Winter is finally starting to lose it's grip although it is being stubborn in doing so. The key word is starting. Last week we had some days with temperatures in the 40s and even the 50s, however this week it's been cold again with a low of zero a few nights ago. Today was the first day of Spring, however we managed to get about an inch of snow.
About a month ago I wrote a post about winter sowing (http://dansgardening.blogspot.com/2015/02/its-seed-buying-timewinter-sowing.html). This technique works well for some cold hardy vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, kale, etc. However, for those vegetable which take longer to reach maturity such as tomatoes, long season onions, etc, it is better to start them indoors now to give them a longer growing season.
This past weekend I started Sweet Spanish onions, scallions, and leeks.
The technique is quite simply. All that is needed is a container to plant in and some good potting soil or seed starting soil. As I have mentioned quite a few times before, never use your garden soil to start seeds indoors. Chances are it contains microorganisms that can hamper germination and even cause seedlings to die off.
I use containers that originally came with peat pellets mainly because I have quite a few of them around. Any container will work that is covered (even using plastic wrap will work).
Before planting the seeds, moisten the soil evenly and flatten the surface using your hand. This will provide a planting surface which will allow for a uniform seed depth once you cover the seeds. Cover the seeds to the planting depth stated on the seed packet, tamp lightly with your hand.
The next step is to moisten the soil once again, I use a spray bottle with a fine mist as to not disturb the seeds. This is especially important when planting seeds such as onions and leeks since they are so fine.
Finally, I put on the plastic dome covers, These covers have vent holes which I drilled out last year to allow for some air circulation. The covers will retain enough moisture to allow the seeds to germinate properly. Place the containers in a warm location. It is not necessary to place them in a window for sunlight. Actually, the temperature in a window can be quite cool at night which may delay germination, An even temperature is more important for good germination.
Once the seeds sprout, it is a good idea to place them in the sun at least for part of the day. In future posts I will write about the progress of the onions and leeks and talk about planting heirloom tomatoes.
Until next time.
