Ever thought of growing your grains in your garden?  Worried you don’t have enough room? I grow small amounts of grain in my raised beds or plots dedicated to herbs.  So, if you ever had the itch to grow your grains, I will show you how.

In the past, I have grown amaranth, buckwheat, sorghum, quinoa, and oats. Since my family is gluten free, I have never attempted to grow wheat.  

In this article, I will focus on some of the easier grains such as buckwheat, sorghum and amaranth.

Oats are great to grow but you need to grow hulless oats if you want to use them for baking. 

As for quinoa, I never had good luck growing it.  Maybe my climate isn’t cold enough?  When it did grow, it was small and the seeds shattered before I was able to harvest the plant.

Grow Grains:  Buckwheat

Buckwheat is one of my favorite plants.   I use it as one of my flours in gluten free baking. I make buckwheat pancakes!

 When buckwheat is in bloom, it is beautiful and many pollinators will appreciate your efforts.

Plus, as compared to the other grains listed above, it is one of the shortest and thinnest grains to grow.  It grows to about 2 feet tall and can be inter-planted with other plants.

One year, I planted it among my kale hoping to fool the moths where my kale was.   Unfortunately, I could only fool a moth so long.

Where to Grow Buckwheat?

Originally I grew buckwheat in a bed.  It would re-seed every year. 

One year I decided to grow it in one of my raised beds.  This was a mistake since the tender, skinny stems just topped over.  If you want to grow it in your raised beds, make sure  at least half of the bed is full of soil (not mostly compost).

 When to Plant

So, how do you grow buckwheat? Buckwheat is a cool weather plant.  I seed my beds at the end of June for a fall harvest. (I live in zone 6.)  Mother Earth News advises planting buckwheat three months before your killing frost. 

 As I mentioned above, buckwheat re-seeds so the following year, you could possibly get two crops.  

To seed, just broadcast the seed in your designated area, put compost over the seeds, and keep watering until seedlings emerge. Be careful not to sprinkle too many or you will crowd the plants.  In turn, the plant will be spindly, and your yield will not be as good. (I have done this.)

The seeds germinate relatively quickly.

Harvest when 75% of the seeds are dark.  If you wait until 100% of the seeds are dark, many will have fallen to the ground.

I then mill the seeds and sift the hulls from the mixture.

Even if you don’t want to grow it for the seeds, buckwheat makes an excellent green manure and the bees adore it.

To learn more about growing and harvesting buckwheat, read HERE and HERE.

Grow Grains: Amaranth

The Amaranth flowers are quite showy.  But the seeds are the powerhouse since they are high in protein. A cup of cooked amaranth has 9 grams of protein.

Also, the young leaves taste like earthy spinach.   The leaves are an acquired taste.

Many people use it in their cereals or add a portion to their other grains when baking bread.

Before you get too excited about growing this plant, bear in mind, it can become invasive.  Its tiny seeds travel far and wide in your garden.  I planted them once and never had to plant again.  The red seedling reappears somewhere in my garden every year. I simply replant them.

How to Grow Amaranth

Similar to buckwheat, Amaranth grows best in the soil, not a raised bed.  The flower heads are quite heavy and will topple over in a raised bed.

I start amaranth seeds in the house and plant them after my frost date.  Space them a foot apart to allow them to grow.  As I mentioned above, you can harvest them for their young leaves, flowers, or seeds.

I harvest my amaranth right before a frost.  Simply rub a portion of the flower and see if the seeds fall into your hands.  If they do, it is time to harvest; otherwise most of the seeds will find their way to other parts of your garden.  Read how to harvest the amaranth HERE.

A word of caution–remove the seeds of  the plants either outside where you don’t care if the seeds reappear or inside.  I made the mistake of removing the seeds in my garage, and I had amaranth growing in all the cracks in my driveway.

To learn more about growing, harvesting, and cooking Amaranth, read HERE and HERE.

Grow Grains: Sorghum

Sorghum grows similar to corn.  In fact, many people mistake it for corn in my garden.  However, it can grow to 8 feet tall with a beautiful beaded head.  Take a look at it in the below video.

In the past, I have grown Red Broom and Mennonite sorghum.  Red Broom sorghum is stunning but hard to remove from its seed heads.  Mennonite sorghum was much easier to harvest.

To grow sorghum, you simply wait until your frost passes. Plant like you plant corn.  The seeds are much smaller.  I plant each seed about 12 inches apart.

I prefer to plant them in a plot rather than a raised bed.  The soil in a raised bed isn’t hard enough, and these plants get very tall.  If you plant them in a raised bed, be prepared to stake them.

I harvest the plants when the seeds turn a dark color around frost date.  Sorghum matures in 90 to 120 days.

Cut the stalks down and cut off the heads.  Don gloves.  Then, take a piece of hard wire cloth you can purchase at your local hardware store,  rub the head against the metal and the seed heads will fall into the container below.  See the video HERE on how I process sorghum. 

Similar to buckwheat, you can mill the grains, and sift the shells.

To learn more about growing sorghum, read HERE.

Although I don’t grow enough grains to last the entire winter, it is still fun to be self-reliant.  When a recipe calls for one of my grains, I beam with pride since I know I grew it.

Join the Conversation:

Do you grow grains in your garden?  Similar Posts:

• Growing Buckwheat from a Backyard Gardener
• Growing Amaranth and Enjoying the Super Grain all Year Long
• Oats and Rye Crop Cover. Reduces Erosion and Helps the Soil
• Amaranth: Cooking with this Super Grain
• Hulless Oats: How to Grow Them.

The post How to Grow Grains in a Small Garden appeared first on Green Talk®.

If Tina Turner was a gardener, she would sing, “what’s light got to do with it?”  Everything, my sunflowers.  If you want to grow successful indoor vegetable and flower seedling, proper lighting is the key.  Since this is the time to sow seeds indoors, let’s shed some illumination on proper lighting to grow seeds indoors.

Lighting to grow seeds indoors.

Before I begin, let’s dispel the window scenario right now. Use the window and your seedling will be lanky and spindly.  The window ain’t going to cut it unless you have the optimal southern exposure window scenario.  Most don’t, so “windowing” your seedlings is not an option.

Let’s get started on proper lighting to grow seeds indoors.  We want you swimming in happy seedlings!

How many light bulbs do I need?

According to the University of Missouri Extension, vegetable plants need higher level of light intensity as compared to other plants.  

“These plants need at least 1,000 foot-candles, or 20 watts per square foot of growing area, but should have higher intensities for best growth and flowering. Fixtures containing three to four fluorescent tubes are necessary for plants requiring high light intensity.”

Honestly, I couldn’t comprehend how many lights I needed using the 20 watts a square foot formula. I couldn’t find any state university information about a more simplified way to understand how many bulbs do you need per your growing space. 

LED Grow Lights Depot has a handy chart but stresses wattage should be measured from the wall not what the manufacturer states on the package.  In addition, they further state “wattage comparison” is generally not used when purchasing LEDs but it is a good start. 

Bright Agrotech, a vertical farming company, does a really nice job in explaining indoor lighting dynamics.  See it here.

When buying or making your own lighting fixtures, fluorescent bulbs should be 4 to 5 inches apart; whereas, LED lights should be 8 inches apart.

I have a three trier 2 light four foot T-5 6500 Kelvin lighting system that spans approximately four foot in length.   I purchased it from Gardener’s Supply and it has lasted me over 10 years.  So, it was expensive but an investment. 

Light placement is key.

Additionally, I noticed newbie “seedlingers” tend to put their lights too far away from their plants.  Their plants look spindly.  Fluorescent lights should be placed 2 to 4 inches from the top of the plant. 

As the plants grow, keep moving the lights.  (Be sure to make sure you buy S chains or a pulley system so you can move the lights up and down.)

(Note, if the leaf edges start to look burned, your lights are too close to your plants.)

 However, if you have those new swanky LED lights, then you want your lights to be 8 inches away from the plants.

How do I know if my plants have enough light?

Dr. Perry of the University of Vermont Extension suggests purchasing an inexpensive light meter to see how much light your plants are actually receiving.  (If you want to purchase an inexpensive light meter, this particular model received good reviews on Amazon.  Please read through all the questions and reviews before purchasing.)

Dr. Perry states:

“Light for growing is commonly measured in foot-candles—the amount of light given off by a candle one foot away. Two common T8 tubes placed six inches above plants will provide about 700 foot-candles. Reading lights, for comparison, often provide about 50 foot-candles. 

Low light plants such as Chinese evergreen and Peace lily need between 50 and 250 foot-candles. Medium light plants such as African violets, begonias, dracaena, dumb cane, flame violet and seedlings need 250 to 1,000. High light plants such as most herbs and orchids need over 1,000 foot-candles. “

Just as a reference, outdoor light in a sunny area is 10,000 foot candles!

Note, the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension suggest to use your camera to read how much light your plants are receiving.  Follow their guide.

Skip the shop lights

Plants respond best to full spectrum lighting.  I have 6500 K  T-5  full spectrum linear fluorescent bulbs.  The “K” stands for Kelvin, which is the color temperature  of the light emitted from the bulb.  6500 K is similar to outdoor daylight.

Dr. Leonard Perry of the University of Vermont Extension states,

“Quality refers to the actual wavelengths the lights provide to the plants. Light may look white to us, but is in reality made of many different wavelengths as seen in rainbows or when light strikes a prism. It is the red and blue parts that the plant uses for energy and growth, so these need to be provided by indoor lights. Terms you may see for light bulbs that provide these are “natural”, “full spectrum”, or “balanced.” They cost more than the usual incandescent bulbs that mainly provide red light to plants, or the cool white tubes that mainly provide blue light.”

Most shop lights are cool white lights which doesn’t provide the adequate lighting for seedlings.  However, if you can’t find or can’t afford full spectrum bulbs, the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension suggests one cool and one warm florescent bulb.  As noted above, cool white fluorescent bulbs emit blue light whereas the warm white fluorescent bulbs emit red light.

As I mention in my earlier article, window sill lighting isn’t adequate.  Your seedlings will be lanky and stretch for light.

Amount of hours the lights should remain on.

I generally turn my lights on for 14 to 16 hours.  I keep mine on for 16 hours before the seeds germinate.  Thereafter, I keep the lights on for 14 hours.

Unfortunately,  I have left them on for 24 hours accidentally.  What happened? Not much but I had to water the plants since they started to dry out. However, plants like some darkness especially as they get larger so don’t keep your lights on for 24 hours as a habit.

Buy a timer so you don’t forget to turn on and off the lights.  You will thank me later.

Replacing the lights.

Fluorescent lights lose efficiency over time.  If you notice that the ends of your fluorescent lights are getting a bit dark near the ends, it is time to replace them. Generally, T-5 lights should be replaced every 18 months to two years but it depends on usage.

Wishing you much success with lighting to grow your seeds indoors. 

In case you are looking for an in-depth course on how to grow seeds indoors from choosing seeds to transplanting them in the garden, check out my course HERE.

Join the Conversation

Tell me what lighting system works for you.Similar Posts:

• 12 Ways to Successfully Sow Seeds Indoors
• LIGHTFAIR 2007-With More Fluorescent Technology, Is Our Quest for Energy Efficiency Short Sighted?
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• Grow Plants from Seeds. 4 Reasons Why you Should
• EcoSmart LEDs at Home Depot. Bringing Affordable LEDs to the Main Stream

The post Proper Lighting to Grow Seeds Indoors. appeared first on Green Talk®.

In the summer, I decided to become a vegan.  You may recall when I became a vegetarian several years ago.  I stayed a vegetarian for three years but decided to return to eating meat for health reasons.  This time I jumped in veganism head first and have never felt better.  Weird, huh despite all my difficulties being a vegetarian.

I know it seems confusing as to why I left being a vegetarian in the first place.  When I went vegetarian, my gut health wasn’t good and I was also starting menopause.  (Just so you know, I started way earlier than my friends.  So don’t wish your period goes away.  Menopause sucks.)

Menopause is wicked and no one really tells you that an alien takes over your body.  My thyroid numbers increased, I gained weight, and I was exhausted all the time.  Plus, as a vegetarian, I was starving too.  I just couldn’t figure out what was going on.  

However, there was one really great thing that happened while I was a vegetarian.  The hot flashes stopped.  None.  Nada.  

I still craved meat and would eat it every couple of months. I knew something wasn’t right.

So Why Did I Leave Being a Vegetarian?

So, whenever, I was hungry, I would turn to peanut butter!  No wonder I packed on the pounds as a vegetarian! Plus,my whole family was carnivores.  My hypoglycemia was out of control too.

I was eating too many simple carbohydrates and not enough vegetables.

So, my doctor said I needed more protein, and urged me to stop being a vegetarian. The first day I ate chicken, I couldn’t stop.  

What Happened?

In retrospect, I was not eating enough beans or vegetables.  I was literally starving.   As I mentioned above, I was eating too much fat.  

I also noticed I was eating cheese products and eggs, which really don’t agree with me.  Cottage cheese makes me constipated.  (Sorry to be so graphic.)

It was too easy to be a bad vegetarian and grab a piece of pizza or some sort of refined vegetarian meal. 

So How is This Time Different?

My son, who is a Juvenile Diabetic decided to become a vegan.  Both my husband and I decided to go vegan to support him.  We used many of the recipes from Dr. Greger’s vegan cookbook. “The How Not To Die Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes to Help Prevent and Reverse Disease.” to start eating whole food without any added oil.  (Dr. Greger advocates no oil and no process food.  Read about his philosophy HERE.)

• I learned from my prior mistakes as a vegetarian.
• My husband is also a vegan so it was easier to cook for just the two of us versus just me.  I cook for us and he cooks for our children when they come home.
• I am trying to avoid anything that is refined although I have to admit it is still hard. Prepared veggie burgers are so appealing when you don’t have time to cook.
• Batch cooking has been my savior.  I make 4 times the amount of veggie meatballs or veggie burgers, or double the amount of a stew so we simply need to pop them into the oven to warm up the food.
• We try and eat more vegetables.  
• Eating out is hard since vegan options are limited to Mediterranean or Thai food.  So, consequent, we eat out less than we normally did.  This is a good thing since we are no longer eating an abundance of salt, sugar, and other ingredients which may not be good for us.
• Rice and I are not friends.  It just doesn’t agree with me.  However, quinoa has no negative effect on me.
• I make my own beans since I can’t canned digest beans.  I need to soak them before I cook them.  (You know I am no stranger to canning.  I even canned in the dark when Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey years ago.)
• I canned a ton of beans by soaking them and then cooking them in my Instant Pot.  (This baby has been a lifesaver since I can make stews and soups so easily with it.)  By the way, having 2 pressure canners allows me to cook 14  quarts of beans in one fall swoop.  However, it takes 1 hour and 30 minutes to can beans.   (Be sure to read 12 tips no one told me when canning food.)
• Avoiding cheese/milk products has been a game changer for me.  I noticed I am not as hungry since I stopped eating dairy products.  I was never much of an egg person since they just don’t agree with me.
• Unfortunately, I avoid avocado.  This stinks.  I found out that I am sensitive to avocado.  When I was in Detroit years ago visiting Ford’s headquarter’s I got very nauseous when I ate an avocado.  Let me tell you.  It isn’t fun being double over nauseous when you are away from home.  Ever since then, I have stayed away from avocados.

Here Is What I Noticed.

It has been 7 months since I became vegan and I feel much better.  

• I had a lot of back pain from my garden injury years ago. The pain has disappeared.  I do have occasional sciatica issues but not that often. (I still have Lyme so this may why it acts up.)
• I sleep better and am not as tired as I was.  
• My skin is softer than it was before I was a vegan.
• I lost about 10 pounds but some of it came back.  
• I eat less sugar since vegan baked good aren’t easily accessible near me.  I was never a big sweets eater although I do like my vegan ice cream.

Issues I Am Still Working On:

I am a meal skipper and like to eat my energy bars in lieu of food.  Honestly, I get so busy during the day that I forget to eat.  This is terrible if you are hypoglycemic. 

On my to do list is making more soups full of vegetables and mushrooms and eating more salad.  I am going to have to force myself to sit down and eat.  (You can’t imagine how hard that is for me.)

I like to grab a bowl of high fiber cereal with banana and almond milk for lunch.  Not ideal but better than eating energy bars.

Lastly, despite soaking and cooking my beans in kombu, I still can’t digest them. For me, beans are really hard to digest.  Soaking and adding kombu to the final cooking process is suppose to help. I even soak my lentils too. But I still have the benefits of beans if you get my drift.  If anyone has any ideas how to digest beans better, leave a comment below.  I need the help.

I am hoping that this lifestyle is here to stay.  I don’t really miss meat but do miss my beloved tuna fish salad.  Vegan mock tuna salad is good but not the same.  (Share if you have a great recipe. I am all ears.)

Join the Conversation

Are you vegan?  If so, share some tips on how to be a better vegan. I am still a work in process.

Disclaimer:  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.Similar Posts:

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The post Gone Vegan: And Loving My New Life appeared first on Green Talk®.

Could your mattress be the culprit to your sleep deprivation? Do you toss and turn and wake up with a sore back? This was me.   As a gardener, I abuse my body with my constant twisting and bending. But not any mattress will do. I only wanted a nontoxic healthier mattress since my mattress should meet the same requirements as my organic garden–pure, healthy, and made with care. Sleep On Latex mattress fit the bill.  I was given a mattress to review and I only review products that align with my nontoxic mission.

Why Should You Care About Your Mattress?

Conventional mattresses may contain a whole host of chemicals that could be harmful to you.

• Flame Retardants such as PBDEs or its alternatives may be added to your mattress.  According to the Environmental Working Group, flame retardants may cause cancer, hormone disruption, and adverse effects on the immune system.
• Other chemical such as formaldehyde contained in adhesives or other parts of the mattress may release harmful volatile organic chemicals  which can cause respiratory irritation.
• According to Consumer Reports, harmful pesticides may have been used to grow the cotton surrounding your mattress.
• The Polyurethane foam in mattresses may emit volatile organic compounds that can cause respiratory health problems.

Avoid mattresses that claim to be natural or ones that claim to be certified organic unless they have been certified by either  the Global Organic Textile Certification (GOTS)  or the Global Organic Latex Certification (GOLS).

Under GOTS, a mattress must be made of 95% certified organic fiber and prohibits use of harmful material and chemicals. On the other hand, GOLS certification requires that latex come form a certified organic source.

However, there are other standards such as Oeko-Tex Standard 100 and Greenguard standards which will lessen your exposure to harmful chemicals.  Both test products for potentially harmful chemical emissions and set limits on volatile chemical compounds.  However, Oeko-Tex also bans certain flame retardants and dyes that are carcinogenic and also ban all allergens.

If you are unable to afford a latex mattress, opt for a polyurethane mattress that is certified by CertiPUR-US.  This standard prohibits mattresses from containing certain flame retardants, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and those that   deplete ozone .  In addition, all mattresses must contain low emitting volatile organic compounds (VOCs.)

Sleep on Latex: The Healthier Mattress Choice

In the past, I had purchased latex mattresses for my children. The mattress had to be non-toxic and be of the utmost quality. At the time, there weren’t many companies on the market that made latex mattresses. Plus, the cost of the mattresses were very expensive.

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• To Re-upholster or Not, This is the Question

The post Sleep On Latex: A Healthier Mattress to Sleep Better appeared first on Green Talk®.

How can you create a yard that incorporates drought-tolerant plants, your veggie garden and a space for you and your guests, too? I think you can have your cake and eat it too. Creating eco-friendly landscape and interior designs has taught me that you can have a beautiful, functional space that both looks great, gets use, and fits your eco-friendly standards. In this case, you can create a yard that you want to sit outside in, grow a garden in, and looks great too.

Let’s Start with Plants. Go Native.

Do away with the water-thirsty, non-native lawn and introduce natives in place of it. Incorporating drought-tolerant or native species boasts a ton of benefits. Natives bring birds, butterflies and ever-important bees that help pollinate your plants and make it feel like a sanctuary.

Creating a zone of beautiful natives in front of or surrounding your edible garden will tie your plant beds or garden area into the yard, as a whole and bring a new level of beauty to your space. If your edible garden is planted straight into the ground, creating a border zone or adjacent area of non-edibles will also help reduce wind and water erosion to the important topsoil, and provide extra nutrients to the area as leaves and matter fall into the soil and decompose.

Add Eco-friendly Seating to Enjoy Your New Space:

When your incorporating a space for seating and hosting, the eco-trend is easy to continue if you know what to look for. Consider getting outdoor furniture made from reclaimed wood.

Alternatively, there are many options online for sourcing pre-loved furniture in your style. Buying pre-loved reduces energy, water and raw materials it takes to make new furniture and ship it to you.

Lastly, look for products marketed as made from eco-friendly materials. Those throw pillows could have recycled filling inserts, or your outdoor table centerpiece could be made from recycled glass.

Start with an Eco Multi-Use Yard Game Plan:

When you’re ready to create your eco-friendly yard of your dreams, check out our example eco-friendly, multi-use yard and put this plan into action:

1. First, look at the space as a whole; Think about which spots get the most light, rain, and have the best views. Jot those down, with directional indicators for north, south east and west. Make a rough sketch and include basic measurements.
2. From there decide what your priorities are – do you want 10, 20, or 50 percent to be edible plants from your garden? How often do you wish you could entertain outside and does your space offer that to you now? How important is it to you to attract native wildlife and pollinators like birds, bees and butterflies to your new native plantlife? Indicate the zones you want to have: garden, plant life and landscape materials, and your functional space or seating area. Jot these down on your sketch with a basic idea of where to put them or introduce them to your existing space.

Don’t Forget the Seating…

1. Incorporate your seating area by start with the ground. If you don’t have an obvious spot for outdoor furniture, ditch your water-wasting grass and create a gravel or river rock base layer in your designated space to set your chairs and table in, with plants or edging to keep the stones in place at the border.
2.  If you already have a concrete pad, dress it with an outdoor rug. My favorites are area rugs made from recycled water bottles. They are easy to clean and eco-friendly. Having a rug or gravel area for your seating will created a grounded and inviting look that sets the tone for the area and space.
3. Address the seating. Get matching seat cushions that easily come off to throw in the wash. Nothing looks less inviting than a hodge-podge of mismatched dirty seats.

Consider the Elements…

1. Consider the elements. You might need a table umbrella or shade sail to enjoy the outdoor area before getting crispy.
2. Consider using paver or stepping stones or another distinct walkway to connect your seating area to your edible garden. This will tie the two spaces together and add texture and style to the space.

Oh and the plants.  Consider going vertical too.

1. Once these steps are planned out you can see what space is left for incorporating beautiful native plant life and landscape features like large stones or tree stumps. Start with a few species native to your area and ask your nursery staff for help considering the conditions of your yard. Start with just a few species, and ones that are more mature and easy to get established. For a more wild and natural look, plant in groupings, with odd numbers instead of rows.
2. Go vertical and use your wall and fence space. Even if you have a small yard, or a concrete ground, you can incorporate style and beautiful native plants to the space by using your vertical space up walls and fencing. Don’t neglect those exterior walls! Pressure wash them so they look clean and fresh and then add stylish wall-mounted planters. Depending on the light availability, try getting plants with leaves or tendrils that hang over the edge for a lush feeling.

Lastly Declutter…

Use this spring as a jumping off point to get rid of any unused items that made their way outside as “storage” Don’t forget to donate and recycle what you can.

And Don’t Forget…

Enjoy. The more time you spend in your multi-use yard space the more creative you will become.

I am the owner and lead designer at E. Leigh Designs, a LA-based business. My passion is combining my expertise for interior design and environmental sustainability into a unique business of eco-friendly interior and exterior design.

I have been running my registered business from my homebase for 4 years, however, I work remotely with folks from all over the county. I offer 3 online, remote packages for clients with all different size needs. As a designer specializing in eco-friendly materials, and a business owner serving the 99%, my process starts with my client’s design and budget; then I look for opportunities to incorporate eco-friendly products and materials into the space, without compromising on style or quality.

My goal is to show that conscious consumerism is a beautiful thing. When I am not designing, I am lecturing environmental science or hanging with my husband Reed, and dog Hank.

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The post Eco-Friendly Multi-Use Yard Living. Eat and Enjoy. appeared first on Green Talk®.

What happens if you want to grow your seeds indoors but just don’t have the space?   Consider winter seed sowing.  I am a huge advocate of growing seeds indoors but realized that not everyone has the room or the budget to buy grow lights.  So, this year I took a crack at winter seed sowing, which is basically growing seeds in opaque jugs outside in the cold.

It was an extreme leap of faith in Mother Nature that these seeds would germinate in the bitter cold.  I pretty much chalked off my experiment as a failure since the seeds didn’t germinate until the first week in May.

So Let’s Back Up.  What is Winter Sowing?

You can sow the bottles anytime.  Some people start in January. Others start later. I started in the beginning of March.  If you are sowing perennials, you want to make sure there are a couple weeks of below freezing weather.  Many perennials need cold treatment to germinate. (Read HERE about why certain seeds need cold treatment to germinate.)

If you want to sow tomatoes, pepper and other warm plants,  I wouldn’t sow them until a month or two before your frost date.

In order to winter seed sow, you will need the following:

Opaque containers like vinegar, juice or  water bottles.   You are looking for containers with narrow tops.  I used some large containers with flat tops and drilled holes in their tops.  In essence, you are creating a mini greenhouse.

Instructions on Preparing the Jugs for Winter Sown Seeds:

1. Cut the bottles about 4 inches from the bottom and leave part of the bottle attached.
2. Drill a few drainage holes in the bottom.
3. Drill weep holes about inch from the bottom on all sides so the excess snow and water can seep out.
4. Then you add about 3 to 4 inches of moist potting soil to bottom
5. Space your seeds as if you were planting them in the garden. You can over-seed, but you will have to separate the plants.  I only recommend over-seeding if you have older seeds since your germination rate will be low anyways.
6. Use first year seed if you can so your germ rate will be higher—especially with onion and spinach seeds.
7. Use duct tape to close up the bottles and remove the tops. You may need to re-duct tape some of the bottles during the winter.
8. Open up the jugs on 70+ degree days so they don’t cook inside their greenhouses. Tape them back up when it  starts getting cold.
9. Water the seeds from below.  (Read on since I explain why you need to water your jugs.)

What You Need to Watch Out For:

Given that our winter was really cold, none of my seeds germinated until the first week of May.    The seeds need a few days of 70 degree weather to germinate.  If they did germinate during the winter, I would put a blanket on them to protect them from freezing weather.

Additionally, you need to watch to make sure the soil doesn’t dry out.  If your area has a wet winter or much snow, the soil won’t dry out.  My jugs  did since there were just periods of very cold temperatures.  I used a boot tray and filled it up with water.  Then I put the bottles in the tray.  The soil soaked up the water from the bottom up.

You can’t really water the plants from the top. You will dislodge the seeds.

My Thoughts about Winter Seed Sowing:

You have to be very patient.  If you aren’t patient this method isn’t for you.

Secondly, you have to be able to deal with failure.  If your seeds don’t germinate, then you need to buy plants.    Given the late date of my plant’s germination, there isn’t time to re-seed if there is seed failure.

When I grow seeds indoors, I wait the usual germination time.  If the seeds don’t germinate, I seed again.  You can’t to do this with winter seed sowing.

You do have to baby the plants a little bit because of our crazy winters.   The plants may germinate and then you have a cold snap.  As I mentioned above, You may have to cover them with a blanket until the temperature is above freezing.

Most importantly, my seeds didn’t germinate until the beginning of May.  I would have planted some of my indoor grown plants before my winter sown seeds germinated.

Additionally, the seedlings in the winter sown jugs weren’t very big as compared to the ones I would have grown inside.  Surprisingly, the winter sown seedlings looked stronger than my indoor seedlings .

Some of my perennials didn’t germinate at all.  The seeds may have been too old. Interestingly, one of the perennials, catnip, is an easy germinator inside but few seeds germinated in the jugs.  So, I am a little perplexed as to why this happened.

Will I Try it Again?

Probably but with all first year seeds.  Radish and  lettuce were the first ones to emerge.  Onions were really slow to germinate along with broccoli and my perennials.  (Remember, these are some of my favorite seed companies.)

Join the Conversation:

Do you winter sow your seeds and if so, what was your experience?

 Similar Posts:

• Fall Vegetable Gardening. Starts at the Beginning of Summer
• 12 Ways to Successfully Sow Seeds Indoors
• Don’t “Dis” the Plastic That Protects Your Pizza
• Growing Onions from Seeds and Sets
• How to Harden Off Seedlings. Get Them Ready to Plant in the Garden

The post Winter Seed Sowing Vegetables Pro and Cons appeared first on Green Talk®.

Ever wonder what it is like to grow over 200 seedlings a year?  I am small potatoes compared to other herb/vegetable farmers.  So, I thought I would give you an inside glimpse of my seedlings growing inside. You can grow seeds indoors too! Watch the video below:

Grow Seeds Indoors. What I am Growing!

What you will see in the video are the usual suspects plus some usual additions.   So here goes!

1.  Peppers:  I love peppers.  I can’t grow enough.  And plus,the leaves are yummy!

2.  Eggplant: Can be quite picky to grow. Sometimes they germinate and sometimes they don’t. I have one package that says 58% germ rate! This is not a great scenario for an impatient gardener like me.  I got only so much time for those teenager like seeds.  The wind has to blow in MY direction, seeds.

3. Tomatoes in soil blocks.  I am in love with soil blocking these day.  Oh, those delicious soil brownies.  (Please don’t eat them, kids.)

4. Peanuts:  Okay.  This is not usual to grow them inside but it is either grow them inside or let Ms. Critter pull them out when they sprout.  Hmmm.   Grown them inside.

5. Peas:  I don’t love growing them inside, but sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do.  Over the last couple of years my peas have rotted in the ground for FOMOWW ( fear of missing out on the warm weather).

Yes.  What warm weather??  It is April 11th and it is 46 degrees outside.   (Yeah, but Anna, you are going to be b*tching when it is 90 in three weeks.  Very true.)

Oh and the loves of my life, basil.  It doesn’t matter which ones:  sweet basil, holy basil, lemon, lime basil, and whatever your name is basil.  I love them all.  (Grow tons of basil if you ever have a problem with it dying in the middle of the season.  Here is why.  There is a method to my madness.)

6. Tons of herbs:  I grow a many herbs for my herb company, The Naked Botanical: clary sage, Mexican tarragon, lovage, white sage, sesame, hibiscus, moringa, and ashwaghanda, hopefully cumin (grow baby grow,) one lonely Gota Kola, and summer savory.

Mexican tarragon is so cute and tastes just like french tarragon.    So you don’t need to spend the money on french tarragon plants. (You can’t grow them from seed.)  See I am like State Farm. I know a thing or two about saving money in the garden.

7.  And I love my flowers:  I am growing marigolds, Sweet William, and so many more.

8.  New to the Garden:  I always try new seeds each year.  This year I am trying  ground cherries, a new eggplant, moringa (such a nutritious plant,)  and the flower, Phacelia (Bee’s Friend.)

Be an adventuresome gardener! Consider trying these seeds too!

Do You Want to Be a Grow Seed Indoors Dynamo?

It’s not too late. Consider it.  Grow seeds indoors.  Grab some seeds and let’s start controlling your own destiny!

Save some serious dough.  Think what 200 plants would cost me.  A small fortune.

But here is the rub. Anyone can plop a seed into a pot and hope it grows. I don’t want you to be one of those hope it can growers. I want you to be a “YESS” it germinated, wave your hands in the air type of person.

Seeds aren’t all built alike.  They have different rules.

So say YES.

Sign up HERE.  The course is only open for a limited time.

I promise you.  Once you start growing seeds  indoors, you will never go back to buying plants.

And best yet, you will succeed at growing seeds indoors.

Join the Conversation:

What are you growing?Similar Posts:

• Grow Plants from Seeds. 4 Reasons Why you Should
• Winter Seed Sowing Vegetables Pro and Cons
• 12 Ways to Successfully Sow Seeds Indoors
• Fall Vegetable Gardening. Starts at the Beginning of Summer
• Russian Tarragon. Should it Have a Place in Your Garden?

The post Grow Seeds Indoors : April Update. You Can Do This. appeared first on Green Talk®.

Are you frustrated sowing seeds indoors? Maybe your seeds didn’t germinate. Or perhaps your new seedlings died before or after you planted in the garden? Here 12 way to successfully sow seeds indoors. Let’s turn that upside down frown into a smile.

Why Sow Seeds Indoors?

Before we start, you may ask, why sow seeds indoors?

I live in zone 6 (New Jersey) and don’t have a long spring or summer.  So in order to harvest my plants timely, I need get a jump start by sowing seeds indoors.

You might ask, why not buy plants?

I have a variety of reasons but most importantly, it is so much cheaper to grow seeds indoors rather than buy plants at a garden store.  Who wants to spend $4 a plant when you can spend $4 on a seed package of 50 seeds?

People Just Wing It and Waste Money

Sadly, most people wing it by plopping their seeds into a pot and can’t figure out why their seeds didn’t germinate. Or worse yet, they buy all the proper equipment and still fail.

Time and time again, when I attend the Philadelphia Flower Show, I listen to people as they pick up their seed packages.

This year I overheard various conversation as I browsed the seed vendors.

I got more and more frustrated since people were spending money with high hopes to only be left with seeds that didn’t germinate.  Seeds are like shiny objects.  You just want some.

As I continued to watch, I listened to their conversations. They picked the wrong seeds for their type of gardens, wanted to grow certain seeds in pots which would clearly take over the pot and some didn’t know which seeds worked in their garden.

Trust me. I have been sowing seeds indoors for over 10 years and there is a methodology as to how to grow seeds indoors.

It isn’t hard.  You just have to follow some rules.

12 Way to Successfully Sow Seeds.

The good thing about teaching gardening is I learn why people fail at sowing seeds.

Here are some ways to keep strength your chance of obtaining successful seedlings:

1. Don’t Use Old Seeds. Check to make sure your seeds are still viable by looking up the shelf life of your seeds.

2. Don’t Under-watering your Seeds: Seeds can easily dry out. Check them often to see if they need watering.

3. Don’t Over-watering New seeds: Keep a chart of when your seeds should germinate. If the seeds fail to germinate, it could either be #1, the seeds are too old, or you over-watered your seeds and they rotted. So be careful how much water. Seed pots and pods should never be soggy.

4. Don’t Sow the Wrong Seeds Indoors:  Don’t sow root plant like parsnips and carrots or squash plants indoors. They don’t like to be transplanted. Carrots get spider legs when transplanted. (See HERE as to an example of carrot spider legs.)

5.  Precondition Your Seeds: Some seeds need cold treatment for a period of time. Others need to be cut. More frustrating, some seeds need to be soaked.

Some seed packages do not specify whether or not seeds need special conditions. Google can be your best friend. Always look up what you intend to grow way in advance of the season to make sure your seeds do not need any special circumstances.

6.  Accumulate New Seedlings to the Sun: Most people simply move their new indoor seedlings, which have been babied for a period of time, directly into the garden.

Stop and think about this.

If you were kept inside for weeks and then you saw the sun for the first time, how would you feel? You have to accumulate seedlings to sunlight over a period of time in order for them to survive outdoors.

Can You Identify with Any of these Issues?

7. Sowing Seeds at the Right Time. Depending on the seed, it may need 3 to 8 weeks before the plant is ready to go outside. Some plants need to be planted in the cool spring while others should be planted after frost date.

Worse yet, some people sow tomatoes too early and can’t figure out why there tomatoes plants look like giants before they go in the garden.

One year I sowed the seeds way too early and they were 2 feet tall before I got them into the garden.  I normally plant my tomatoes up to their leaves so their stem grows nice and thick underground to support them.  I dug to China to get these guys into the soil

So, in January, I make chart of when seeds should be sown based upon my frost date.

8. Purchasing Seeds for your Gardening Zone. I am in zone 6 and have about 120 day garden season. I always check the length of time for harvest on any seed that I purchase. Learn your length of your gardening season.

Word of warning: When cooler fall weather appears, it lengthens the time for harvest.  If you are growing fall harvested plants, you must add 2-3 weeks onto the plant’s harvesting time.

9.   Re-potting Seedlings: Some people sow their seeds in seed pods. Seedlings outgrow their homes and need to be re-potted otherwise their growth will be stunted.

10.  Fertilize Seedlings: Once the seedling acquires more than two leaves, it is time to fertilize the plants. They are no longer receiving any nutrition from the seeds and need to be supplemented.

11. Give Seeds Grow Lights: In order for seeds to prosper they need, indoor grow lights. Window sills do not provide adequate light. Your seedling will be lanky and fail to prosper outside.

12. Give Seeds Heat: Most seeds need heat to germinate. You need a heat mat.

Much Needed Seed Sowing Course:

There are numerous way you can help your seedling be successful. I only listed 12. I could have listed so many more reasons but this article would become a book!

So,  I created a course since my readers were complaining they were unable to sow seeds indoors. It broke my heart for people to tell me they simply gave up especially when they spent the money on equipment.

Many claimed they just weren’t “any good at growing seeds indoors.”

Growing seeds indoors is like learning how to ride a bike.  It takes time and practice.

I short cut the learning curve so you succeed right out of the gate. Imagine riding a bike the first time you hop on?  (Yes?  Then hop on over to the course.)

The course lays out step by step how to grow seeds indoor and contains in 26 short video lessons, text counterparts, and a seed sowing growing timeline.

I teach you how to grow perennial and annual flowers, vegetables, herbs, and other plants. Think of how much money you will be saving from not buying store bought plants.

Better yet, think about the time you will save since my course lays it out strategies in a clear concise manner. No more of hours spent searching the internet.

My goal is to make you a life long seed grower right out of the gate!

Once you learn how to sow seeds indoor successfully, you will never buy as many plants again.

Sound good?  I thought so.

Join me and let’s grow indoors successfully. Sign up HERE.

Join the Conversation:

Have you tried growing seeds indoors?Similar Posts:

• Winter Seed Sowing Vegetables Pro and Cons
• Grow Seeds Indoors : April Update. You Can Do This.
• Grow Plants from Seeds. 4 Reasons Why you Should
• Fall Vegetable Gardening. Starts at the Beginning of Summer
• Growing Onions from Seeds and Sets

The post 12 Ways to Successfully Sow Seeds Indoors appeared first on Green Talk®.