Mistress Talia: a sadistic domme

Previously, I posted about how gardening catalogs keep me warm through the winter. However, after a few months, the catalogs are not enough and I need to start seeds.

Besides the advantage of reducing cabin fever by having something growing in the house, seed strating is convenient throughout the year because you can start seedlings without giving up garden space.

I prefer using the sized cells that fit 72-cells into a flat, square ones. But I make prefer them to be split into 6-packs as I have never figured out how using the 72-cell system is manageable, those trays are too flimsy to support the whole thing. A 6-pack is much more manageable.

I fill the cells completly with potting soil. My potting soil contains compost, as when I empty pots back into the can I store it in, I mix in compost. While you don't need fertilizer to start seeds, the seedlings do need it within a week or so, so having it available saves me a transplant.

The potting soil is dry when I add it, so after adding water, it compacts a bit. I then top off the cells with vermiculite. Vermiculite is very light and airy, and therefore doesn't form a crust, making it easier for seedlings to emerge. It also holds water very well, keeping the seeds damp until they sprout. After topping off the cells with vermiculite, I water again to damped the verminuclite thoroughly.

I plant seeds in the vermiculite layer, no more than 2 per cell. I plant a few more cells than I want plants. I put the cells in a tray with about an inch of water, put the tray on a heating mat, and cover the whole thing with a plastic greenhouse cover so it stays damp. Believe it or not, I do this on a rolltop desk. Closing the desktop over the tray keeps the cats out of the thing.

I've never understood the system of sowing in flats and then transplanting to cells, as it seems difficult and finicky to transplant such tiny seedlings. With my method, they sprout in the ideal soil for sprouting, but can immediatly begin growing into the potting soil below, so it saves a transplant.

Of course, when they sprout, I remove them from under the rolltop desk. I have a small set of shelves I bought at an auction, then fitted the bottom of each shelf with a fluorescent light. Now experienced gardeners who have money to burn will tell you that you need specific types of lights, expensive grow lights. I didn't bother. I figured before I picked up the shelves, I started seeds in a windowsill that got crappy winter light, so the fluroescents are better than what I used to do - and that worked fine.

To keep the cats out, I stapled some plastic sheet to cover the back and both sides of the shelving. I punched a bunch of holes in the plastic with a paper punch for ventilation. In the front, there's a piece of sheet that overlaps the wrapped sides and back, with a heavy dowel stapled into the bottom to keep it down.

It's not exactly a high-class setup, but it works.

First up are the early spring crops, broccoli and cauliflower, which can go into the garden a lot earlier than most seeds, as well as leeks, which need a very long growing season.

You calculate when to start seeds based on the average date of your last frost. Ours is May 5th, so all planning for spring and summer planting is based on that.

Broccoli seedlings can go in the garden 5 weeks before the last spring frost, so you can start seeds 12 weeks prior. This year, I'm growing the DeCicco variety, though I might try Nutribud next year.

Cauliflower and leeks go out a bit later, about 4 weeks before the last frost, so I start the seeds about 10 weeks in advance. I'm growing the Snowball variety of cauliflower and Lancelot leeks.

(I don't start onions from seed, because I like the yellow potato onion. These divide like shallots rather than making seed. So I plant about 10 lbs of onions in fall, and the next summer harvest about 100 lbs, of which I reserve 10 lbs for replanting. It does mean a chunk of the garden is in onions most of the year, but I figure it's worthwhile as it's so easy).

Starting seeds, especially for the early spring crop, means that in early February, I can start playing with seeds in the house and by the end of February, I have seedlings to pamper, making me feel like spring is on the way!

And by March there's usually a few days warm enough for me to start sugar snap peas directly in the garden. I put an old window over a chunk of soil near the fence line the preivous fall, so the soil will thaw if we have a day or two above freezing. Peas don't transplant well, so you can't start them inside, but they can tolerate freezing, so I get them out pretty early.

By the time the peas have sprouted, the broccoli can be transplanted (with a bit of compost as a side dressing) and the onion bed can be weeded and hoed, and I'm no longer suffering cabin fever at all!