Starting from Seeds or Transplants? When the
time comes to plant your garden, you'll need to decide which plants
to start from seed and which to buy as transplants. Many gardeners
choose to plant all of their crops from seed for a variety of
reasons--including lower costs, greater selection, and the
challenge and satisfaction of seeing a plant go from seed to soup
bowl. But whether you're a greenhorn or a green thumb, there's no
shame in buying seedlings. Starting from seedling increases your
chances of success, especially with crops such as eggplants,
peppers and tomatoes that require a long growing season. If you do
decide to grow from seed, follow the directions on the packet and
keep in mind that you may have to soak, scratch, or chill seeds
before planting.
Keep Track: Label all your plants with the
date they were planted, the date they should be ready to harvest,
and the child's name that planted them. This will keep things
simple once it comes time to harvest your garden bounty.
How much should you water your garden? Fruits
and vegetables are made mostly of water, so you'll need to make
sure your plants are getting enough to drink. This is especially
important for seedlings that haven't developed a deep root
structure. You'll want to water them lightly every day or two.
Place some sort of plate or saucer under planter containers; this
ensures that some water can drain through the pot and be taken up
slowly over hot weather. Don't use saucers that are too big
(especially when planted outdoors) because this could lead to
mosquitoes breeding in drainage water after a week.
Don't forget about perennials and flowers! As
a general rule, its a good idea to include a few flowers in your
garden whether you're growing indoors or outdoors. Flowers add
beauty and colour to the garden (and the kitchen table if you grow
edible varieties like nasturtiums). Flowers also attract beneficial
insects, and in some cases can also repel undesirable ones.
Feed your plants! When planting indoors,
you'll be using a seed-starting mix. Any nutrients present in the
seed-starting mix will be gone after about three weeks, so your
seedlings will need supplemental feeding.
Regular Maintenance: All living things -
including people - require maintenance!
Plants are resilient and can get by without constant attention, but
it'll make things much easier if you have a simple plan in place to
account for any changes to your regular maintenance routine.