Preparing for Seeds

 It is still winter and the anticipation of spring is both exciting and ominous.  All of these plans we make actually have to be carried out.  And you can't make greenhouse style plans if you have no greenhouse.  I have to make sure that I am prepared to start things when they need to be started in the conditions they need to survive.  Otherwise the seed purchases and summer dreams will be all for naught.

This starts with a calendar and some facts.  Seeds don't all want the same thing.  For starters, some need light to germinate and others need dark to germinate.  It helps me to make a chart.  Nasturtium are the only thing I am starting that require darkness.  Those will be started in the basement.  They also require either soaking or scarification (breaking the shell).  Everything else can be started in the cold frame.

Did you notice in my chart that these seeds require 75 degree soil?  That won't be accomplished in the cold frame the first week of April without a heat mat.  I have two tray size heat mats that I have used for years in my basement set up for tomatoes and other veggies.  I plan to order a large heat mat (20" x 48") that will fit four trays at a time.  My old ones are not adjustable and they typically keep the soil five to ten degrees warmer than ambient temperature which works well for the basement.  This one has a temperature sensor which can be set at 75 and it will regulate itself to maintain the desired temperature.

Another thing I need to have is enough seed starting mix.  I usually use potting mix in the cold frame.  There are two caveats with that.  #1, reused potting mix is no longer sterile and you can get damping off problems.  #2, potting mix is a little coarse for seedlings and it helps to run it through a sifter to remove larger elements.  You can sift your potting mix and sterilize it with boiling water or some time in the oven.  Working with soil in April can be a bit of a hassle.  This year I am just going to buy a couple bags of seed starter.  You know, its the little luxuries in life that make us happy.

This year I am going to grow some Ranunculus.  This is sort of exciting.  I've seen them on the internet and they are beautiful.  To be successful, it is recommended that you soak the corms and set them in potting soil for ten to fourteen days to pre-sprout them before you plant them out.  I am going to use regular (non-draining) plant trays to do this.  This will begin March first.  I will need to make sure I have unfrozen soil to use.  We are supposed to get a 45 degree day coming up.  I will probably still need some warm water to thaw the iceberg, but it will be a good day to go out to the dirt locker and work on that project.

Something else that can benefit from pre-sprouting is Dahlia tubers.  Again, you fill a tray with soil and place the tubers in the soil and put them in the sun.  This is sort of like chitting potatoes.  You want to wake them up without risking planting them out in the ground too early.  If they are in trays you can move them to the warmest, sunniest spot and bring them in at night.  I have these bus tubs (for restaurant use) that will be the right size.  Again, I'm going to need soil but the Dahlia sprouting won't begin until May 1st so hopefully things will be more thawed out by then!

Speaking of soil.  I need more.  Every year I buy about a dozen large 50 quart bags .  The first priority for new soil is my container tomatoes.  They always get new soil because I want it to be free of disease and high in nutrients.  In the fall I save all of my good potting mix for the next year.  I have the 73 gallon dirt locker and I also have four heavy 18 gallon Rubbermaid totes.  Anything leftover that doesn't fit into this storage is either dumped in the raised beds or into the compost pile.  This starts me out with 145 gallons of potting mix.  Its still not enough.  I will need another dozen bags or so to fill my expectations.  

And this list only includes my set plans.  It won't cover me deciding to plant up leftover marigolds in small decorative pots to place here and there in bare spots.  It won't cover any perennials I want to dig into the creek beds because those each require fiber pots of soil.  I will be able to stretch the potting mix quite a bit by adding about 25% of my finished compost to each container.  Suddenly 145 gallons of saved potting mix doesn't seem like a lot.  But a simple decision like not planting sweet potatoes can change the scenery quite a bit. These are the things I need to know and take into consideration.  If I DO end up buying fourteen bags of new potting mix to plant everything my heart desires I will be faced with a storage problem in the fall.  Its a system of checks and balances.  I make my plans and consider the consequences.

Parting Shot:  Some spare Strawberry Blonde Marigolds spontaneously using up some of that valuable potting mix.