A few days back, I started my tomatoes and basil. It’s early for me, others would consider it late. But often I don’t start them until May. I’m trying to get a jump on things this year. So I was outside, filling pots with soil and pressing in tiny seeds.
Don’t forget the tags! You’ll never remember what these are.
I also tried something new. I put a special heat pad under the little pots of seeds and soil to get them to germinate more quickly and keep them warm. It worked out great. They popped up in days. Now I have tiny little basil and tomato seedlings.
See how they turn towards the sun. Every, several times, I’ll turn them so they grow straight and strong. And I’ll pull out many of the little babies, leaving only 2 plants to a pot. Only the strong survive, plus, I’m trying not to plant too much this year. It’s hard though to snip off the leaves or pull out the tiny plants. Just be brave.
I used plastic pots this year, not peat pots. Peat pots tend to dry out more quickly than plastic and you have to leave space between the pots so air can circulate. Otherwise they mildew. The plastic pots save space. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to peat pots. The plastic ones can be reused until they fall apart but they need to be cleaned with hot water and bleach each year before using.
These will grow strong and stout. In about mid-to the end of May, they’ll go in the ground. The garden’s waiting. So am I.
