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Seeds Free for Gardening
Get growing by planting seeds
Seeds. Little jewels packed with genetic information. Tiny black specks, chunky nut-like beads and white kernels blotched with magenta sprout into poppies, nasturtiums and Jacob's Cattle beans. Pure magic.
Growing your own plants from seed is fun, and the vegetables taste so mild! Also, you can avoid the whole pesticide issue, keep yourself safe from contaminants and keep a low carbon footprint. It just feels good to know where your food comes from these days. I won't say that it is always cheaper to grow your own, as William Alexander, the author of The $64 Tomato, hilariously confides to us in his book, but it is definitely more fun, more frustrating and tastier.
Start simply. Dream big. Fail. Get a child involved. Order way too many seeds. Dream of those melt-in-your-mouth baby potatoes that grandmother grew. Take a stand. Heirlooms or new hybrids? Orange Fantasia or Pink Lipstick (chard)? Go organic. Go nuts!
Basic tips for starting seeds:
START EARLY: Generally, it is good to start your seeds about eight weeks before the last frost date -- around mid-May in Chicago (near the lake) and late May in the outer suburbs. Check with your local County Extensions.
GET STARTED: Find containers that are at least 3 inches deep with holes for drainage. Plastic yogurt, cottage cheese or half-gallon milk containers work well. I don't recommend re-using egg cartons or old nursery "six packs," as they don't hold enough soil and dry out too easily. Use a quality seed-starting mix that is available at a reputable nursery or garden center. These mixes are sterile and are blended to be light and porous so that fragile seedlings get both moisture and oxygen to their roots.
PLANTING: In a big bucket, add water slowly to the seed-starting mix and combine well -- moist but not soggy. Fill each container to an inch below the top. Add a plastic or wooden marker to identify the plant. Make a ?206-140?-inch hole with a pencil and drop individual seeds in, about an inch apart. Then sift some of the starting mix over the holes or furrows and press gently. Use a spray bottle to water the seeds in with a fine mist.
GROWING: Put containers in a warm place where they'll get bottom heat, such as on the top of a water heater or refrigerator. Cover with plastic, checking daily for moisture. Water as necessary. (Look at package for germination times.) As soon as the baby seedlings begin to emerge, it's critical to give them light right away. Remove the covering and provide a strong light source -- sun or grow lights.
Rotate the seedlings so they don't have to strain toward the light. With warm conditions and enough light, seedlings* will grow rapidly.
- There should be no more than an inch of stem between the surface of the soil and the first little leaf.
For more information about organic plants and gardening seeds, click on http://www.gardeningandplanting.com/
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