How to Start A Garden

 

It's been a long time since I've written here, and life has a way of getting busy and passing. But the last few years I have gotten into gardening. I started a year or two before the pandemic hit and everyone began the craze to keep themselves busy. For me my garden has expanded from 2 pots, to almost half the yard over the last few years. I'll show pictures of the garden in another post.

Part of my garden journey has taken me to starting plants from seeds. Something about looking out over my garden and seeing that the majority come from my own seeds makes me smile. I'm not perfect at it, and there are certainly some things that I still have not learned how to grow. But seeds are inexpensive and I keep trying. Some plants are better to just buy the starter plant. But there's no harm in trying.

To start you need good quality soil for your seeds. If you go online, the experts tailor certain types of soil for certain types of seeds and go through the science of it all. While I have no doubt going to that level of detail makes a huge difference, I'm not there yet. I use a one soil fits all approach for starting seeds. Very possibly that's part of my problem, but I'm open to suggestions. I get a nice big bag of Miracle Grow soil for my seeds and use that as the starter for all of them.

You also need light. Seeds need light to grow. My house is situated in the most non ideal situation in that all my windows face either north or south. I have 2 windows that are facing west, so the light can be tricky. The north windows are always in shadow, so growing anything there won't work. I only have my south facing window sills to use for growing. At some point in the future I might invest in a growing lamp, but I'm not there yet.

Growing Seeds. Home Deport is a great place to spend a lot of money on gardening gadgets and special seed starter trays. I've heard those work great, but I have not invested in them. Instead I spend the year stocking up on things. If you are looking for inexpensive ways to start your seed here is what I have done that works for me.

Toilet paper rolls are no longer thrown away. Once all the TP is used, I take the leftover cardboard roll and add it to a pile of others. These are amazing for seed starters. You fold one side of the roll inwards to make a little holder. Fill it with soil, and it's just the right size to plant 1 seed. 

The other perk is that it is biodegradable. As you water the seed, the roll is going to start to deteriorate. When the seed has sprouted and is ready for a bigger container, you can plant the roll right into the new planter instead of having to remove the sprout and risk killing it. As it grows and you continue to water, the roll will continue to break down in the soil.

Milk cartons are great for a multiple of reasons. I used to buy the half gallon plastic jugs of milk. When the milk was gone, I washed out the container, cut off the top part where the lid is at, and then poked small drainage holes in the bottom. This is a great container to use for growing plants, and is essentially free. Plus you can reuse these containers for plants for many uses until they begin to fall apart and need to be thrown away. For full gallon jugs of milk you can do the same thing, giving yourself a bigger planter to use. Just don't forget to put holes in the bottom for drainage. 

Another use for the gallon milk carton is to hold your plant containers. All plant containers need holes in the bottom for drainage. You need to make sure you have the container sitting on a plate or holder of some kind to keep the water from seeping all over the window sill. Cut the milk carton sideway and it becomes a great holder for your planting containers. I also use lids from Costco treats, aluminum foil (this is fine if you are in a pinch) swiffer containers, the list goes one. I always look for something big enough to hold my plant containers, but small enough that it will fit on the window sill and won't leak. Milk cartons work great. 

Any plastic container you buy from the grocery store can be turned into a pot for a plant sprout or small plant. Yogurt containers, sour cream containers, butter tubs, egg cartons, etc. The list can go on. I usually stick to whatever is plastic and don't forget the drainage holes in the bottom. It's a good way to use what you already have on hand and can help keep the cost down. If you have pets you can use the solid plastic treat containers for plant holders.

Those red plastic party cups are also great for plants. You can buy a whole bag of them for a few dollars. 

Whenever I buy a plant I always save the container no matter the size. At some point I will end up reusing the planter either inside the house or out in the yard.

If you want to collect and use household items for gardening, just keep in mind it is going to take you awhile to build up a stash of things to use. With the toilet paper rolls, those can only be used once, so I save them year round. And I usually use them all come time for spring gardening.

I have struggled to get lettuce to sprout from seeds. I'm trying a few different things to see if I can change that trend, but so far they prove difficult. Tomatoes and cucumbers are fairly easy. Just remember to give them light and water. You don't want to drown them, but make sure they stay damp. The other thing to remember is that even seedlings need to be fed. I just use miracle grow fertilizer. It's so much fertilizer you dissolve in a certain ratio to water. Then just water the seedlings and they get fed. It makes a difference.

For any kind of peppers, spread the seeds out on a damp paper towel and put it in a sealed plastic baggy. Then let it sit in the pantry for a week or two. This also works for me to get seeds to sprout. Then once the sprouts are a good size I move them to a soil filled container. 

Since Texas is on fire a month earlier than is normal, my current garden is hanging in there but has stopped producing. As a result I have been seed starting, hoping the fireball weather will cool off to more bearable temperatures come September so I can have another round of planting before winter hits. 

I'm also trying to get start fruit trees from seed. I've never attempted it before, and have no idea if it will work, but I'm giving it a shot. We went to a farmers market not long ago and got some fresh peaches and plumbs. In addition I also gathered some fig seeds. I have tried strawberry seeds in the past on many occasions and have yet to succeed. But I still have seeds so I'm trying again. 

With fruit, the seeds need a period of cold temperature before they will sprout. I've read a few things that recommend the seeds in the wet paper towel method. The only difference is instead of putting them in the pantry, they need to sit in the back of the fridge for up to 3 months. It's a long investment to see if it works, but such is the nature of growing. Nothing happens over night.

The final tip I will give is to be patient when trying to start seeds. Always plant more than you think you'll need as not all of them will survive. Always label your seeds. There's nothing worse than planting a variety of seeds and not knowing which is which. And keep trying new ways until you find one that works for you.