This time of year always sneaks up so quickly. During the spring and summer when folks say “have a nice weekend”, my standard response is “my weekend starts in October”. Well, my weekend is almost over and I can say without hesitation that it has been a cold one.
Yesterday I got in the seed-starting house and sowed seeds of cauliflower, brussels sprouts, cabbage, onions and tomatoes, and today I’m working on herbs and perennials that are to be started this time of year.
The handy-dandy propagation mats make starting seeds possible in this kind of weather:
They are 10 feet long and 12 inches wide and have thermostats so the temperature can be set according to the needs of the seeds.
I use a seed-starting mix that I mix up that contains potting soil, soil conditioner and vermiculite. The commercially-available mixes just dry out too quickly for my needs.
One of the most important parts of seed starting is making sure that everything is labeled. I use popsicle sticks in the greenhouse–they don’t last if used outside. Add a little water, some heat, good stuff from the Happy Hens–and that’s not eggs–and in a few months we’ll have delicious, nutritious, good things from the garden!
Wild Things Farm 