~Written by Mike Darcy

Here it is January of a new decade and my first contribution to this Black Gold website. It is exciting to share gardening information with readers and I hope if any of you have comments to share about your own garden, you will send them to me. I will try to post these whenever possible.

Whenever January comes around, I always look forward to the arrival of garden catalogs.  Even with the internet and the vast array of information available there, I still value the paper catalog and find immense enjoyment looking through the pages, and deciding what new plants, seeds, and accessories I will need.  There is always something new.  In my own garden, sometimes I think I cannot add any new plants but I know there is always room for one more, and more, and more.  Have you ever heard a gardener say he/she was not going to buy anymore plants?  Well, I have but I know they really don’t mean it.

There are many excellent garden catalogs but I specifically would like to highlight one this year; Landreths’ Seeds. They are one of the five oldest companies in the United States and are celebrating their 225th anniversary.  Of the five oldest companies, they are the only one still conducting the same business as when it was founded and is the only one that is still held as a family business.  Their catalog features copies of old covers and photos of a time long ago and of course a wide variety of seeds, both new and old varieties.  It is a delight to read.

The arrival of January is a signal that the time is here to start seeds indoors.  While some people go to elaborate methods to start seeds indoors, with grow lights and special tables, all you really need is a window for light.  If it is a sunny window, then that is all the better, however most windows have enough light to get seedlings started.

When starting seeds indoors, the same rule applies as if you were sowing them outdoors; soil preparation is critical.  When a seed germinates, it is wholly dependent on the medium you have planted it in.  Remember it is better to have prepared the right conditions before the seed is sown.  When I start seeds indoors, I use and recommend Black Gold® Seedling Mix.  This is an ideal mix because it has a fine texture to help insure the seedlings can easily emerge and also a wetting agent for water penetration.  Perlite has been added to help with drainage.  An added feature is that Black Gold® Seedling Mix is OMRI listed which means it has been approved and certified as organic by the Organic Materials Review Institute.

When starting small seeds, they are generally scattered over the seedling mix and then slightly covered.  Then they should be lightly watered being careful that the water does not puddle so the seeds are not washed into small ‘pools’.  Sometimes seedlings, especially those started indoors can get a disease called damping off.  It can quickly devastate young seedlings and once they have it, there is no cure.  I have had listeners on my radio show tell me that a good preventative is to use a very light coating of chicken grit (available at most farm supply stores) over the surface after the seeds have been covered with the seedling mix.    

Once the seeds germinate and get several leaves, it is time to carefully transplant them into small pots.  In the pots, use Black Gold® Natural & Organic Potting Soil.  This is an ideal soil mix because it is 100% organic and has screened earthworm castings as well as sphagnum peat moss, compost, and forest humus.  For aeration, perlite and pumice have been added.  This product is also OMRI listed.

If you have not tried to grow flowers or vegetables from seed, don’t be put off thinking it is difficult.  It can be quite easy and very rewarding. 

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, I would like to hear comments from readers.  If you have some gardening tips to share, please send them and I will try to include them in future articles.

Happy New Year and Happy Gardening.

About Mike Darcy

It might be helpful to know a little bit about me so here is a brief summary. I live and garden in a suburb of Portland, Oregon and have lived here since 1969.

I grew in up Tucson, Arizona where I worked at a small retail nursery during my high school and college years. My ‘formal’ education was from the University of Arizona where I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture. I use the word ‘formal’ because while the classes were valuable, I greatly value the experience I have gotten ‘in the field’. It is hard to beat the ‘hands on’ experience of actually gardening, visiting gardens, and sharing information with other gardeners. 

I have been involved with some aspect of gardening throughout my adult life.  I have done television gardening shows in Portland and currently do a Portland garden radio talk show on Saturday mornings from 9am-noon (KXL radio) and this spring will be my 29th anniversary. 

To be connected to the gardening industry is a bonus in life.  I have found gardeners to be among the friendliest and most caring and generous people I know, and consequently many of my friends are those I have met through gardening. 

back