Well, it’s finally time to start planting around here. We’re about 8 weeks out from our last frost, so cold crops like peas can go in the ground outside and the plants I’m starting from seed to transplant later can be started inside. It’s windy today, so I did the inside plants first. I’m using a Jiffy style planter system with the peat pellets. I don’t know if this is the best way to start seedlings or not, but it has worked well for me the last two years, plus it’s a pretty inexpensive system and easy to find at your local chinamart or home improvement center, so I’m using it again. Here’s how it works.
First pour warm water over the peat pellets. The instructions say about 1/8 cup for each pellet, but just pour some water in there a bit at a time until they are all soaked up.
Jiffy made their container so it holds the pellets pretty tight. I guess this is so they don’t slide around on the store display rack, but it’s kind of obnoxious when the pellets are trying to expand since a bunch of them got stuck in their slot and couldn’t expand properly. I ended up pulling each pellet out and squishing it a bit then putting it back in.
When they’re all expanded, they’ll be dark brown and about 1″-1 1/2″ high.
Now it looks like you could just drop a seed in the middle hole of each pellet, but I like to use the whole dirt surface, so I peel the mesh off the top. You’ll need to tear it a bit to spread it out. Not as pretty, but more usable space on each pellet.
I planted onions, peppers, ground cherry tomatoes, and a bunch of herbs. Serious lot of herbs. I like to pack my onions in nice and tight. When they’re ready to transplant, I just pull them apart carefully and re-plant them bare root into the garden. This way I get more onions from fewer pellets.
Plants like peppers, tomatoes, and most of the herbs I put 2-3 seeds in each pellet. The theory is that if they both sprout you choose the stronger plant and transplant that one to your garden. The problem with the theory is that most times both plants will live just fine and I hate to waste a perfectly good plant, so I plant my seeds toward the sides of the peat pellet away from each other so they’ll separate easier when it’s transplanting time. Tuck them into the dirt with your toothpick and they’re ready to grow.
When you’re planting a number of different varieties of plants, you’ll need some way to keep track of what you’ve planted where. I like toothpicks and sharpies. Flat toothpicks work best. Regular markers tend to bleed during the watering process and the colors sometimes become difficult to distinguish. Color code your seedlings by coloring different colors and patterns on the toothpicks and inserting the toothpicks in the peat pellets.
This method needs a “key” so you’ll remember what each color/pattern toothpick means. Put it somewhere safe–you don’t want to lose it and not know what you have planted anymore.
Once the pellets are all planted, put the lid back on the tray and put it somewhere warm. Somewhere it says to put them in a dark warm place like on your water heater until they sprout, but I’ve found that my south facing window sill works fine. And that way I don’t forget them and have them dry out and die.
The herb seeds were fun. This is my first year planting a variety of herbs and I was pretty surprised at the size of some of the seeds.
And yes, that says a minimum of 800 seeds in the pack. Really, you could get together with a friend and share herb seeds. Nobody needs 800 Yarrow plants. Well, maybe somebody does, but I don’t know anyone.
And I probably put two or three hundred of these Indian Tobacco Lobelia seeds on each peat pellet just because I couldn’t possibly grab one at a time. We’ll see how they grow–I’ll probably have to thin them out after they sprout, but no worries–there’s still lots of seeds for re-planting next year if these don’t work right. Seriously, it just looks like uniformly sized dust particles in a baggie.
I’m wanting to pick up some large containers and grow most of the herbs in containers this year. It’s not that we have a shortage of dirt around here, it’s just that it’s possible we’ll be moving mid season and I’d like to take some of my work with me if we do.
How are your garden plans coming?
Keep preparing! Angela
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I always mark my plants, but the toothpicks in colors and patterns seems like a better idea. I had (may still have) one of those germinator trays. I just buy the little peat things and used my tray for two years. I germinate my seeds in the back and front seats of my car. Three days is all it takes for a 10 day germinator. All my germinating was supposed to happen by the end of Feb, so I will shoot for the end of March. We will see….
Well.. I am not entirely sure how it is going LOL. This is my first year trying it out. I have not used the Jiffy system yet, but I think I remember that from when I was a kid. I have tiny little pots and a much messier kind of pellet. I have planted Green peppers, two different kinds of tomatoes and strawberries inside. So far the only thing starting to show any signs of life are the green peppers. I started planting last weekend. I am not sure what else I can plant that will be easy for a first timer, so I have been leary. BTW, my children insisted on the strawberries… Any advice?
One thing I do to make it easier to get less seens at a time is to pick them up with the tip of a toothpick that has been in the moist soil. Then I just put them in the soil.
Another thing that helps for me is that after planting the seeds I cover the container whether it’s one like what you have or simply a shower cap… Then I sit it on top of a heat vent for a few days. It speeds up the germination process.
Thanks for the encouragement to keep going!!
I used to use the peat pots. But, I didn’t like the way the roots ended up tangled in the netting on them. Nor the way they don’t really disintegrate at the end of the gardening season. I found so many of them still in one piece when I turned the soil in the fall.
I have since switched to those cardboard like pots and Pro-mix potting soil. They decompose better when transplanted I find.
I usually have 100% germination on my seeds. Which of course are pretty much all saved seeds from my last three years of gardening. I use a heating pad and once sprouted the seedlings go under the grow lights.
I like your colour coordinated toothpick idea. I use popsicle sticks and I label A, B, C and so on which is less work (can you say lazy?) I keep a key on my computer, one handy next to the seedlings and one in my gardening journal.
Time to get the grandkids going on it! Thanks for the reminder!
Need the plot to dry out tho so I can rototill!
Got stuff needing to go in NOW….transplants from the old house, starting over a my new home.
Like the toothpick ID…
Great resource! I have been keeping plants under a lamp and I’m excited to move them outside!
we used these jiffy pot starters last yr for the garden..fast forward a yr and I pulled some lettuce the other day and the peat pot net thingy NEVER broke down! it looks the same as whe I put it in a yr ago!! No more for us!!
Dawnielle, I pull the netting off the dirt ball before putting it in the ground. I didn’t trust that they would break down and it sounds like they don’t.