Starting Again

I have decided to be a little more serious about my seedlings this year and I am trying some new techniques.

Some (mainly cabbages and peppers) in peat pots from Jiffy, herbs and some alliums in proper start pots, and tomatoes and lemon grass in flower pots.

I got a seedling heat mat and set them all on a glass table top with the mat on it so it would warm them all some.  It really seems to be working well.  I am a little concerned with peat pots drying out too much and some of the peppers (seems like the hotter varieties, like Scotch Bonnet) are slower to germinate, but all in all its a success so far.

Here we have a rare (but increasingly common) Garden Monkey enjoying a popsicle as we check our seedlings in the morning.  He helped plant them and we enjoy checking them together.

Organizing The Seeds

This winter I made some seed orders. As soon as I got done ordering seeds a gracious family member and a friend dropped off a bunch of seeds. Seriously, I could plant half of Iowa. What was interesting were the variety of seeds and the variety of providers. Seeds Savers, Ferry Morse, Burpee, Park, Henry Fields, Pinetree Garden, Select, Freedom, Lake Valley, Totally Tomatoes, Thompson Morgan, etc, etc, etc. And of course, saved seed of my own, and some from friends digital and other wise. Had to set down and organize them in some fashion. I had a better system, but the big influx of seed sent me back to square one. So I broke them down into the following categories:

1) Empty Packs - Packs that I kept that are empty but had useful information.

2) Started - Seeds that I have done all the starts for this year.

3) Not Planting - Packs of items I don't have room for in the garden, I don't want to plant this year, or otherwise are not using now.

4) Ready for direct sow - Put all the seeds I will direct sow in one bunch ready to go outside.

I need to return to a more complete system though.