seed starting.

Last year, almost all the gardening I did was from plants. I knew this year I wanted to try starting most of my garden from seeds and if that didn't work, use plants as a last resort. Not only are seeds cheaper, they are obviously the most natural way to start a garden with your own effort. And they are, not so obvious to my ambitious side, really hard when you are a beginner.

Last month I read The Seed Starter's Handbook. Honestly, I wish I would have picked it up a week or two sooner because I felt a little behind when I started my seeds. It's a great guidebook for what to start when and basic information on how the process works. I still have a million questions and will probably re-read this book every year.

I purchased a shelf unit and some clamp on grow lights from Home Depot and set up shop in the spare bedroom. It gives me lots of room - three shelves worth! - to start plants and when it's nice outside, I just let them sit in the sunshine for the day. I started kale, kohl rabi and turnips first and I need to do some research on what I did wrong. I ended up with some plants that I could put in the ground but they are pretty leggy and have weak root systems. I'm not sure if it's over/under watering, not enough natural sunlight, under/over fertilizing or the soil. I need to read up on it.
I started eggplant, dill, tomatoes and peppers next and those are looking really good as plants...even better than my cold weather plants. I am trying to get them outside and used to the sun as much as possible but it's been so overcast and cold lately that it's been a little difficult. Crazy that in two weeks it will be warm enough that I'll be able to put them in the ground!
I started some herbs (basil, oregano, sage, etc) this weekend and some more tomatoes. I feel a bit behind on my herbs but I'm not sure how quickly anything will grow once it heats up so maybe I am okay. I need to get some cucumbers started this week and hope they hold up with being transplanted...I hear they are a bit finicky with being relocated.

I'm still so new that I'm not sure the timing of everything, what should be transplanted, what should not be transplanted, etc. I'm just trying to go into this with the attitude that I will probably kill some things and that's okay...better luck next year. Maybe. Hopefully.