Oldie but newbie

[HEChicken]

I know what you mean. Usually I buy seedlings and plant directly outdoors. I know I've started from seed before but can't remember how good my harvest from them was. This year is the first year I'm trying to plan well, stick to the plan, and maintain good records. After this I'll have a baseline for future years, to know what worked for me and what didn't. If starting from seed doesn't work well this year, I'll probably just do seedlings in the future.

 

[Kassaundra]

I wish you the best of success w/ your seedlings, and your record keeping.

 

[digitS']

. . . After this I'll have a baseline for future years, to know what worked for me and what didn't. If starting from seed doesn't work well this year, I'll probably just do seedlings in the future.

I am not sure if I kept a garden journal for more than about 3 years. I did fairly well (for me) getting a couple entries each week.

Among the most important things that this effort produced was a schedule for sowing. It has been tweaked now and then since but only a little. Now, about 15 years later, it is still an important part of my gardening!

Steve

 

[NwMtGardener]

Steve - i think you hit the nail on the head as far as why I need to keep better records - when should I get my seed started!? That seems to be the hardest question for me to answer every year, and while i know weather differences will play a role also, a baseline of what worked would be really helpful.

I finally solved the problem of remembering what variety i planted by keeping all my old seeD envelopes, and sometimes making important notations right on the envelope. That has started working pretty well for me.

 

[HEChicken]

Heather - that is a great idea too. Last Fall I spent several hours sorting my seed packets. What I found is that once I opened a packet, even though I folded over the top, at some point it would get turned upside down and seeds spill out. Even though I kept all my opened seed packets in a big ziploc bag, it was a mess. I needed a better organization system.

What I finally did was buy a packet of smaller ziploc bags. Each of these little baggies is about the size of an unopened seed packet. I then took each individual seed packet and put it in an individual ziploc baggie. Now, even if seeds fall out of their original packet, they are still contained inside the baggie. And, I can still read the packet info, right through the baggie. Since seed packets vary in size, this works for me as it makes them all the same size. A few of the larger packets I had to cut down to fit into the plastic baggie, but it was worth it to me to have them all the same size so that when "filing" them, it is neater and easier. I then found a plastic container with the right dimensions for holding all of those individual baggies, kind of like a filing system, so I can easily flip through them and just pull out the ones I need.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I plan to start some pepper plants in a few days, some tomatoes too. It is early, especially for tomatoes, but a couple of years ago I had a real early spring. I took a chance and set half my tomatoes out about three weeks early. I'm glad I did. That summer turned scorching hot and drought-dry early. It was only the early tomatoes that did any good. By the time the late tomatoes were ready, it was too hot at night for any to set on.

Last year, the season was two weeks later than normal. That's a five week swing from one year to the next. How do you plan for that? I start early and try to be flexible.

Pepper seeds can be hard to start. I'm certainly not always successful. One of the keys is that the ground needs to be really warm for them to sprout. I haven't hit on the perfect temperature, but the upper 70's are certainly not too warm. I'll probably shoot for lower 80's this year.

 

[buckabucka]

I have a chart that I hang on the refrigerator. 1st column - # weeks until last expected frost, 2nd column - planting date (indoors), 3rd column - plant variety.
I switch it up a little, starting a plant a little earlier, finding it got too big, moving it later, etc., but I use this as a general guideline each year. (Grainy, sideways IPad photo below).

For seed storage, I took a shoebox and some large index cards. The cards are arranged alphabetically, "beans, beets, carrots", etc., with all the appropriate seed packets behind each file card. I make sure I always put the packets in upright so they don't spill. I have a separate shoebox for flowers and herbs.

The only seed I don't put in the shoebox is the onions and leeks. They get sealed in a plastic bag, inside a plastic container, and put in the freezer. I find that onion seed will stay viable for two, even three years, as long as you store it in the freezer.