So, it is now March. The wind is howling, snowfall has turned into falling sheets of ice, and there is now a cat who has taken up residence on my back porch...and is declaring to the world the rites of spring. One almost wants to just throw a pillow at her beautiful neck and yell, "Go tell it to the gopher!", but she is right. Spring is upon us (though Utah has yet to be able to prove it), and everyone is starting to think "green"!
Well aside from the false chance at getting pinched a time or two (and hopefully do some pinching) with the blessings of St. Patty, March also means getting your garden figured out (at least here in northern Utah. Those of you lucky enough to have already passed this point...go gloat to your flip-flops). And the question I have been hearing the most is: what do I need to do to start early, and what can I just grow in the ground? So here is my answer: if you have never done a garden in your life, feel free to start some tomatoes or pumpkins to get some experience and teach your kids with. Otherwise, I would recommend planning getting some starts from your local greenhouse. For all of you out there (myself included in the first of these) who are either dumb enough to ignore that advice or experienced enough (or with a great green thumb, pinkie, and big toe) to not need it but looking for a laugh anyway...read on.
My method is something very familiar to most: I like to remember what I learned in kindergarten. And no, I do not mean about staying within the line! I'm talking about all those lovely bean plants we were always so proud to take home to mom and dad...unless you were like me and yours was the one that had either gotten too dry, drowned like a rat, or just went pasty as soon as it peeked out and saw the sun. Go get a big ol' bag of cheap plastic cups (you know, the little clear ones), and some gardening soil. Having said all that, you can also use things like peat pots, plastic pots (from other, previous plants), etc. The only things you need to beware of are things that will prohibit growth (for instance, we tried to recycle a used plastic lexan/pan from a restaurant last year...yeah, that didn't work so well).
Yes, there is a difference between gardening soil and potting soil. Basically, gardening soil is more like the mud your kids dig up in the yard and the potting soil is the "perfect, indoor blend" which doesn't do much to prepare your plants for the rigors of outdoor life. My recommendation (just based on my own experiences) is to just get the garden soil and look to your favorite Ag. agent for the detailed explanations...or be prepared for the lush, green plants you have so carefully babied to lay down dead in shock at the sight of the harsh future before it. I swear, this has actually happened to me before...I'm just saying...
Ok, next up: the seeds. First of all, consider carefully what you actually need to start ahead of time. I do not recommend just looking at the list of whatever plant/garden starts your local Walmart typically has in stock later in the season. Basically, just think about what you really want to grow then double check which ones have the longest growing seasons or are susceptible to frost. Around here you pretty much want to be planting starts of anything that takes longer than about 90 days to harvest...or that wilts when Jack Frost sneezes (think tomatoes, pumpkins, melons, gourds, several onions, peppers, etc). Another thing to consider is how finicky the seeds themselves are (things like herbs that you basically blow into the soil and try to keep moist enough to sprout until they work themselves deeper)...those you definitely want to grow from starts if you live in an "arid" environment (aka: Utah). Ok, now that you've considered all this...go get your seeds. Make sure that if you are buying seeds in bulk, you get the planting instructions for each variety. If you are not buying them in bulk (for instance those of us who use EBT cards to pay for our garden seeds and have to get them from approved stores), the packets will usually have the instructions included on the back.
Alright, now we have our soil, our cups, and our seeds...we are ready to plant! Basically, fill the cups about 1/2-3/4 of the way to the top, follow seed planting instructions as given, and...oh, wait. Two other things I forgot to mention....
Basically, before you fill every cup in the package you bought full of dirt you want to consider what space you are going to use to put your sprouts on. In my apartment, by the time we are finished we generally have every square inch of windowsill, available kitchen bar space, and the tops of available bookshelves covered in little plastic cups. Do Not plan on just using your dining room table or kitchen counters for this since I'm guessing that you don't want to eat out or starve for the next 2 months...
The other thing is to make sure you have a spray bottle with a mister option. I know, I know, it is really sissy-fied...but it works a whole lot better, especially on seeds like herbs. And please don't use the same bottle as the one you spray over your kids' hair unless you don't mind fertilizing whatever they have managed to get into their scalps when you weren't looking (we have a true story in my family about my dad's ear and a hay seed...but I'll save that for another time).
Ok, get some dirt under those lovely fingernails of yours and dig in! Follow the instructions on your packets, spray water in each cup until the soil is moist (but not water-logged, you are not making mud pies no matter what your 3 year old says!), and put in a warm, sunny place. Make sure that the sunny place does not get covered in frost during the evenings, and then sit back and enjoy the childhood flashbacks...
Happy Planting!
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