So I have been getting a few strange looks lately about my premature seed starting enthusiasm. For the last couple of weeks I have been indulging in seed fantasies. Thumbing through the Seed Saver’s Catalog, reading descriptions, oogling over pictures and names of heirloom seeds passed down from generations. Never to be a plain Jane tomato in this girls garden, I read over each description overwhelmed with possibilities. Black, orange, pink, yellow, red, green; pear-shaped, baseball sized, beefsteak; organic, heirloom, disease resistant, full flavor; so many decisions!
After finally weeding it down to just a few, erasing and rewriting my choices nearly a dozen times, I submitted my order and waited eagerly for delivery. Luckily for me, FoodHub, a new and upcoming local food “hub” in Davenport, conveniently located in the Freighthouse next to Fresh Deli, orders the seeds every week, saving me the cost of shipping. So for me, the wait was minimal.
Mr. Chipi helping plant seeds
Normally I like to start my tomato, pepper, eggplant, and other long season crops indoors around the end of January to early February. Typically, according to package directions, it is recommended that you begin sowing seeds indoors around 6-8 weeks prior to the last frost. I ignore those guidelines and begin earlier to give myself plenty of buffer. Since seeds usually take at least a week if not two to germinate I want to make sure I have plenty of time in case some seeds don’t come up.
Plus, with last year’s early season beginning in April, I definitely don’t want to be regretting not starting sooner. Really, the only terrible thing (if you can call it terrible) about starting early is that if your little seedlings don’t stay so little, transplanting at least once into a bigger pot may be necessary to prevent their roots from getting too cramped. This part always tends to trip me up a bit because when I start, my seedlings are in tiny little cell packs that don’t take up much room, so out of paranoia I plant as much as I can. When I need to repot, I seem to forget that the new pots will be taking up 3x the space….”oops…..now where do I put all of you?”
So, as of now, I have tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, kale, leeks, cabbage, broccoli, and herbs started.
Lets rewind for a minute because I do want to comment on where my seeds came from: Seed Saver’s Exchange. If you haven’t heard of them, visit their website at seedsavers.com. Seed Saver’s Exchange is an organization dedicated to providing heirloom and open-pollinated seeds that produce unique varieties of fruits and vegetables. They are located in DeCorah, IA and get their seeds from all over the Midwest.
My other source this year and last was our local seed exchange which took place at the FoodHub next to Freighthouse Farmer’s Market. If you live in Davenport and want seeds, this is the place to go! There will be gardeners with extra seeds to share and exchange on Saturday’s from 9am-1pm. It is a great place to meet other gardeners and get tips on how to grow those finicky veggies. If they don’t quite have the seeds you were hoping for, no need to fret, they have a Seed Saver’s Exchange rack with some great varieties to choose from.
A few growing tips to you brave ones who are considering starting your seeds indoors this year:
If you want to grow “organic”, I recommend Sphagnum peat moss rather that seedling mix. You can find this at any hardware or garden store for pretty cheap. Make sure you completely wet the peat moss before you fill your trays! This stuff is nearly impossible to wet but once it is, it holds moisture really well. I was given a tip over the weekend to throw the peat moss in the microwave with some water for a few minutes and the peat moss will absorb the water right up. Haven’t tried it yet so let me know if you get results.
Peppers!
If you are growing peppers, they benefit from a little heat to get them to germinate. Currently I have a space heater underneath the rack they are growing on, but I have also had success with a heating pad placed underneath their cell packs as well. I would probably recommend the heating pad over the space heater as the space heater tends to dry things out a bit.
Cover your seeds with plastic to keep them moist until they germinate, then remove and begin supplying them with plenty of light. Seeds don’t really need light until they germinate but do benefit from the heat.
Once they are up, you can choose to offer them a light fertilizer (very light because their roots are still establishing and you don’t want them to get burned). I would wait a few weeks to let them establish. Replant any seeds that didn’t germinate and keep the soil evenly moist. Then just sit back and watch them grow!
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