Many of us just have a great time planting seeds. It's fun to see these small portions germinate and then grow into large often flowering and fruiting plants. Do you realize what you can get from a packet of seeds?
Well you could get about 30 tomato plants, 100 broccoli plants, 60 marigolds or a bed of periwinkle. Yes, this bed periwinkle pictured came from a 10 cent packet of seeds. Now, not all seed are going to be this cheap but you can usually get a reasonable buy for just about a dollar at local garden centers. If you order specific varieties from the seed catalog then you are usually going to pay more plus you have to pay shipping and handling which has gotten expensive.
Here are some plants I am starting from seed very soon; delphinium, foxgloves, phlox, California poppies, hollyhocks, pansies and petunias. I already have broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage almost ready for the garden. Now here is what I do:
- Sow seeds in small pots or cell packs.
- Fill the containers with a loose potting or germination mix.
- Add one or two seeds to each pot or cell of the packs.
- Keep moist and in the light the seedlings are going to need to grow.
- Feed with a half strength 20-20-20 or similar fertilizer solution once a week if needed for growth.
- Transplant when they are garden center size to the garden or larger containers.
Now this is easy and a quick way to produce the transplants you need. Many, from seed to transplant only takes 4 to 6 weeks. Just imagine the money you could save.
