The seeds have been started! 🌱
🥦 🫑
I've seen people in my area starting seeds in those pop-up "greenhouses" these past couple weeks, and I have mixed feeling about this. For one, I can fully admit that I'm a little envious of these people because I have wanted a mini greenhouse for years. On the other hand, I know winter isn't through with us, and I can't imagine having to move racks full of seedlings to a warmer place when polar fronts roll in like the one we had this weekend.
These locals with their teeny "greenhouses" and their late-February/early-March seed starting can make me feel like I'm late. . . again. But I have always planted according to a last frost date of May 15th or around Mother's Day. And, according to the University of Maryland Extension vegetable planting calendar, I'm right on time. Every farmer I know in the area has confirmed that they use the same basic time-frame, also, so. . . *shrug*.
And there's good old Mother Nature. She confirmed my scheduling this weekend when a polar vortex blew in with ice, snow, and wind chills in the teens.
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| Snow-covered lavender |
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| Snow-covered Thyme |
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| Most had melted by the time I took the picture, but the garden was completely covered with ice-crusted snow. |
With the timing, there's also the fact that every year I feel like I'm starting late, yet my yeilds are abundant. My freezer and shelves are fully stocked and the chickens eat high on the hog all season. I have never been disappointed by my harvest, so I try not to beat myself up over my timing.
I've also seen how some people are starting all of their seeds at the same time. The temperatures on the seed packets tell me that I've got time before I can put any of my plants outside, especially tender seedlings and cold-sensitive veggies. This means paying attention to our local average tempertures and starting accordingly. Tomatoes, for instance will wait another week or two before I start them because a lesson from last year was not to keep them inside too long.
You'll see in the picture below that I've only started broccoli, cauliflower, and mini bell peppers so far. I questioned the peppers because I know the ground has to be pretty warm for them, but I have enough smaller pots to keep them safe until I can put them out with confidence.
The seeds are going to be happy in my little set-up. The heating pad under the tray keeps the water, air, and soil nice and warm for germinating. (I also only water with warm water. 😉 ) As I check on the seeds--and later, seedlings--I add the water from the condensation back into the tray. And this year I finally got my grow light! 🤗 I bought a little kit made for these types of seed-starting kits, and it's perfect. One thing it came with that none of the other--much more expensive--grow lights did is a stand. It also has a switch on the cord and can be chanied to other lights. Eventually I'd like to have a rack with a heating pad and grow light on each shelf, but we must make due with what's available to us.
The moral here is that regardless of what other people are doing. Regardless of what anyone may say. What you think you should do is what matters. What works for you and your application is what matters. Don't let the pressure of society sway you if it doesn't feel right.
