Note: this post was started a couple weeks ago, specifically the first week of March. I think it is still good for most of us. We had the first nice warmish weekend of the year this weekend, and I took the chance to go out and get some containers for future use in the garden.

We’re going to build a 3′ x 3′ box for the lettuce, carrots, and some of the shorter herbs, and I bought a few plastic containers for our tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans. In the 3′ x 3′ box, we’re going to do square foot gardening as usual. We bought some other containers for our lettuce and carrots. It is all containers this year! They are easier to move and don’t require building anything.

I also started the seeds for our tomato and pepper plants today. I will be starting our cucumber seeds in a couple weeks, as they take less time to grow and I don’t want them to get too leggy before getting outside. While doing that, I took some photos to record my process so I could share it with all of you.

Supplies used:

peat pellets (I like these because they are cheap, easy to find,  and last for years, plus you don’t have to take the plant out of the peat thingie when you transplant it)
small bowl of water
seeds  (I got mine from John Scheepers this year)
toothpicks

for post-planting:
masking tape
sharpie markers
ziploc bags
container for your seedlings to sit in after being started (I use a tupperware)

Take the number of peat pellets out that correspond to the number of seedlings you want to start. Fill a small bowl with water and put your pellets in. Let them soak for several minutes, until they expand to several times their original size and are filled with water.They will look something like this:

You can see the difference before and after:

Sometimes it takes five minutes (like today), but other times it has taken thirty minutes or more for them to grow to their full size. I think it has something to do with how old they are. The older the pellets are, the longer it takes them to expand in the water.

Take one of the peat pots (I am going to call them pots after they have expanded) out of the water and place it on your working surface. It will be very wet and soft! Take a toothpick and insert it about one-third of the way down the peat pot’s length, then work the toothpick around in a circular motion so you are creating a hole in the middle of the pot.

Once you’ve got a hole in your pot, pick up a seed or two and and drop it in the hole. If you put more than one in there, it is no worry. You can always thin your plants after they germinate.

Then pinch together the top of the pot so the peat covers the seed, and push the peat down into the hole.

I like to push the peat down neatly and make the top as flat as possible and that’s it for the planting.

The next step is marking them, so I know which is which. This is especially important with different varieties of the same type of plant, like tomatoes. When the seeds first sprout, they all look alike, but there is a definite different once the plants get their first true leaves. However, when you have lots of varieties of the same species, it is important to know which is which in case one doesn’t sprout and you need to re-start: time is of the essence.

Once again, I use the toothpicks. I just tear off a little bit of masking tape, wrap it around the top of the toothpick so it forms something like a flag, and then write on it with a sharpie. I usually write a big T for tomato, P for pepper, C for cucumber, and so on. Then I write the variety in small letters near the bigger letter, and stick the flag in the peat pot!

Once I’m done planting and marking, I put them all in a container (I use whatever tupperware fits the number of pots I have) and put them in my favorite germination place. The top of the refrigerator!

March 20 Update: I ended up moving these off the fridge top after a few days. This fridge, unlike the previous one, does not get warm on the top. So I moved all the pots to a glass baking dish, placed a dishtowel underneath it, and placed it on top of the toaster oven. That certainly gets warm, and the towel and glass will insulate the seedlings from cold/hot plus keep in a bit of warmth to help the seeds germinate. It has worked well so far… see some seedlings below.

I’ve learned a few things about starting seeds after having them go bad:

before seeds germinate, they like:
warmth
dark
not too much water (the seeds could rot)

after they germinate, they like:
warmth
light
not too much water (the roots could rot)

So, the top of the fridge top of the toaster oven works best for germination here as it’s warm and dark in our house and I can keep an eye on them there. I then transfer them to a sunny windowsill after they germinate. Once they get a little taller and too big for their peat pots, I transplant them in the pots to yogurt cups filled with potting soil and keep them on the window sill. Then after the last frost, I’ll put them outside and keep an eye on them there.

Nat started a bunch of herb seeds a few days after I did the tomatoes and peppers. Here are some seedlings as they were in the window this afternoon. I am going to start some cucumbers today, now that I am out of class.

Starting plants from seeds takes a lot of work and attention, but it’s definitely worth it. I love seeing them poke up through the soil, the cotyledons unfurling slowly but surely. Then they get their true leaves, and you can tell they are little tomato or pepper plants!

It is an exciting time of year. I feel like I come alive when it warms up and the sun shines once more. I am truly glad for daylight savings time and springtime. Our garlic has shot up since it has stopped raining buckets, and even the Pyong Vang has come up out of the ground. The daffodils, crocuses, tulips, and all sorts of things are blooming or about to and I am feeling better after a hard winter. I am looking forward to a good gardening season. I hope you are, too!