When I was just a little sprout I learned this ditty: Spring has sprung, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is? Well my grass is still dormant, but the sap is rising and I have hundreds of snowdrops blooming on a south-facing slope. Spring is here.
With spring comes a desire to get my hands dirty and to start planting. It's still way too early to do anything outside - the ground is still mostly frozen, after all - but planting seeds indoors satisfies my urge to garden.
I once knew an old farmer who started seeds indoors in cottage cheese containers that she kept near the wood stove and then put on a sunny window sill. She must have started just a month before outdoor planting time, because I've found that it's impossible to keep seedlings happy for very long with just the natural sunlight of a windowsill. You need some fluorescent lights to keep them from getting long and spindly.
I built a wooden A-frame rack to hold the plastic flats for my seedlings.From that rack I hang 4-foot lights that I keep about 6 inches above my seedlings. As they get taller, I raise the lights. Right now Ilsquo;ve started a few early things and I'm getting ready to plant my tomato seeds.
Tomatoes, for me, are the diamonds of the garden. Nothing beats the taste of a Sungold cherry tomato or a Brandywine heirloom slicer. Many of the tomato varieties I grow are not readily available as seedlings, so I must start them myself. I love a French tomato called the Ox Heart. And have you ever tasted an Isis Candy Shop, a Purple Calabash or an Amana Orange? All are very nice tomatoes.
In order to keep seeds lightly moist but not soggy, I use a peat-based seed starting mix that I blend 50-50 with compost. It holds water nicely and the compost provides some nutrition for my little seedlings. I start seedlings in plastic 6-packs and cover each flat with a clear plastic cover. The cover sits up an inch or two above the soil line, allowing some plants to sprout and grow, while others are still waiting to germinate.
After everything is up, I take off the lids and just check the seedlings every day to see if they need a drink. The color of the soil surface changes when it gets dry. I water with a 1-quart pop bottle, applying water gently so I don't disturb my tender seedlings.
When seedlings are 2-3 inches tall I start to add some fish or seaweed-based fertilizer to the water. I want my seedlings to have all the necessary minerals for healthy growth. Chemical fertilizers don't provide the micronutrients I want for my seedlings.
It'll be weeks before my soil outdoors warms up and dries out. There's nothing I can do about that. But by puttering with seedlings indoors, I can keep from getting cabin fever. I recommend it.
