Starting Seeds

[CarolAnn]

I found a pipe-heating tape at Walmart on sale because Winter's over. (Well, it's SUPPOSED to be over!) I got it for a couple of bucks so my bro in law can use it for bottom heat for the seedlings. They do fantastic in a cool room with heat from the bottom, and the pipe heat tape works very well for this.

We start: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, herbs, flowers, (especially petunias)

He makes his own growing medium - not too rich, or they damp off. (rot in the stems)

We use everything from recycled styrofoam and plastic cups, peat pots, paper cups, cut up plastic bottles & cartons - just anything that can be punched for drainage that will hold some dirt.

We've also tried salad dishes with clear lids from drive ins - the whole family saves that sort of stuff all year just to start seeds!


SO . . . that's the scoop here in Wisconsin - when, how and what do you plant inside for the garden?

The love of gardening is a seed you plant in your kids - and pray that it will grow!

[daphodil]

I have a spanking brand new garden shed that dh built for me. It was going to be a small chicken coop; then, he built me a HUGE chicken mansion, so, inside my new garden shed I have two trays so far: one of orange Marigold seeds (seeds I saved myself) and one of Rutgers tomatoes, all of which are up.

I had planted two garden pots of herbs sometime before the two trays, but snow and freezing weather killed them. (I don't have electricity out there.)

I have used lots of different containers to start plants: from the standard peat pots to individual applesauce and yogurt cups.

[turtlehead]

Using that tape is a good idea!

I usually use the 6 or 9 pak seed starting containers that you get at the hardware store. They fit so easily into the plastic trays that I just use them.

Last year was my first year starting seeds. I started some on a heating pad set on low, some under a clear dome in a sunny room, and some on top of the fridge. They all worked about the same - none of those methods germinated faster or better than the others.

Sometimes my seedlings go directly into the garden from the little starter cups but sometimes I transplant them to larger containers I make out of newspaper and masking tape, about 3" diameter.