The Rural Voice, 1983-03, Page 55Head start
on
Spring planting
by Rhea Hamilton
When the new seed catalogues come
in the mail in January, I spend hours
pouring over the listings for the biggest
and the best of every kind of vegetable.
When I finally make up my mind what
would be best for our meagre vegetable
patch, the order is swiftly sent.
Almost as soon as the seeds arrive,
they are sorted and the vegetables are
planted in flats on the dining room
table. By the time they are ready to go
outside, it is still too cold and the
seedlings have already suffered through
one or two dry spells and have become
long and gangly. Even the sturdy little
cabbage seedlings cannot withstand the
whiff of a spring breeze before they flop
to the ground.
I had almost come to the conclusion
there must be some magic to starting
your own seeds. My plants never look
like the plants I buy at the grocery store
in May to replace my futile efforts.
The "magic" has been lifted after
chatting with Jean McKee. McKee
starts her own seeds and sells vege-
table plants and perennials.
Horticulture and agriculture are a way
of life for McKee. She is currently head
gardener at Benmiller Inn, responsible
for starting the bedding plants and
creating their floral arrangements.
McKee's first piece of advice is "do
not start your plants too early.'
The first of April gives you plenty of
time to start seeds for the garden, she
says. Started before this, the plants will
become long, spindly and rootbound.
Consider the planting medium next,
she says. A good porous mixture
should be used. McKee uses a commer-
cial starter like Ready Earth or Jiffy
Mix. She also mentioned a mixture
made by Cornall which is both sterile
and complete with nutrients for the
seedlings. Having a sterile mixture,
allows your seedlings to germinate and
grow without competition from weed
seeds or problems with harmful bac-
teria.
McKee starts her seeds in flats, but
for the home gardener, a shallow
container (egg carton or aluminum pan)
PG. 56 THE RURAL VOICE, MARCH 1983
RURAL LIVING
with holes in the bottom for drainage
would work.
Pat the soil in the flat and either
mark furrows in the flat with a ruler or
scatter the seeds over the surface and
sift some soil on top. Be sure to check
your package for recommended seed
depth.
Plunge the flat into water up to the
level of the seeds and let soak. Once
out of the water, drain and cover the
flat with wet newspaper, glass or even a
plastic bag to keep the humidity up and
moisture in.
Once the seedlings have germinated
and broken through the surface of the
soil, move the flat closer to the light.
One final note on the germination.
Tomatoes need a little more warmth to
successfully germinate. Ideal tempera-
ture would be between 70 and 75
degrees; other seeds like broccoli and
cabbage prefer cooler temperatures
closer to 60 or 65 degrees.
The first two weeks after the seeps
have sprouted is a very delicate time.
Don't let your seedlings dry out and
keep them from light that is hot or
strong.
You can transplant plants once they
have sent up true leaves. preferably
after the second set.
McKee says potting soil doesn't have
to be as fancy as the soil used for
starting the seeds. You can use garden
soil (if you brought it in last fall and
warmed it up to room temperature
before using it). Add equal parts of peat
or perlite. If your soil is heavy, coarse
sand will make the mixture more por-
ous.
When transplanting the young seed-
lings, use the end of a pencil to make
holes in the soil and firm the soil
carefully around them. Keep them in
the shade for a day or two before
moving back into the sunlight.
McKee is a firm believer in fertilizer.
She has found a soluble solution high