On Tuesday, I kicked off seed starting by bringing up the wire racks and lights from storage in the basement, and sanitizing 1020 trays and the used 6 packs from last year. The seed starting set-up tends to clutter the dining area, but it's a welcome mess.
Last Fall, I found a seed 'grab bag' for $15 containing 30 packets of seed. The company is a small Michigan based seed distributor I learned of through YouTube. I enjoy their videos, so it was nice to support someone with a small business, and a funky garden like ours.
I know I didn't need 30 different packets of seed, but why not for 50 cents each and I was curious to see what sort of variety they would send. I'm planning on trying to grow everything but the melons, as I don't have the room to grow such big plants. But, maybe I'll try it just to see...
Despite having 30 packets of new seed, I started the 2021 planting season using seeds from Johnny's and Baker Creek. The grab bag didn't include any peppers or eggplants, and they need to be started early, so I used some seeds from past seasons. The Spicy Globe basil is a small leaf basil that grows well in pots according to the packet. I'm looking forward to tasting this new to our garden variety.
After a diluted bleach bath... we are ready to go!
Junky old blinds the cats destroyed make for good plant labels. Use pencil or a grease marker as Sharpies fade quickly.
Fun colored silicone 6 packs I received for Christmas. They will be more durable than black 6 packs that tend to crack after about 2 seasons of use. It will be interesting to see how they hold up.
I've used these wire racks for at least 7 years now. The LED lights are hung on chains, and the height is easily adjusted as the plants grow. They hold cans of paint in the offseason. A heated grow mat is placed under the trays to help with germination. I only used the mats for the plants that need it warm to germinate, like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.
Propagating elderberry, mulberry, thimbleberry, and honeyberry. I read all of these bushes can grow from dormant cuttings stuck in moist potting soil... we shall see! Berry plants can easily go for $15 plus, so I'm hopeful this will be a cost effective way to grow more berry plants. As I wrote earlier, things get a little cluttered in the Spring with my gardening experiments. Lucky to have a sunny room to grow in.
The mulberry a few days ago after a fluffy snow storm... all of the snow was gone by the evening.
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