Seedlings!

Spring is definitely on its way- the seedlings are sprouting indoors!

Of course we only planted the slow growing seeds- warm weather is still a good 3 months off- but we planted things like sage for sausage, thyme and oregano for homemade pizza spices, and a variety of peppers for every dish! We are also trying some new onion varieties: “Patterson”, “Prince”, and “Red Bull”. And of course one cannot forget the tray of cheery flowers to brighten the garden.

Years past we’ve tried mixing our own potting soils, but they never did well, so this year we broke down and bought “Miracle Grow” potting soil, and the plants have done well. Next time we want to gather some of our compost this fall for planting, but in February the pile is frozen!

After mixing and moistening the dirt we form it into big planting cubes using a soil blocker (Mom got this at a thrift store for $7!!! Normally they are around $180: This is a soil blocker like ours ) we place these in planter trays -after testing for leakage. We cut up a sour cream tub and mark the seeds which we cover with a thin layer of soil in each block.

Putting the trays on a rolling wire rack bought from Costco (these) we put them in the warm front room.                                                                                            

Every morning we peek at the blocks of dirt for signs of life, and once the sprouts emerge we hang normal shop florescent lights right on top of them to prevent the plants reaching for light and getting too stemmy.

It is always a miracle these little seeds grow, and Lord willing these seedlings will make a dent in our grocer bill and provide quality herbs for our family.

 

~Ann