Search This Blog

Friday, March 31, 2017

Successfully Starting Seeds, Part 2 (A Guest Post by Ran)

28 comments:

  1. Beautiful little seedlings! You need to get out to the country and have a greenhouse! I wish my husband would get interested in gardening. Growing up, my dad was, but my mom wasn't. Oh well! I hope no one gives me any April fools! Hugs, Andrea

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm hoping that the weather won't give me an April's Fool joke, Andrea! I do need a greenhouse! But it has to be one of those cute Beatrix Potter ones. If only I was just starting out life instead of slipping into old age, the things I would do! Oh well!

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
    2. So true. We aren't just starting out in life. I am trying to get into a more sedentary lifestyle as time is going too fast! Hugs, Andrea

      Delete
    3. I always waffle between taking things slow and just enjoying what time I have left here on Earth and on others days so busy because I'm not getting any younger. :)

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  2. Well Jane, I've seen a lot of seed planting tutorials in my time, but most of them have left me still with questions, whereas this one does not. So even though I've been gardening quite a while, I'm booking marking this post. Thank you for taking the time to take photos and sharing your method in words.
    Have a great weekend!
    Toni

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm so glad you liked it, Toni! Sorry about the wonky text, don't know what was going on there. Ran is a technical writer, I was thinking it didn't need so many pictures, but now I'm glad they are there, if it helps illustrate the point. Thanks for the comment, Ran will be pleased.

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
    2. Tell your husband the post is excellent. Hey, in this world of electronic wonders it's a wonder we can do anything right, especially with word correct on our devices. I just reread my comment and it's got me in stitches "booking marking"...hahaha.
      Y'all have a great day anyway. :)

      Delete
    3. Can't for the life of me, figure out why the text is highlighting some areas of the text like that. Gosh! Sometimes I just shudder at how horrible my posts are after I've written them. It seems I can never see the mistakes to edit them, until the article is posted. And the weird thing is that now I auto-correct my own words. Sometimes I wonder how on Earth that word got there, when I meant a completely different one.

      HUgs
      Jane

      Delete
    4. I know exactly what you mean, Jane, but your posts are never horrid. Anyway your readers are here for a visit with you, not a grammar lesson. My problem is I can't proof read what I've written worth a dime, and it shows. lol

      Delete
    5. If it means anything, I read you comment (first one) as book mark. And Jane, I assumed the highlighted text was Ran's writing and yours was the non highlighted part.
      Magonliastea is right, we're here to visit. :)
      Hugs, Jen

      Delete
    6. I read it as book marking, Jen, and thought isn't that a verb? The highlighted areas must have happened when I cut and copied.Ran writes things and sends them to me via e-mail. That's how we communicate when I'm upstairs and he's downstairs. Saves on the voices. And I think I can live off the grid!

      HUgs
      Jane

      Delete
  3. That was a great guest post and how-to! The pictures definitely helped. That's quite a process. You tend those seeds and little seedlings with a lot of care, don't you? I am sure your plants will grow well and reward you with lots of produce in time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hello Bless! It's a joy to watch those little seedlings turn into plants. Every planting season you get to experience a miracle, for what is more miraculous than a tiny little seedling turning into food to nourish you? Guess that's why I love gardening.

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  4. I have saved tomato seeds on towelling paper, then the following season, unroll, set out on a tray on top of seed mix, and gently water. This has always seemed to work quite well, in fact one year, I had so many seedlings I gave dozens and dozens away when they reached the planting out stage. Love the idea of a deeper bowl and a dark cupboard.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's a great way to do it, Jean. I think we gathered these seeds too early. As you know, to gather tomato seeds the fruit needs to be very ripe. All's well the ends well, the sprouted seeds are all coming up

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  5. Ran did a great job of explaining. Where in the house do you grow your seedlings? I don't believe I have a space for it here.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Vickie! We set up a table in our dining room, and replace out larger table with a smaller dining room table to make room for it. The larger table goes out to the enclosed porch in the meantime. It takes a lot of rearranging to make it work, but worth it!

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  6. Hi Jane and thanks for the info on the "blue " stuff--- i will be back later to read your seed post but wanted to say a quick thank you!! My seeds are up too!! I will have to share pictures---and my moonflower seeds took forever to sprout and i am thrilled they are now getting big and strong!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That's wonderful Debbi! Moonflowers are beautiful! Can't wait to see where you plant them. I tried starting some of those money plant seeds from those that blew in my yard. Only one sprouted out five, but I'll take it since they were old seeds. Wish I could find a source for them.

      HUgs
      Jane

      Delete
  7. Thank you for this timely post. I have been itching to get some seeds started. I thought about doing some today and then looked at our forecast for next week...the dreaded S word....NO!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hope that forecast is wrong, Debbie! We had snow here yesterday, fortunately it didn't stick. We like to start our seeds 6-8 weeks before planting, so it's time, whether we have snow or not.Hope you are having a restful week!

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  8. Good post! I've grown our flowers (many,not all) from seeds from years. People say "how do you do that?"---it's really not that hard, just takes a little time and a bit of skill and mostly in my case, just plain old LUCK! ha ha LOL Best part is----free seeds for next year when the season is over!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most of my flower garden has come from either seeds I started or from plants friends and neighbors didn't want, Debbi. IT's a true cottage garden. Whenever I'm out for a walk, if I see I flower that I love, I remember to go back there to collect the seeds in the fall. Cheap way to get a yard full of flowers and very rewarding.

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  9. Thanks for the tips! I am late doing any planting this year, but better late than never. Hope it will be a great growing season, and I must remember to buy some opalka seeds next year to try.
    Kathy (for some reason, I seem to have trouble signing in to comment)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Kathy! That's true about being better late than never. I find once the plants are in the ground, they catch up anyhow. Opalka and German Strawberry tomatoes are my two favorite varieties. Both are meaty and sweet, prefect for a tomato sandwich.

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
    2. I'll add Opalka and german strawberry to my wishlist for next year. I do love tomatoes!
      Just curious if you plant by the phases of the moon? My Daddy always did, and he had an amazing garden. I don't usually pay much attention, and I don't have the best yields.

      Delete
    3. Hi Kathy! No, I never have, I think the best thing you can do is to continuously amend your soil with rich compost and be very careful about watering. Other than that, it's just luck of the draw. So much depends on the soil you have to work with to begin with. I guess planting by the phases of the moon is worth trying, whatever it takes to have success!

      Hugs
      Jane

      Delete
  10. Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

    Hugs
    Jane

    ReplyDelete