I finally did it. I set aside a recent and unseasonably warm afternoon to start my seeds. It’s a little early in my zone 5 Massachusetts town, however I’m not alone. I’ve been receiving emails for weeks from people who already have sprouts. Needless to say, I felt a bit behind.
The last two years have not been successful in our small vegetable garden. Last year being the worst. Call it climate change. Call it a bad run of luck. I’m hesitant to put the work and effort into it this year. Then I start to think about the warm days of spring and heirloom tomatoes in the summer. I don’t really have a choice. I love organic home grown vegetables and I love to garden.
So I started my seeds and this year I am taking it easy. Here’s what I’ve planted thus far:
Tomatoes
Sun Gold
Mixed Heirloom (variety)
Husk
Sweet Cherry
Paste
Leeks
Peppers
Sweet variety
Herbs
Stevia
Basil
Parsley
This is the second year that I’ve used a soil blocker. A great little metal mold that turns special seed starting soil into compact squares for seed starting. There are numerous benefits that I’ll discuss in another article.
The seeds are starting to sprout already. They are sitting under grow lights in our basement for approximately 16 hours a day. I plan to harden them off in early to mid May and hope to get them in the ground end of May around Memorial Day. It seems so far away; but with the time change and lengthier days–it will be here before we know it.
What are you planning for your garden this year?
