Why Grow From Seed!

Hey Everyone,

Have you ever visited the garden centers and seen plants left wilted and neglected?  Unfortunately, this scenario happens more often than we realize.  Luckily, a clerk comes along with some water; the plants perk back up and then happily find their way to someone's home and garden.  The downside to this all too common picture is most often these water stressed seedlings have the odds already stacked against them.  Many of these plants will be unable to reach their maximum capabilities.  Commonly you will see these plants bolt prematurely, set less fruit, and more readily develop disease and pest problems.  This is also just one example, as there are too many to mention.

These are doing well indoors under a standard shop light
 with high output vegetative growth bulbs.

Strong viable seeds and healthy transplants are paramount for the success of any home garden. Seedlings that have naturally developed roots without the excess use of chemicals are more likely to reach their full potential in your garden with less dependence on fungicides and/or pesticides.  Healthier stock grown under optimum conditions not only sets the stage for success, but also minimizes the risk of introducing soil-borne diseases.  However, you must ensure the use of uncontaminated soil when germinating the seeds yourself.

I have found in starting my own seeds that the world is a playground when it comes to unique varieties to grow.  Instead of purchasing transplants geared for appealing to the masses, varieties are chosen for their historical value, intense flavors and textures, ability to adapt to our climate, and greater disease resistance.  By choosing these varieties wisely, yields often increase giving me an even bigger bang for the buck when getting the most back out of the garden.  I could not imagine a spring without Indiana Amish Lettuce or a summer without a Paul Robeson, Japanese Black Trifle, or Garden Peach Tomato.  They are truly heaven in a plant and never found at the local nurseries.

Elegance Greens from Johnny's Selected Seeds
getting some fresh air!

For those who may be interested in starting their own seeds, there are only a few basic principles involved.  Amy Whitney, a horticulturist from the Cobb County Extension Office teaches a wonderful class on the topic and has one coming up next month.   She is a seasoned gardener with over 20 years of experience and possesses a wealth of expertise and knowledge in this area.  Each class is informative and well worth the time spent attending.  The link below is to her blog with the upcoming dates mentioned.  For those unable to attend classes, all the major seed suppliers have abundant information on their web sites as well, relating to the germination of seeds and the care they require.

http://atlantaveggies.blogspot.com/2014/01/garden-plans-and-events.html - Link to Amy's blog from the Cobb County Extension Office.

In addition, these links will take you to the sowing guides from Botanical Interests.  They are informative charts with proper sowing times for many of the vegetables you may wish to grow.  Now is the proper time for starting many seeds and these charts serve as a useful tool for keeping the endeavor on track.  Most consider April 15th as our last frost date.

https://botanicalinterests.com/img/site_specific/uploads/IndSpgSowGuideVegHerb.pdf - link to the Indoor Spring Sowing Guide for Vegetables & Herbs.

https://botanicalinterests.com/img/site_specific/uploads/OutSpgSowGuideVegHerb.pdf - link to the Outdoor Spring Sowing Guide for Vegetables & Herbs.  This link is for those who prefer directly sowing their seeds into the garden.

Happy Sowing,

Denise, Beds 25 & 29