When spring starts to creep closer, we start thinking about the summer vegetable garden. Last year was my first year starting seeds indoors with a solid game plan. I sprouted peppers, tomatoes, squash, and a few flower varieties inside with the hopes of having a head start on several of my plants. This year, I have done more research and have a better plan of attack for the sprouting and transplanting of my early plants.
One of my big errors last year was mixing trays. Something that wasn’t immediately obvious to me was the variance in germination rates between different plants, leading to some early issues with my tomatoes. For my zone, and for the varieties of plants I am growing, it is most beneficial to plant a full tray of a single plant, rather than trying to maximize space. Peppers and tomatoes get the most benefit from being started early, both plants needing heat and a longer growing season than sometimes is available in Michigan. I’m starting my peppers first, and tomatoes will be a few weeks down the road.
Another issue I had last year was the hardening off process. Seedlings grown indoors need some exposure to the outside world before being planted in the ground for the season. I struggled with gradually moving plants outside, not to mention the transition from part-time outside to full-time outside. I am working to set up my growing space to better kick start the hardening process with an oscillating fan (simulates the wind) and up-potting the bigger seedlings as May approaches.
My peppers and tomatoes did alright last year, but I’m hoping with the correct adjustments this season, the harvest will be more bountiful. Sometimes it is hard to wait to try new things, and I’m finding that a large part of farming and growing is trial and error. As I work to solve the problems from last year, I’m sure there will be a different set of problems that come out of this growing season.
As far as the varieties themselves go, I more intentionally planned my choices around our food needs and the probability of our CSA launch. The kids really enjoy pasta sauce, so I needed a few heavy paste/sauce tomatoes. On top of that, two of our three enjoy snacking tomatoes, which necessitates the inclusion of some cherry and grape varieties. I also am trying some early producing varieties, so that fresh tomatoes are available all summer long. In regards to peppers, I applied similar principles- snacking varieties for the little kids, spicy peppers for making salsa. I hope to narrow down my options going forward, but I’m also excited about all the different colors my garden will hopefully produce this year.
In this third year of planning and tackling a garden, I’ve come to realize more and more that my own ideas of ‘what I like’ and ‘what I don’t like’ have matured and grown. As a student, I loved reading and history. As a teacher, those same things still apply. However, as a gardener, I’ve come to appreciate and understand more of the applications of “real math” and “real science”. The stuff in the textbooks never comes close to the lightbulb of comprehension when considering the life cycle of a pepper plant or the geometry involved in building a fence.
Stay tuned for updates on the sprouts via Instagram or Facebook. We’ll have a seedling sale in early May, and hopefully our cool weather veggies will be ready to go too!
-Mary