By Pat Dray
The Garden Spot
Pat Dray.
I’m so excited to see the days getting longer, and hopefully warmer, since it means it’s time to start getting serious about my vegetable garden. The seed catalogs that I’ve looked at all winter have plenty of pages marked, so the first question is: what do I want to plant and where?
If you’re like me and have had some tree trimming done, your garden may now have a lot more sun than it did last year. This means I have more flexibility regarding what I plant and how much of it, since vegetables need between six and eight hours of full sun.
Most vegetable gardeners start out with tomatoes, peppers, lettuces, cucumbers – your basic salad components. In general, if you want to start plants indoors from seeds they should be those that grow above ground. Vegetables like carrots, beets and radishes that grow underground should be sown directly into the garden. If you are purchasing seeds from a brick-and-mortar store, check the expiration date on the package so that you are sure you are purchasing “fresh” seeds.
The seed package will provide you with a lot of good information regarding where to plant (how much sun) and when to plant outdoors. The package may have dates explaining when to sow indoors, but if not it’s generally four to eight weeks before the last frost date. We are in USDA plant hardiness zone 7a, so the last date for expected frost is April 15. Working backwards from April 15, I can start the seeds indoors in late February or early March and transplant them in early May when the soil has reached around 60 degrees.
You can start your seeds in any container that is at least two inches deep. Even Solo cups with holes in the bottom work. I use small fiber pots and fill them with seed starting medium. These growing media are “fluffy” and allow for excellent drainage, are formulated to encourage root growth and free of weed seeds and disease. Follow the seed package directions for planting depth. Keep the starters moist but not wet, and keep them in a warm area to germinate, covered loosely with plastic wrap.
Once the seeds have germinated, the seedlings require strong light. If you don’t have a south-facing window, you will need to use a grow light. Otherwise your plants will stretch and lean to the light too much and will have weak stems. Water them when the planting medium is nearly dry on top. Again, keep it moist, not wet.
As your seedlings start to grow, you can “pinch back” after the seedling has at least two sets of leaves. Gently pinch or clip off a piece of the new growth at the end of a stem as close to the leaves as possible. This encourages the new growth and branching of the seedling. Don’t plant them outside too early.
Pat Dray is a past president of the Garden Club of Orange and a master gardener.