December Dreaming

[sumi]

Do y'all folks plant your own from seed or do you buy seedlings from a nursery? Or both?

We used to grow everything from started seeds, most of which we got from previous years' crops and we also sold started plants to other gardeners. I'm starting from scratch here now, so I'll be buying seeds for everything I want to grow.

 

[sumi]

I was wondering how seedlings would fair in egg boxes/trays. If you cut the individual egg holders out and plant them in the garden with a little seedling in each. They would break down in time, but how long would it take and would you need to cut out the bottom of the cup when you plant them? Did anyone try this?

 

[baymule]

I would take the little cups off. Maybe over time the roots could get through them, but shouldn't roots be spreading out, getting established rather than battling to get out of a not so degradable cup?

 

[Beekissed]

I've done it and you really have to keep them watered well, as the cardboard doesn't hold moisture like you'd think it would. By the time it is time to plant, the carton is falling apart in your hands if you've kept it moist enough, so tearing it away for the roots isn't necessary.

 

[treerooted]

I've used toilet paper rolls in the past as well, but just for a couple plants. I currently have enough trays to start a greenhouse business, which is close to the truth as they were bought for my sister to start a farm here, but then she backed out. But I don't have a set up for starting seeds yet. Luckily I have a father who wants to start all my seedlings for me

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@Beekissed that sounds like some fantastic plans! I didn't grow carrots last year but have the same concerns with the clay soil, so I'm going to grow them in the one well-manured part of the garden.

NH -- holy cow, snow and cold creates a real short season. Can't believe you'd ever get a tomato without a started plant.

I wouldn't bother to direct seed plants like tomatoes or peppers. I've had some volunteer plants grow before that I left in the garden - but the harvest is late so you just don't get as much produce.

 

[treerooted]

Oh and I've bought starter plants before, but I try to plant as much from seed as possible.

 

[NH Homesteader]

No you would never get a tomato without a started plant here- we just usually start our own inside but I'm buying them this year instead!

 

[CrealCritter]

Asparagus is a multi year endeavor... We planted a nice patch out at the in-laws, but my FIL with alzheimer's either forgot or couldn't stand "weeds" in his golf course of a yard and kept moving them down. Wasted a bunch of money and time buying and planting root stock oh well, can't get mad at him.

 

[Mini Horses]

I have a LOT of seed for veg & flowers. While some are a year or two old & germination may be lessened, they are here & paid for so they will be used for plant starts. Going thru what I have and made a list of a FEW things I'd like to grow & have no seed. Truly, they are things I want only a few of but will be my "try it" for this year Pimento, paprika & jalapeno peppers. May be able to just buy a couple plants.

Would like to try smoking paprika to powder and use in seasoning. Jalapeno for that & chipotle use. Pimento because. LOL

While off this week it is colder than our norm but, ok. I see the few weeds that poked up after my last till in a small garden area are dead from heavy frost. Will get them gone. Other things have died down so I can SEE where I need to work the soils. Plan to add some aged barn bedding to the slightly raised beds, collect cardboard for weeds, etc.(not all this week, just soon). Clover seed ready to plant as cover between veg rows. Hope to have this smaller area ready for my "kitchen garden" early Spring. Another spot is being eyeballed for my attempt to grow some "animal feed".....turnips, pumpkins, mangel beets, etc., soon & late summer. Couple pastures will get a winter "rough up" then some seeds for pasture mix grass, Australian peas, vetch, clovers, chicory, etc., will be broadcast. I buy discount bags of "wildlife food plots" to help with cost & variety.

At my farm, I need to plan to feed self and livestock.

Could I order "Spring weather soon" anywhere????

 

[Beekissed]

For the longest time I only bought started plants. Then I decided I'd like to try and save money by saving seed to grow my own...when you put in as much tomatoes as we do, it can get costy if you buy started plants here.

Then I also had to have plants that were not hybrids if I wanted to plant true and one cannot always find heirloom types when they get bedded plants...depends on how early to try to get them or if they even have those kinds available. I grew tired of the iffiness of it all, so decided to start planting my own from seed.

That's been a rocky road and I'm still learning how to do that successfully, but I really love the idea of taking something from a tiny seed, nurturing it into a large plant that reproduces a million more seeds...not to mention all that food per tiny seed. When I buy seed now, I try to get heirloom seeds so I can reliably reproduce the same good traits of the plants I choose.

That's one reason I moved towards hatching my own flock replacements too....very costly to order from the hatchery, you get an unknown quality or strain, so you have no idea if they can reproduce their own kind or even if you WANT to reproduce that kind until you see how they perform over many years.

It became a logical direction to move to selectively breeding my flock for the traits I wanted, hatch my own breed stock, etc. And so very cheap to do it too! Cuts out the middle man, costs me nothing and I can almost insure the same quality of the parent stock...so far I've been able to keep and improve upon their positive traits.

I hope to do the same with the seeds I save from whatever plants I choose. Save the best seed from the best plants and the best fruits of that plant.