Garden Seed Starting & Planting Schedule & Some Seed Starting Tips....

I have had several requests to share my garden schedule....so here is a condensed version! Keep in mind...I am in MO where we have nutty weather and I am zone 5.

End of December/Early January: Start Onion seeds indoors.

Late January through February: Start a few Romaine and Butterhead lettuces and Spinach every 2 - 3 weeks. I am starting a few at a time for succession. I recently ordered Swiss Chard seeds, so I will be starting those too when they get here.

Week of March 19th - Start Tomatoes, Peppers, Ground Cherry, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Radicchio, Herbs, Stevia, and Flowers indoors.

Between March 26 - mid April: As soon as the ground can be worked in this period, I will harden off and plant outside the Onions, Lettuces, and plant Potatoes, Carrot seeds (which will also be succession planted every 2 weeks or so thereafter), and more successions outdoors of Romaine & Butterhead lettuce seeds and leaf lettuce seeds.

Week of April 16th: Start Pumpkin, Squash, Melons, and Cucumbers indoors.

After May 15th: If the weather is looking good, I'll have everything started the weeks of March 19th and April 16th hardened off and ready to plant around May 15th, or more toward the end of May if things aren't looking so good. I'll also direct seed Green Beans, Dill, and Cilantro. It is definitely worth it to wait until things are warm enough, or to take measures to protect from the cold.

Right now we just got about 8 inches of snow. February has been cooler than average. It makes me wonder about Spring! I keep thinking of the March saying...In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb. I hope that is true! At this point, I just hope the temps are average and that things dry out so we can get the garden ready by the end of March.

Seed Starting Tips:

Here are a few of the things I do to start seeds.

• I use a sterile seed staring mix. I mix it in a bowl with water until well moistened. Then I put it in whatever container I am starting in, add seeds, cover with soil to desired depth, and cover with a dome or plastic wrap. As soon as they sprout, the cover comes off and it goes under grow lights. Sterile seed starter has no nutrients so transplanting into a larger container with soil when the seedling starts to get true leaves is a must.

• I use both store bought flats and food containers to start seeds. Seeds can be started in just about anything!

• Some things are picky about having their roots messed with and don't care to be transplanted. For them I have had great success by filling a 4 inch pot 3/4 of the way with regular soil and the rest of the way with sterile mix and starting as stated above. This way they get the benefit of the sterile mix while germinating and then they grow down into the regular soil and get the nutrients. I never start anything in straight potting soil though. Too risky. I have also used this method this time of year when I have extra space under the lights.

• I have tried both grow lights and starting in a window. A southern facing window is great, but I only have one, so I have two separate grow light set-ups. One is a book shelf with a 24 inch grow light mounted to the underside of each shelf, for a total of 3 lights on it. The other is a wooden frame Hubby built and holds a long fluorescent shop light, suspended by chains so it can be moved higher or lower depending on plant height. I keep it close to the plants without touching. I keep my lights on the seedlings about 16 hours per day.

• I don't use heat mats. We use wood stoves so it is plenty warm in the rooms with a wood stove to get things to germinate. I do move the cooler things, like onions and lettuce, to a room with out a heat source one sprouted. I will keep the warmer things, like Tomatoes, in the heated room.

• I do have a whole different set up to start Stevia! It gets special attention because it is a picky one to start from seed! :) The way I started it last year worked beautifully and I am going to do it again.

• Hardening off is a must! At least a week, 10 days is better, gradually expose seedlings to the outdoors. You can also start this indoors by letting a fan blow on the seedlings some; it will help to toughen them up.

• I am starting several things indoors that could be started outdoors. Like Melons, Squash, Cukes, Pumpkin. I am doing this for several reasons. It gives them a nice head start. When I direct seed, the weeds also start to germinate about the time the seeds do and this makes it easier to differentiate. It also gives the plants a good head start on the weeds and makes it easier to hoe around and weed.

Well, that is it for now! Keep in mind, I am not a gardening expert! :) I learn as I go, I read all I can get my hands on, I ask A LOT of questions, I try and try again, I modify when something doesn't work, and I have fun doing it! :) With that in mind...if you have any questions...please ask away! If you'd like me to start rambling about growing each specific thing, let me know! :)

What are you up to in, or in preparation for, your gardens? Are you more than ready for Spring to get here already, as I am? I called Mother Nature a bad name under my breath this morning when I woke up and saw all this darn SNOW! ;) LOL