Have you started your seedlings yet?
By snbutterfly
@snbutterfly (259)
United States
January 19, 2011 6:27pm CST
I purchased a couple of 6x12 trays for seedlings and I've started putting the plants in the pellets. I've started bell and hot peppers, tomatoes, pumpkins, stevia, oregano, parsley, basil, thyme, and others. I want to add some sage and more stuff like flowers, cauliflower and broccoli. I'm going to plant the carrots and onions in long planters and the potatoes in some homegrown potato planters.
I'm kind of at a loss at how to keep the seedlings warm though. I'm hoping that I can find a nice place out of the sunlight that will stay humid. I don't have enough cash to really buy a couple of heating pads and the top of my fridge is covered by a wall.
Have you started your seedlings yet? What have you planted?
2 people like this
8 responses
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
20 Jan 11
No I haven't, I haven't even thought about it, so thank you for reminding me. I'll probably grow some herbs and peppers. I don't have tomato seeds, so I'll probably get starter plants when the time comes.
I have a question though, isn't stevia a natural sweetener? 
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Yes, stevia is a sweetener that comes from an herb or bush. It's really expensive in the grocery store so I hope growing it at home will nice. I love it in my tea.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
20 Jan 11
I see you are in the states, but don't know where livermore is. I wondered because if it works out for you and you live in an region similar to mine, I would love to grow this myself. 
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Northern California. It's supposed to want a humid climate though so I don't know how it will work out.
1 person likes this
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Thanks for posting this! I usually don't start my seedlings until March and thought that this year I should start them earlier. Your post reminded me that I need to start getting my things together!
Usually I put my trays on a shelf near a window. That shelf is filled with plants right now though so I'm going to have to do some moving around.
I'm planting tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins & watermelons. I'll probably pick out some other things when I go buy the seeds!
@rowantree (1186)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Yes, I transfer them to a garden once they're big enough. That's why I wanted to start a little earlier this year, to give them extra time indoors. Mine did great last year, I'm sure yours will do just fine!
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Do you transfer your stuff to a garden or containers? I want to transfer my cucumbers and things to containers, but I don't know if they'll survive.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
20 Jan 11
I have not started any seedlings here. I can't really start many if any til April. As I've got snow on thr ground and it'll be more than 6 weeks before it's gone. I've even started plants in April only to find that they were out growing their containers when te threat of frost isn't over til atleast Mother's Day. I so hate having such a short growing period.
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Yes, my mother moved to Wisconsin and is sad that her growing season is so short.
@jennyze (7028)
• Indonesia
20 Jan 11
Ah, you live in a four seasons country. I live in a tropical country, so I can plant my greenery anytime of the seasons. I don't need to do the seedlings myself cause I can purchase the plants from the garden shop anywhere, of course they are tropical plants. We do have plants that are mostly live in a four seasons country, but they are expensive and not easy to manage, because of the different seasons we have. I love to plant greenery and colorful leave plants.
Good luck with your seedlings.
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
We don't really have 4 seasons here. It doesn't snow at all, but it does frost. Summer gets hot and the spring can be as well. Fall can be even hotter. LOL Come December and January though, the average day temp is in the 50s/60s and night is 40s.
@2004cqui (2812)
• United States
20 Jan 11
We can't plant outside until the beginning of June in Minnesota. It's tough to get really sturdy plants without a green house. I've tried it twice. I purchase just a few starter plants as its just the two of us now. I'll never forget the first tomato from the garden the year after we moved here. My husband sat at the outdoor table and sliced into it as well all stood around watching. It reminded me of a Christmas dinner picture by Courier and Ives. It was the best tomato I've ever eaten! We made BLTs.
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Well last year was my first time really planting anything and I had a few seedlings just pick up and grow like crazy. It was a little exciting, but what was really nice was to go out and pick what I wanted and use it for dinner without going to the store. In fact, this year I'm going to be freezing a lot of it so I'll be saving a lot of money too. I can't tell you how expensive veggies are here and with the nutcases of Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein starving the water out of the central valley so farmers have a hard time growing crops and the price of veggies is too high, well I think I can save a bit there too. Dumb democrats. Why are people still voting for these nuts? How they won AGAIN with what they've done to our beautiful golden state is beyond me.
Anyway, hopefully this crazy food bill the progressives put through won't destroy our gardening habits. Dumb democrats and liberal republicans. Nosy, annoying, disruptive people. I wish they would just leave us alone.
@rog0322 (2829)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
20 Jan 11
Hi butterfly,
You have a green thumb, we share the same trait. I planted anything on my box garden way up high on the second floor of my house. I have no problem with sunshine for we have that in abundance the whole year round.
My climbing ampalaya vines has graced the windows and it has begun to bear fruits. I have tomatoes there too. The hot peppers has not germinated no matter how many I plant there. It could be their dormancy period I should consider. Its the bell peppers that has grown instead.
I should try to replace my wooden boxes with pellets just like you said. The wood has showed some signs fo deterioration.
@snbutterfly (259)
• United States
20 Jan 11
Ok I have no idea what an ampalaya is? It looks like a cucumber. What does it taste like?
@rog0322 (2829)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
21 Jan 11
Hi butterfly,
Re on your query: I'm sorry I forgot to provide the details on ampalaya plant. It's bitter in taste but good to eat if cooked properly. It has natural medicinal properties but due its taste, is not popular especially among children who think it is poisonous. It is a climbing, tropical plant, has yellow flowers, and likes to grow in places with lots of sunshine. We used to cook its fruit with scrambled eggs in oil to mask its bitter taste. Personally, I like it raw, dressed in vinegar and spices, as an appetizer of course.
A wild specie also grow in cornfields and in cleared forest areas. Now, there's the most bitter plant of all, only a few can stand its taste, including me. It's part of my survival diet while in the jungle, fruits, vines and all, scalded in hot water, pressed of its extra juices and cooked in coconut milk. It is equally good for the health too.
Common name: Bitter melon
Scientific name: Momordica charantia
