeks before last frost”. If you know April 30th is your last frost, then go back “x” weeks. A tomato plant might call for being seeded than in 2nd week of March.

No, I am not kidding: Your seed packets and last frost date are all you really need to use. If they don’t contain that, or you swapped seeds, just Google it!

Suddenly life isn’t so rushed in January and you can breathe a bit easier. Take that time to clean your greenhouse or garden shed instead. Or to sit inside and ponder life. Enjoy the quiet that winter offers. And save money on supplies, and electricity.

And what really confirmed it was the year I grew seeds that a seed company sent me to test, and then report my results back. I was sent seeds later in the season and I nearly panicked. They had sent tomato seeds as part of it. It was already mid April! Yet, I seeded them. And I picked ripe tomatoes on the same week as the seeds I started in February! The plants did what they need to do – get big quickly to reproduce.

Go buy seeds now, for spring will come soon. Start planning what you want to grow, and where you will plant it. And enjoy the quiet before it gets busy, all day long.

~Sarah