The Seedling Saga

So, weekend before last I set up my countertop table and gathered together all my supplies for starting seedlings. I've never started seeds indoors before, so I was nervous to try it, and still am nervous that I can nurse them along until it's time to plant outdoors.

Along with my various dairy containers I also had some flats purchased from Menards, as well as seed-starting mix. I wasn't going to take any changes with regular potting soil - all the online advice I found said seed-starting mix is best.

I carefully moistened the soil to what I thought felt like the appropriate dampness, then made five rows the length of each flat. The one pictured above has cosmo seeds in it.

Turns out, my seeds stretched way farther than the flats and containers I had on hand. That weekend I was only able to plant the cosmos and gazanias, as well as a the cucumbers a few days later.

This is my seed-starting station in the laundry room. The red watering can is a gift from cousin Sarah for our wedding.

Here were my flats, all watered, prepared and seeded. Two of cosmos and two of gazanias.

So I moved them upstairs to the indirect light of the sewing room. I wanted to move them from the basement, hoping the warmer temperature upstairs would help them germinate. All the dairy containers have cucumber seeds in them, and the egg carton has snapdragons.

The snapdragons have very fine seeds that you lightly press into the surface of the soil, and then keep evenly moist. I'm more nervous for them to sprout successfully than I was the others.

Lo and behold - last Friday morning I went in to check them before work, and there were the cosmos.

And the gazanias had also sprouted. Yesterday I moved those four flats back to the basement - the internet experts say to keep the seedlings at cool temperatures so they don't get too big too fast before you're ready to transplant them.

Now the sewing room has three flats of zinnias, one of which also has a few chives in it. No sign yet of any cucumbers sprouting, although they've got about another week before I'll really be worried. Now I just have to get the proper grow light for those that have sprouted, and hopefully we'll be in business!

More updates to come, I'm sure.