Starting your vegetables from seed is not for the faint of heart, but it can be really rewarding for those willing to put in the time and effort. The primary advantages of starting seeds are choosing from a wider range of vegetable varieties, having more control over the size and vigor of your plants, and saving some money. But don’t get too excited about saving
Get Busy!
The growing season is not too far around the corner! Witch hazel is already blooming and my flowering quince buds are days away from opening. If we can get a handle on some garden chores now, we’ll be in good shape to maximize the harvest from our homesteads this year. When it comes to growing your own food, here is my short list of what
Video: Newspaper Seed Pots
We are in prime seed-starting mode and a few people had questions about making seed pots from newspaper. I decided to make a little tutorial video for reference. Here it is: Hopefully this short video, along with my earlier post that lists out the instructions, will keep things nice and simple for you. Remember that when you are ready to plant the seedlings outdoor, bury
Starting Seeds
This weekend I spent a couple hours having a craft party with myself, getting the newspaper seed pots formed and filled with organic potting soil. They have been planted and are neatly resting on my beautiful, old record player. I enjoyed the last of Joni Mitchell’s Blue album before closing up the record player until May, when the seedlings can all move outside. Currently, I
Newspaper Seed Pots Again!
I have most of my vegetable seeds all organized and ready to start growing from seed inside. It’s time to turn back to my trusty post from last year on how to make seed pots from newspaper. No special tools are required. All those old copies of the New York Times are now going to come in handy! I will post more this weekend about
Flops and Fertilzer
Unfortunately, I have to admit the first year of starting seeds indoors has been a flop. Not all is wasted. I learned some good lessons, like how long to keep the grow light on… I also managed to just direct sow a lot of my seeds when the indoor versions were taking too long. The only big disappointment has been the five varieties of tomatoes
First Transplants
When it’s sunny in Portland, it reminds all of us why we endure the 60-some consecutive days of rain in the winter. A sunny, warm day makes it all worth it to live here. The cherry blossoms are blooming around town and we left the windows open all day long. I got so hot working outside that I actually had to come in and change
Newspaper Seed Pots
This is the first year I am starting seeds indoors for my vegetable and herb garden. In the past, I have been willing to take my chances shoving seeds directly in the ground when the weather was warm enough. After my experience last year with my urban chickens digging up and eating so many of my seeds, I thought transplanting small plants might improve the