This last year I started a seed bank for The Butterfly Hill.
Little did I know what a project it would be. From collecting, to drying, and then safely storing them has become quite the task.
Check preservation @ https://thebutterflyhill.com/seed-preservation/
Now that the new year is upon us, I think about planting seeds. Getting the soil ready, check out soil prep here: https://thebutterflyhill.com/soil/ What to plant first so it will be a big enough plant in the spring. So I wanted to share what I have learned from simply trial and error. A lot of ERROR.
I have used the Square foot Gardening method for years. It’s an old book written by Mel Bartholomew. When I first started, I followed it pretty much verbatim. But now that I am focused on a permaculture style here on The Butterfly Hill I use the book more as a reference book for seeds and planting.
Easy to grow crops
Beans, beets, Swiss Chard, Corn, Cucumbers, Lettuce, Radishes, Squash, and tomatoes are all very easy to grow. Think of Jack and the beanstalk. So they are a great place to start when gardening with Children.
Growth Rates
Lettuce and Spinach take 7 weeks to mature
Beans, Beets, Swiss Chard, and Squash all take 8 weeks to mature
Corn and Cucumbers will take 9 weeks to mature
Carrots and Peas take 10 weeks to mature
Melons take 12 weeks to friut
Cauliflower will take 14 weeks to mature
Broccoli and Cabbage will take 16 weeks to mature
Tomatoes take 17 weeks to bear fruit
Eggplant and Peppers take 19 weeks to mature
Onions take 20 weeks
And Garlic takes a whopping 9 months! This Why you plant in the fall
Indoor or Outdoors?
Once you decide what you are going to plant this year, the decisions start. Do you plant indoors? Outdoors in greenhouses? Outside in covered planter boxes? I have tried all of these options and I find that planting inside did not yield great plants. They were small and fairly weak. When moved outside they had a hard time.
This is why I use small plastic (I know!) greenhouses outside. They have 3-inch seed cups that fit into the dome of the greenhouse. There is a tray which holds water. I keep them right outside the front door, so I can keep an eye on them.
Still with me?….
Pre-soak Seeds
All seeds benefit from a pre-soak in warm water and kept warm overnight. I soak them in a jar and keep it on top of the fridge till the next day. The first thing seeds have to do is soak up water before they sprout. Pre-soaking can shave off several days of the process.
How Deep to Plant?
In cool weather, plant each seed deep enough so that three more of the same seed can lie on top of it. In hot weather, plant so that four more of the same seeds can lie on top of it.
Troubleshooting
Most of the seeds I have lost have gotten too wet. Which makes the stalks soggy. Soggy = bad. Most plants do not like their feet to stay wet. They like to soak and then dry out a bit.
You want soft clean soil. You do not want it to crust over, which will kill your seedling.
Helpful Hints
Check your seeds and starts daily. Make sure they have water but are not sitting in water for any great length of time.
Don’t forget to label everything!
