Our seedlings have sprouted and are growing and this proud momma is beaming with excitement over my new plant babies. I planted our first round on Jan. 26, second round on Feb. 6th, and third round on March 7th (see "Seedling Breakdown" below). I mulched and fertilized the "big bed" (5'x8'), getting it ready for planting, and this weekend, I plan on getting a couple more 3'x3' cedar beds set and prep the soil for my goal to plant on or around April 17th (weather permitting), after our average last frost date of April 14th.
This is our first time starting seedlings and has definitely been a learning experience, mostly relative to having a good enough light source. While the seedlings sprouted just fine (we had about a 90% success rate!), many are long and leggy, which are indicative signs of not having enough light, despite being in a south-facing bay window (as shown above). Most of their first weeks were in cloudy weather (it is Oregon), with occasional sunny days, so I think I'll have to break down and get a growing light or two, something I have been putting off mostly because of cost and the stigma of being a "crazy plant lady."
I have a very extensive Excel spreadsheet (shown below) that captures all seedling details like planting depth, germination temperatures, days until sprouting, days to maturity and how much sun they need. I've been logging my planting dates, sprouting dates, success rates and other notes like soil types and how many seeds planted in each container. I've been following several "homesteading" YouTube personalities, farmers, growers and self-reliant channels for ideas, how-to's and tons of inspiration (see "Resources" at the bottom).
I go into this season with a newfound confidence in growing (fingers crossed for successful planting), especially now that I know how to can all that excess food that I didn't know what to do with last year. We're prepared to grow, water, love and nurture our new garden babies as they grow and give back to us, so bring on the bounty! 💚
Breakdown of Seedlings Planted:
1) Jan. 26th (longer growing plants) = basil, chives, cilantro, dill, carrots (dragon), Roma tomatoes, and artichoke
2) Feb. 6th = first round of lettuces (cerise, romaine and tennis ball), and cherry tomatoes
3) March 7th (faster growing plants) = carrots (caracas), zucchini, green beans, spinach, cucumber, sunflowers, potatoes, sweet corn, lettuces (second round, same as Feb 6th). [3/16 = asparagus roots]
4) April 15th = 3rd round of lettuce (romaine and cerise)
5) ~May or June 15th = TBD (last of the succession planting; root crops)
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My Resources:
Gardening/ Homesteading:
Mother Earth News I get most of my inspiration and tips from this website/ email subscription, including weekly tips on random topics, tutorials, sales on books, video courses and other resources. Most information is free, but any costs for other things are very reasonable (see book bundles!).
Melissa K. Norris 4th generation homesteader in the Pacific Northwest that does tutorials and courses on canning, gardening, live stock production and other homesteading tips and tricks.
DIY Farmer Keith A D.I.Y. farmer located in Tennessee specializing in market farming suited for small plot intensive veggie production. Easy to follow, short and sweet videos.
Building/ Survival:
My Self Reliance Our new hero; off-the-grid living in Canada and how to build your own shelters, tools and other outdoorsy tips.
TA Outdoors "The British Beast" - this guy builds shelters the old Viking way, using primitive tools, building techniques and sources native materials to do so. Zero frills.
