The Process 1-2-3

After getting the small amount of supplies needed, we returned home and immediately starting baking the the soil. This is a sterilization process to keep fungus away from our little darling seedlings! After the soil has cooled, we filled the flats and cups with soil and made tags so we could remember what was what. The girls were planting Zinnias and Petunias. My husband and I wanted a lot of vegetables and the list includes:
-Broccoli
-Tomatoes
-Peppers (Banana, Cayenne, and Bell)
-Peas
-Green Beans
-Watermelon
-Carrots

(BTW: We receive Gardener's Catalog and I found an awesome resource in planning your garden. We are planning on using raised beddings and www.gardeners.com has an interactive site that helps you map out your garden. Go check it out.)

I tried to separate the seeds by those that require more heat and those that don't (i.e. broccoli and peas don't need all the heat that tomatoes do). Each flat holds almost 72 nooks, so we decided to plant in each nook except for the last row, which I cut off entirely. This will serve as a watering hole and water the seeds from the bottom up. Two short rows were planted for each variety again keeping the cooler plants in separate flats from the hotter ones. The planting depth was determined by carefully reading the back of the seed packet. I also took advice and planted a little higher that what the packet recommended. Evidently, a beginner often plants the seed too far down. I definitely didn't want to make a rookie mistake:) Next, I watered the plant with compost tea (see recipe at Sarah's Pioneer Living), which consisted of rotting vegetables and coffee grounds mixed with hot water, blended, and then strained. I could hear the seeds applauding and asking for more! A final mist of water went over the top of the soil.
Additional advice suggested that we soak newspaper and place over the top of the seeds. It was kinda like placing lasagna noodles over the dirt. The hood (plastic top) or saran wrap for the cups was put on last and the entire flat was placed under our fluorescent light and heat lap. We paid carefully attention to put the heat lamp closest to the "hot flat" leaving the cooler flat further away. Others may find two separate places for this scenario but we are limited on space so we are giving it a whirl hoping that both can coexist.

Voila! The germination process has begun!

To Seeds, Soil, and Hope!

Yours Truly,

Kat