Aerogarden

I have found Aerogardens do well with Basil and other herbs as well as some leaf lettuce. This I thought was supposed to be some kind of lettuce, but it has turned out to be some kind of chard and it has taken over.

Seedling Progress

The seedlings are coming along fairly well. The first tray was planted 2-3-11. Some of my seeds are a few years old and very slow to sprout. A package of Shasta Daisy seeds are from 2005 and so far one sprout. I just hate throwing seed away so I tried preserving them in a plastic shoe box in the frig. Not sure it's working.

I really love Jungle Gold Impatiens, but had trouble finding seeds this year. Finally found some at Summer Hill and Burpee. I'm waiting for Burpee's order to arrive. I planted the ones from Summer Hill. The packet says they take 15 to 20 days to germinate--so far I'm noticing 3 sprouts. Think there was only 10 seeds in the packet.

Planting Seeds in Fruit Packaging

I fill the bottom side of each bubble with half potting soil, then a top layer of seed starter. I find the seed starter doesn't absorb water very well--it seems to float. The potting soil absorbs well. The seeds are placed in the seed starter and I spray water on top to hydrate it. That seems to work. From then on, I just bottom water. The real trick is to get your seeds to sprout by keeping the soil moist--but not so much as to cause mold or rot.

Once the seeds have sprouted into plants with a second set of leaves, I will transplant them into individual containters.

The plant stand is timed to provide light 16 hours per day. I guess I could do 24, but I just think that's unnatural.

I had some leftover Dahlias from last year, so thought I'd see if they would come to life this year. Two -- in the large pots -- are starting to sprout. The pots have a drainage device in the bottom. Draining the water is very important. Seeds can rot--plants can drown.

Using Fruit Packaging to Start Seeds

After emptying the fruit packaging, I flipped it over. Using the pointy end of a protractor, I punched 5 holes in the bottom of each bubble for water drainage. The protractor easily pierced the plastic.

Starting the Seeds

A few years ago, I bought a plant stand with lights for indoor growing. It was quite expensive, and not at all sturdy. My husband had to rebolt the whole thing so it wouldn't fall apart when we had to move it. It comes with a non standard size tray, 11" x 16", that you have to use with it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find plastic dome lids for the trays, which are really necessary to retain moisture when starting seeds.

I think I found a solution in the produce section of Costco. Some of their fruit comes in plastic bubble packs which work well for storing Christmas ball ornaments. They also work well for starting seeds. The 12 pack fits just about right in the plant stand tray.

2011 Gardening Season Begins

Another Gardening Season begins in the mid east. For me it's mainly containers because of the yard predators, namely chipmunks, deer, and rabbits. So far no groundhogs. Last year we were faced with a new one that attacks everything including containers--the dreaded Stink Bug. They have backs of near steel that pesticides are no threat to. If you manage to hit them on their underneath side, you have a chance. They seem to multiply at a rate that makes rabbits look infertile. Their method of attack is to bore a hole through the vegetable or fruit and suck the inside out, leaving little white spots all over whatever you are trying to grow. I hope a vegetable or fruit hating critter develops a taste for them this year. My second choice would be a pesticide that can penetrate their backs--one that isn't a threat for human consumption. They seem to be attracted to heat and light. I'm thinking of trying one of those electric mosquito zappers.

Anyway, when the seed catalogs arrived this year, my usual excitement was a bit dampened by the prospects of another stink bug infestation. I decided to concentrate on flowers, because at least if you have to spray them with frightening quantities of non-eco friendly chemicals, you won't be consuming them.