It’s that time of the year again, we begin starting seeds for the 2022 garden. Over the coming weeks and months our seed starting room and greenhouse will fill to the point of bursting with annual and perennial flowers, herbs and vegetables. We grow thousands every year in a tiny space with a small, inexpensive grow light station and a tiny unheated greenhouse.
It starts in January with the really slow growing crops; eucalyptus and lisianthus. I like to use soil blocks because they take up really little space and don’t waste seeds. Once they’ve germinated and started growing strong, it’s easy to pop the strongest ones into cells or plug trays to give them more root space. This will ensure that there is a strong, healthy plant in every space with no empties.
My grow lights are simply 4 ft shop light fixtures with T8 grow bulbs, replaced every 2 years. Hung on an inexpensive shelving unit with adjustable chains and plugged into a surge protector/power bar, the entire thing costs under 300$.
In late February to mid-March, all cool weather crops are started. This includes some brassicas, leeks and onions, cool flowers (snapdragons, stock, ranunculus and much more!) Most of these seedlings can be moved into the greenhouse by late March and planted into the ground in April. They are frost-tolerant (especially when properly hardened off) and can handle cold nights, but I’ll keep a frost cloth handy to cover them in case of a hard freeze.
And then before you know it, the garden will be lush and green with the first spring bulbs blooming and greens ready to come into the kitchen. This is what I live for. When it’s cold for months and the snow is blowing outside, I dream of this moment. On a good year, we will get fresh food and flowers for 7 months or more. Winter is just long enough for some rest and relection, while the growing season contains so much hard work but is so rewarding at the same time.
Today, as I look out the window at the tall snowbanks, melting snow drips off the roof and temperatures inside the greenhouse climb into the double digits. It won’t be long now.