Seedlings are almost as cute as puppies

I do love to plant seeds. I get really sad when they fail, but there is always a percentage that fail. There are lots of seeds that I start indoors, or more accurately on my patio. I confess, this is due more to laziness and access than necessity. Yet, for those that are in frost prone areas, many folks start seeds indoors two weeks before the last frost. Some plants transplant better than others, and I’m prone to dropping or not being gentle enough. I received a few of the soil pellets that you see used here along with Seeds Saver order last year. I love them. While they are not recommended for all plants, they allow me to get things going in a limited space and still have a great success rate.

I am not a quick riser. I use an alarm. I had to train myself to gradually move from someone who would stay up all night to finish a book, to someone who rises with the sun. It is amazing how maturity, kids and jobs can change our personal habits. Daylight savings this year has been torture. My mind still tells me that if the sun is not over the ridge directly east of my bedroom window, then it’s not time to get up. My alarm, which starts it’s dance at 6:10 am begs to differ. I actually resent hitting the snooze button. I want to be able to rise like the sun, with gratitude and a smile. My daily routine includes my gratitude affirmation, letting the dogs out of their crates, starting my espresso brewing, throwing the bean bag heating pad in the microwave, and at this time of year, wandering outside to my patio check on my babies.

I know that almost everyone, including me, oh! and ah! over puppies and kittens, or rescue animals on Social Media. I haven’t figured out yet why there is not yet the same viral following for seedlings. Often, in less than one week, the seed bursts forth stretching for the sun and then changes every day in noticeable ways. I reuse all types of containers to hold the my soil pellets, and then there is my less than stellar or scientific labeling. Note to self: Stickies don’t stick long term. I’m excited to have a few ideas how to improve that situation, but I’ll save that for another day.

In case it’s not clear in the photos, the soil pellet is contained in thin netting. For some seeds that grow very fast, I cut the bottom before promoting to the final destination, whether container or bed.

Let me say it again, soil pellets are not mandatory. If you prefer to start your seeds in containers, egg shells or sew directly in the ground, great! Go for it! If you have limited space, or if you want to see if the seeds are “good”, this method works great for me. When I transplant depends on the plant. The first leaves that appear are called “cotyledon” or seeds leaves. They form from the embryo/seed. You will see the true leaves form later. I don’t bother to pinch the seed leaves, but some people do. If you would like to find out more about it click: True Leaf vs. Cotyledon

While there are many companies that sell seed pellets or seed starting soil, I ordered mine from Seed Savers you can also order their catalog online. They are one of my favored seed sources.

At first, you can barely tell the different baby plants apart. I can say, almost two weeks in, several of my labels have blown off once again, which means I’ll be doing some guessing. I did intentionally start flowers and have a list of the plants, even if there might be some question as to which ones are which. Last year I missed planting my sunflowers in time. Some plants take a good solid 90 days or more to grow to maturity. Two years ago I had a full fence/hedge of the most gorgeous sunflowers, I’m shooting for that again.

I try to select plants for purpose, consumption or pleasure. I try not to grow interesting food that I won’t eat. I have added flowers to encourage pollinators. I have seen a noticeable increase of bees and butterflies from the practice last year. I also like to grow plants with a variety of benefits, for example, I have several plants growing that are intended to deter mosquitoes or for tonics.

My recommendation is to plant what you love, whether flowers, veggies or trees.