seed starting 101

There is so much info about seed starting, books, courses at the local botanical garden and through places like the lower east side ecology center, it is such a relief to come across these simple guides, and even more fun when they end up on your gardening pal's kitchen table in the Ukranian village in Chicago.

7 days after sowing

The Calendula, Arugula and Onions have started to show themselves just 7 days after sowing. I have placed the started seeds in the window sills and in spaces receiving sunlight but away from the windows. The plants that have started to sprout are not in the window sill, so I'm wondering if its still too cold near the window for the seeds to germinate. The length of time to germination varies with plants so they could just need more time.

The 6 packs and oatmeal containers are holding up fine for now. The toilet paper roll, on the other hand, is starting to feel pretty soft. They have all held their moisture pretty well, so I've only watered twice since planting them.

I'm collecting more waxed 1/2 gallon milk containers for my next seed starting day. They can be used for individual plants by cutting in half when vertical, or can be turned on their side and used for lettuce/greens starting beds.

First Seeds of the Season

Here I have just planted a some veggies and flowers in my newly found containers. I started arugula, onions, calendula, broccoli, swiss chard, morning glories, and grape tomatoes. It may be a bit early for tomatoes, but I thought I would give it a try and see how they take.

I started these all on March 1 and plan to have them in these containers for the next month and a half. The tomatoes are in plastic containers because I expect they will need a little extra time.

Seed Starting Containers

Today I began gathering containers for the Seed Starting Kits and quickly found myself rummaging through the neighbor's recycling bin. I found oatmeal containers, milk jugs, toilet paper rolls, various plastic dairy containers, and my personal favorite - 6 pack carriers.

I brought them in, washed them out, cut many in half, poked holes and filled with store bought compost. The 6 packs only needed a small modification. I decided to use those for the greens and lettuces, and simply cut out the dividers on each half and created two small rows.

I like the 6 packs because they are portable, already divided into smaller compartments and easy to find. I'm curious to see how well they will hold up with all the watering. I plan to use a variety of containers in the Seed Starting Kits.

Seed Sowing Schedule for NYC

I found this great seed sowing calendar on Just Food's website. It was created specifically for New York City and is based on an estimated Last Frost Date of April 15.

The Living Systems team will use this as a starting point and guide for the Waterpod Edible Garden.