Ugh...Today is a grey snowy & rainy day here on the farm. You know the ones you get in January and February...they are no longer those idyllic holiday seasonal snow storms... now it is the mucky mood consuming dreary winter scene.
So in an attempt to keep my mood up, I started thinking about our Spring garden. I am so excited this year because we have had to put our garden on hold the past 3 years due to pregnancies, c-sections, & baby years. Now that O is getting older and likes to help me more, I think this year we will be able to start a small garden again. I really hope to be able to incorporate O in the process because he will love the science of it all.
This year we will probably keep it simple with a couple of barrels and hay bales to plant our garden. We use hay instead of straw because we make hay and well it works, cost effective and only needs a little more weeding than straw. In the past we had a massive green house, but we had to take it down when we moved over to this farm 6 years ago...bummer. One of our goals is to rebuild our green house again, but we really want to make sure we put it in the best location on the property. So we are holding off on building just yet.
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| Our Old Green House |
I thought since I was planning our garden, I would share some of the items we like to use to start seedlings. We are currently testing some old heirloom seeds I bought around 4 years ago. We figure they could be our test batch and help us perfect our seed starting staging area. I am not sure if they will sprout because they are so old, but I like to give them a chance. I would hate to just chuck them out if they still have life in them.
Below I listed some of the products we are using now and some cheaper alternatives/ products I have seen recommended by others and would like to try some time. I have listed the links below too if you are interested or want to read the reviews. We definitely have had a successful garden in the past and have enjoyed trying different gardening methods, including in ground, raised beds, topsy turvy, and hay bale to name a few methods.
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| Our Old Garden |
So here are just some of our product suggestions for starting your seeds and prepping for your wonderful garden. Hope you enjoy and be sure to check out our upcoming YouTube video where I talk more about some of these products and some of the plans for the upcoming growing season.
Let's start with Grow Lights: You really need good light to get those seeding strong and healthy before you transplant them into your garden. In past years we have used standard flourescent lights you can buy at any hardware store and they work fine. This year we decided to invest in grow lights after researching the benefits of grow lights for garden seedlings. I am also including a small grow light that I have to help my house plants get enough light in the winter. I am also including some more cost effective and starter light ideas that work really well.
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Rozway Premium Grow lights - Great for house plants and just a few seeds. Our house is small and has very narrow window ledges. So I bought this light to help make sure my plants get enough light in the winter. I have had it for close to 4 months and it has helped so much in keeping my plants healthy during the winter. I will probably buy another one soon, so I can cover all my house plants. Plus I love that it low wattage (10W LED Bulb) so it doesn't run up the electrical bill. It has two adjustable lamps and a clamp so you can easily place it safely near your plants. It uses a light spectrum that is favorable to start seedlings and encourage growth. Again this is a smaller light, so it would only be good for a few house plants or a small tray of seedlings.
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Plantation Products KLIGHT Ferry Morse Light for Seedlings & Cuttings - This Kit is a great starter light kit for small gardens or beginner gardeners. The bulb gives a full daylight spectrum and has a low output (energy saving). It claims to have 20% more light intensity than comparable fluorescent grow lights. It includes a 2ft fixture and stand and runs about 24 W. Definitely a great starter light for those who don't want to build their own.
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Mars Hydro Reflector LED Grow Light - So we decided to try this Grow light this year after some research and a really good review from well know
YouTube Channel - Epic Gardener. Now I only mention this light for those of you, who plan on big gardens/ green houses. This is a bit of an over kill for a small backyard garden. This particular light gives options for different types of natural sunlight. Include quiet fans, and a circuit board which allows for a longer life for the product. Based on the reviews, it should do the job for our vegetable garden. We will probably do a personal review after we have tried it on all our seedlings and let you know if it is a must buy or not worth it. I am still including it now, so you can do your own research and see if it is right for you.
OK, now lets move on to seed starters.
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Jiffy Mini Green House - There are lots of options, but we tend to just grab the Jiffy Green House kits. I like them because you can get a few uses out of the green house kits. Plus they are inexpensive. Below is a link to the smaller version, but if you click on it you can also find bigger capacity green house seed starter kits. They are really easy to use and we have a high success rate with this product. They include the starter fertilizer pellets and you can buy replacement pellets when you are ready to start a new batch of seeds.
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Burpee 72 Cell Self Watering Seed Starter Kit - I am including this version of the seed starter kit because it is great for busy folks or those who have a less than green thumb. It is a self watering kit and takes the pressure off of making sure your seedlings are getting enough moisture. Again it is the same concept as the one above, but includes a wicking panel to help take the guess work out of watering. Of course the convenience comes with a bigger price tag though.
Finally, just some bonus suggestions:
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Vivosun Seedling Heat Mat with Digital Thermostat: Again having a heat mat with digital thermostat helps take the guess work out of creating the ideal environment for your seedlings. If you just don't have the time, the best indoor set up, or want to improve your success rate then this purchase is worth it. This particular brand is easy to set up and use. So you can get started right away.
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Kinglake Reusable Plastic Garden Labels - This is one of those items you forget about until you are already starting your seeds. Seed labels. I always forget about this and I end up sticking tape on the box that gets smudged and I am playing guess work on where I need to plant the seedlings to get the best companion gardening set up. So I included these plant starter labels in this list so you don't make my mistake. This is one suggestion, but there are different sizes and shapes you can find that fits your set up best.
Hopefully, this list gives you some ideas on what you will need and gives you some options. I will keep you updated on our progress on our garden this year, including successes and failures. As I am prepping for seedlings, I am also thinking about what i will need for the actual garden. I might do some Topsy Turvy gardening again this year because Okra and tomatoes seem to love growing in them. Also, I need to go to my local garden center and find some good Neem oil to keep bugs away. I also will probably make some hot pepper spray & cinnamon spray to help with pests too. Ah...but that is for another blog. I hope you enjoyed and good luck with starting your garden!
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