I built my flower farm on the concept of starting seeds in soil blocks. This is a traditional European method of starting lots of seeds in a tiny space. It’s beneficial to both farmers and home gardeners, for both the space savings and for how easy it is! Plus,...
This is the general guide that I follow to start my warm-season tender annuals. We certainly tweak it from time to time and don't always stick to it, but this gets us up and going. This is all based on the last expected spring frost date. In my 7b/8a winter hardiness...
Seed starting with soil blocking from beginning to end We use the soil blocking method of seed starting. My experience has been that once equipped with a soil blocker tool, all you add each year are seeds and blocking mix. What drew my initial interest was that 40...
The conversation that sparked this post: C: How do I know if it is too late to start the seeds I have? Me: Are they warm-season tender annuals or cool-season hardy annuals? C: It's a mix, I think. I think I’m making this harder than it has to be. I’m a little...
Seeds Are Amazing Dr. Carol Baskin of the University of Kentucky tells her students that “a seed is a baby plant, in a box with its lunch”. Seeds have everything they need to get started, just waiting for the right amount of moisture, light, and warmth to break their...
Folks are often surprised to learn that when I started farming 22 years ago, I truly started out at ground zero in the gardening and farming knowledge department. My greatest struggle? Seed starting. I failed at it horribly, over and over. After spending a couple of...
Aren’t we all looking for a deal? Well, there is no better deal than starting plants from seed. These past years farming have opened my eyes about seed starting and just how easy it can be. Why bother? Put aside all the bucks you can save --it’s the endless choices of...
Avoid these common seed-starting mistakes: In my travels of teaching the how-to’s and no-no’s of seed starting, I find the following to be the most common issues folks are facing. Don't miss my P.S.! Starting indoors too early: Seeds should be started just a few...
I have been soil blocking since the beginning of my flower farming career in 1998. When I learned of seed starting with soil blocking it solved a couple of challenges for me. I didn’t, and still don't have a greenhouse. My urban farm's city location doesn't offer much...
In my travels of teaching others the how-to’s and no-no’s of seed starting, I find these to be the most common issues folks are dealing with. Avoid these common seed-starting mistakes: Starting too early: For most of us it is too early to start warm-season tender...
