February marks seed-starting here at Get in the Garden (Zone 6) with spring just 10 short weeks away. Seeds for leeks, onions and some herbs and flowers need to be sown early in order to reach adequate size for spring planting and summer maturity. It’s time to plan ahead and make preparations. If you’re not starting plants from seed, live somewhere other than zone 6 or have chosen varieties that don’t require a very early start… no matter. You can still plan ahead to save time and money and reduce waste.
First things first:
JOURNAL:
- Record information from seed/seedling to harvest. Garden journal entries include dates, temperatures, seed(ling) varieties and sources, germination rates, growth habits, diseases, pests, harvests, likes/dislikes, pictures etc. It’s your personal plant diary to look back on and learn from. A personal garden journal is one of the most useful references available to you. Purchase a simple notebook or create your own…”Just do it!”
PLAN:
- Decide what your goal is in planting. Be realistic about the size of the space and condition of the soil.
- List possible plant choices. Consider soil, light, water needs and length of time to maturity. Consider height, width, invasiveness. Research.
- Be realistic about what you’ll eat and how much. Determine the amount of space available for storing frozen, dried and home-canned foods.
- Eliminate choices from the list that won’t work with your plan. “Edit and forget it.”
- Draw the plan out on graph paper. It can prevent wasted space as well as over-planting. Include vertical supports and pots/containers.
Graph paper makes planning easy.
SEEDS:
- Order now for best selection and timely arrival. Remember organic/sustainable/native is best and heirloom/open-pollinated is mandatory if you plan to save seeds. Packets usually contain more seeds than you need for one garden. Share between friends or store the left-overs in a cool dark place for next year. (Germination may be lower.)
- Organize the seeds you’ll be saving after harvest by cutting corresponding listings out of catalogs and taping to envelopes, glass jars etc. Include the year on the label.
Keep saved seeds organized and recycle catalogs.
POTS:
- Make your own plugs. (Here.) Paper towel and t.p. tubes can be cut in 1/3 or 1/2 and filled with starter mix or re-cycle plastic cups, milk jugs etc. Collect them now so you’ll have enough at seed sowing time.
- Trays for the plugs. (Cookie sheets, plastic produce boxes, foil pans etc.) Be sure they don’t leak!
Take the time to look around your home (and office) for supplies and re-use and recycle whenever possible. Be sure to check back for more tips and planning throughout the month (as well as new January recipes and indoor garden updates)!
