Reaping What You Sow - Part One: Seed and Plant Selection
Hi All,
It's a beautiful morning. The sun is edging its way into the sky and orange-gold rays are starting to paint the trees. There is something really beautiful about morning time.
There's something beautiful about gardening, too. Perhaps even more so when one grows their own plants from a seed. The experience of watching a little grain transform into into two leaves, then four, then something ready to go into the ground and really start its journey - that's pretty amazing, too.
Honestly though, for a beginning gardener, starting your plant from seed can seem like a challenge as much as a gamble. First of all, the immense selection of places to get seeds - there are easily 20 different retailers that carry seeds where I live frrom grocery stores to gardening centers - not even to mention online companies. Once you get there, there are so many brands and types of seeds. How do you choose between crookneck or straightneck squash? Which plants are direct-sow and which one do better as a transplant? And beyond looking at the types of plant seeds there are lots of designations like organic or hybrid - which one do you choose.
First, let's get in some talk for beginners:
We have a multitude of hardware stores and garden centers in our area but I would chose one that is as local as possible. For example, in years past we've had Wal-Mart or Lowe's selling tomato transplants very early in the season - so early they were hit by frost and died (at the store no less). How would a beginner know to avoid those plants if businesses are selling them?
Most local places are very in tune to what is in season for your area - not what some big chain is saying they have to sell. I would select a pack of plants that look healthy, free of bugs and disease, and in enough quantity to fill a few pots or do a few short rows in your patch of garden. Many 4 packs in my area are less than $2.00 each - even less if you buy multiples.
If you really want to desperately grow your own seeds I would start with things that often do better direct sow, such as sunflower seeds, peas or green beans, or a specific variety you want to grow but centers in your area do not carry.
By keeping it simple, this allows a beginning gardener to focus on develop other skills like watering, weeding, mulching and composting, which still maintaining a garden. You get all the food and learning without undo stress.
As, this is a fairly broad topic, I have a lot more to share which we will explore in a few parts:
Part 2: What Does it All Mean
Part 3: Reading a Seed Packet
Part 4: ????, The Down Low on Seeds, and perhaps more.
In the meanwhile check out my Resources Page for an ever expanding list of books and websites that gardeners and cooks from beginner to experience can learn from.
Thanks for visiting and I hope your garden plans are going well.
Take care,
Rebecca
It's a beautiful morning. The sun is edging its way into the sky and orange-gold rays are starting to paint the trees. There is something really beautiful about morning time.
There's something beautiful about gardening, too. Perhaps even more so when one grows their own plants from a seed. The experience of watching a little grain transform into into two leaves, then four, then something ready to go into the ground and really start its journey - that's pretty amazing, too.
Honestly though, for a beginning gardener, starting your plant from seed can seem like a challenge as much as a gamble. First of all, the immense selection of places to get seeds - there are easily 20 different retailers that carry seeds where I live frrom grocery stores to gardening centers - not even to mention online companies. Once you get there, there are so many brands and types of seeds. How do you choose between crookneck or straightneck squash? Which plants are direct-sow and which one do better as a transplant? And beyond looking at the types of plant seeds there are lots of designations like organic or hybrid - which one do you choose.
First, let's get in some talk for beginners:
The Down Low on Seeds and Transplants
For a true beginner, I would not recommend purchasing a lot of seeds. I know, I know, there is nothing more thrilling than circling a display or flipping through a catalog, admiring the beautiful pictures and dreaming of what will be. And they're cheap, too. Almost the same price as a cup of coffee.
Not to crush your dreams, but growing from seeds requires a lot of patience and not all seeds germinate at a reasonable rate - meaning you might not get as much product as you think you should.
Further, until you are fairly certain what a seedling of that particular plant looks like you run the risk of weeding a seedling or feeding a weedling (I know this from the Cool - Weather Garden fisaco of last year).
Finally, while seeds are fairly cheap, even a small package may contain between 65-200. This is great if you have a large garden or are going to split a pack like my mom and I often do but otherwise your seeds could go to waste. Even with proper storage, seeds do lose some degree of viability every year.
*Note: There are a LOT of good reasons to start from seed, too, and we will discuss that in a later post.
With all that in mind, my recommendation is this.
For beginners get transplants along with a few seeds (if you dare) from a reputable retailer.
Most local places are very in tune to what is in season for your area - not what some big chain is saying they have to sell. I would select a pack of plants that look healthy, free of bugs and disease, and in enough quantity to fill a few pots or do a few short rows in your patch of garden. Many 4 packs in my area are less than $2.00 each - even less if you buy multiples.
If you really want to desperately grow your own seeds I would start with things that often do better direct sow, such as sunflower seeds, peas or green beans, or a specific variety you want to grow but centers in your area do not carry.
By keeping it simple, this allows a beginning gardener to focus on develop other skills like watering, weeding, mulching and composting, which still maintaining a garden. You get all the food and learning without undo stress.
As, this is a fairly broad topic, I have a lot more to share which we will explore in a few parts:
Part 2: What Does it All Mean
Part 3: Reading a Seed Packet
Part 4: ????, The Down Low on Seeds, and perhaps more.
In the meanwhile check out my Resources Page for an ever expanding list of books and websites that gardeners and cooks from beginner to experience can learn from.
Thanks for visiting and I hope your garden plans are going well.
Take care,
Rebecca
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