It’s a cold day for outdoor gardening, so this is an opportune time for starting my seeds. A friend of mine mailed me some last year, and I am just now getting around to planting them. It should be fine though because seeds can still germinate if kept in a cool, dry place. Some of them require soaking before sowing, so not all of them will be planted today. That’s fine because the most difficult part is filling the pots with soil without spilling it all over the place.
I have quite a selection of seeds to plant. My friend gave me all but the parsley, cilantro, dill, and passion flower.
Unfortunately, I cannot plant all of my seeds today as I had planned. Kiss me over the garden gate requires a cold hibernation before it can properly sprout. It is similar to how tulips, hyacinths, and other bulbs like to have long winters to flourish. My refrigerator will now facilitate a one-month cold hibernation for the seeds before I sow them. The passion flower seeds need a 24-hour warm soaking before planting. This allows the hard covering to soften, making it easier for the seed to germinate. Ipomoea lobata is another plant getting a slow start. The seeds require either a night’s soaking or getting nicked on the surface. I have chosen to soak them for eight hours before planting.
The Jiffy seed starter I am using seems great because there is no need to transplant. Instead, I can just pop an individual pot into the ground where I want the plant to grow. This is very nice since some plants do not like being transplanted because it shocks their roots too much. I am using seed starting potting mix so my seeds get an extra jump start.
It didn’t take very long to sow seven out of ten plants and tend to the others. My three cats pitched in to help me. Even with their “help,” it only took one hour. Over the next few weeks I will monitor the soil moisture like a hawk to make sure the seeds germinate properly. I am excited to have an herb garden this summer, and I hope to incorporate them all into some homemade dishes.
