As winter’s toll rolls on, don’t despair, but instead turn to planning your garden. No, I’m not crazy. The perfect time to start planning your garden is when winter is still nipping at your heels. At that point, you can pull out the multitude of seed catalogs and take a look at what the experts have to offer. You can also lay out on paper the general outline of your new or renovated vegetable garden or flower beds. Making your plan serves two purposes: it prepares you for what you’ll need to order or buy or even to pre-grow indoors long before you need it outdoors. But, it also eliminates the thumping drums of winter that kick in when, at a certain point in winter, you’ve had enough and are ready for spring.
So, in addition to putting down a sketch of your garden, or a new flower bed, you can prepare yourself by reading up on whether or not those seeds can be grown indoors. Some plants, many actually, can be “started” is what they call it inside. This allows the gardener to not have to wait as long for the bounty of greens the plant will provide. It also prevents them from having to spend part of their budget buying pre-grown plants from a greenhouse. Saving on the budget is always a good thing, right?
So all you will really need for your pre-grown plants is:
• Scheme-since it tells you how many plants you need.
• One floor, filled with empty six-pack planting containers.
• Mix potting soil with fertilizer.
• Small plastic picnic cups
• Larger plastic picnic cups
• Seeds
• Cordless drill with drill bit or large nail
Once you know exactly how many plants you’ll need, you’re ready to go. All of the supplies listed can be obtained at your local hardware or lawn and garden store; some can even be found today at your local pharmacy. Once you have your tray with your empty six-pack container, simply fill them, the six-pack containers, full of soil; but don’t compact it, you want it nice and loose. Then wet it well. Now the preparation of your tray is ready.
You can then label and put one or two seeds per hole, per plant type, in each of the six packets. This part is important, try to make a six pack a type of plant; this is so you don’t have to waste time guessing which plants they are because they weren’t labeled. Then cover the floor with plastic wrap and place it on your window base or on a table that the tray will fit snugly in front of your window. When the plants emerge and have their first two leaves, you can remove the plastic. Make sure that when you have the plastic on and after you take it off, you check every day to make sure the soil is moist.
When they get over six packs you can make two holes (use your nail or drill), for drainage, in the bottom of your smaller plastic cups, fill them with soil, wet and transplant your larger plants into them. As they get even bigger, repeat this with the larger plastic cups. Voila, you have just made your own plants for your garden.
Some seeds will be more stubborn than others to grow inside; but with a little practice you can conquer the most stubborn plants and grow them easily.