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Starting Seeds Indoors or Out

Seedlings - Rich Baer
Sprouting Seedlings (Photo by Rich Baer)

Early spring is the time to begin thinking about a vegetable garden and with the seed catalogs that have been arriving at my house; it is a telling signal that the arrival of spring is not far away. I enjoy seeing and reading about the many new introductions as well as reading about old favorites. Then it’s time to begin starting seeds indoors.

With the cool weather we often have here in the Pacific Northwest, there are many summer vegetable plants that need to be started indoors from seed and then set out into the garden once warm weather arrives. Starting seeds indoors is quite easy and with a little preparation and planning, many gardeners look forward to this aspect of gardening. If you do not have a sunny window, there are many types of grow lights that can be used in areas that do not get enough natural light. Check out your local garden center or seed catalog for seed trays and peat moss or plastic pots to get started. Often times a special heating pad for plants will help warm up the soil and encourage germination. Starting with good soil is critical and Black Gold Seedling Mix is especially made for starting seeds.

Planning your Plantings

When planning what is to be planted, think about what vegetables you most enjoy eating fresh and consider the space and location available for planting. Pumpkins and many squash take lots of ground space as they send their stems out over the ground. Cucumbers are also crawlers but can be trained to grow on a trellis and thus free up ground space. It is interesting what some gardeners think of and how they can be very creative in small space situations. I have seen cucumbers growing in a container on a deck with a trellis for support and lettuce growing at the base. Lettuce is very easy to grow from seed and with its’ different colored leaves, it can make an attractive foliage plant on a deck. Also having a plant close to the kitchen makes it convenient to cut leaves for salad. Sow lettuce seeds directly in a pot and then thin seedling as necessary and set pot outside.

Lettuce Pot and Patio Blend
Photo courtesy of Territorial Seed Company.

Be Creative

As part of the planning stage for where vegetables might be grown, think outside the box and it might be surprising what spaces you might have available. Several years ago, a local garden center got very creative and made a vegetable garden over what was a gravel parking area. They built a raised bed garden in what was a gravel area and planted it with a wide assortment of vegetables. Last year I saw this same idea used by a homeowner over what had been an unused driveway. This was very creative and produced an abundance of fresh produce. If this idea is feasible for your space, do a rough layout of the produce you want to plant and start seeds from tender summer plants now.

Indoors or Out?

The seeds you select to start indoors should primarily be those that, for a homeowner, are best not directly sown outdoors. Seeds such as beans and corn which are usually sown directly outdoors, can be started indoors and by doing so you will have a head start on their growth when you transplant them outdoors.

Farmington Garden Raised Vegetable Beds - Rich Baer
Photo by Rich Baer

When seeds germinate and the new leaves appear, they are at one of their most vulnerable stages.  Make sure they have adequate light so they do not become ‘leggy’ and be sure to give them sufficient moisture. In Pacific Northwest gardens, slugs can be a major pest and are attracted to the tender new leaves of many plants. Seedlings will likely be damaged by slugs if some kind of bait is not applied when plants are set outdoors.

Tomatoes from Seed

The most popular of all home grown produce is the tomato. There are so many different varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming. I always suggest looking at the name tag of the plant and there should be an indication of the length of days to maturity. Select an assortment, early, mid-season, and late to extend your harvest. The early and mid-season types are more reliable if we have a cool fall season, many of the later maturing tomatoes will not ripen. Check with neighbors and see which varieties perform best for them and then, of course, try some new ones.

Tomatoes should be started indoors and a good indication of when to start the seeds is about six weeks before it is time to set plants outdoors. Use Black Gold Seedling Mix and just barely cover the seed. Keep the soil moist and the use of a heating pad is advisable.

Indigo Rose Tomato
Indigo Rose Tomato. Photo courtesy of Territorial Seed Company.

As gardeners are always on the lookout for something new, a tomato that has recently be introduced called Indigo Rose would be one to try. It was developed by Oregon State University and so has been bred for our area. It is very high in anthocyanin (a naturally occurring pigment that has been shown to help fight certain diseases in humans) and this anthocyanin creates what is almost a blue skin tomato. The inside flesh is the same rouge tone we expect and the flavor is excellent. The fruits are about 2-inch round, are very prolific and remind me of clusters of purple plums.

Do not be intimidated by starting seeds. You will have a much wider of a selection of varieties to chose from and have the enjoyment of knowing you started your own plants. I always like to mention that getting children in a seed starting project is an excellent way to introduce them to gardening. A seed that I find works especially well is nasturtium. It is a large seed, germinates quickly, grows fast and all parts of the plant are edible.

Soil Preparation and Bed Protection

In previous articles, IBefore Black Gold Soil Conditioner - Rich Baer have mentioned the importance of soil preparation before setting out transplants or sowing directly from seed. Prior to planting is the one opportunity to thoroughly prepare the soil. How you amend the soil now is the way it will be for the balance of the season.

 

Many soils in our area, without preparation, will look like the soil you see in the photo on the left. This is the kind of soil that quickly dries out in the summer and can often make a crust over the existing soil and will prevent water from penetrating and causing plants to stress. Sometimes in my garden, I have seen plants wilting in the summer sun and yet I had recently watered them. Upon further observation and some digging around the plant with a trowel, I discover that below the crusty surface the soil is dry.

With the addition of Black Gold Soil Conditioner, it is amazing how quickly the soil can change for the better. I like to spread soil conditioner over the top of the soil and then mix it in with the existing garden soil. If there are large clumps of soil, I try to break them into smaller pieces and work them into the mix, always watching for rocks which I remove. This is a very simple process and as long as the soil is not too wet, it is easy to mix soil and compost or mulch. With our cold and wet spring, many soils are too wet early to adequately dig early in the season, but I have found that after just a few days of sunny weather the soil will become dry enough to cultivate.

Black Gold Soil Conditioner and All Purpose Fertilizer - Photo by Rich Baer

After Black Gold Soil Conditioner - Photo by Rich Baer

I like to have a box of fertilizer close at hand and work this into the soil along with the soil conditioner. A high-performing organic fertilizer formulated for general gardening is your best choice. Incorporate it into the soil before planting.

To get a head start on planting, many gardeners will make or buy a miniature hoop house. This is simply a structure to get the soil warm sooner and provide some protection from the elements. Often gardeners will build a hoop house over a raised bed as the following photos show. The hoop house shown below in this Portland, Oregon garden, has allowed this gardener to start his season earlier in the spring and extend it longer into the fall. The soil preparation is the same as was mentioned earlier. If you are going to sow seeds directly into the ground, the protection a simple hoop house will provide, in many cases, will give you greater success. Even if you are going to use the hoop house to start seeds in flats or small pots, you will have quicker germination and the plants will continue to grow faster than if they were outside with no protection.

Miniature Hoop House - Rich Baer

Miniature Hoop House - Handle and Brace - Photo by Rich Baer

With just this plastic protection, it is surprising how much warmer the soil will be and how quickly seeds germinate. In fact, quite often on sunny days, the cover will need to be removed as the temperatures inside will become too hot. An easy way to do this is make a handle to lift the structure. Being able to either open or remove the top is necessary not only to keep the inside from getting too hot but also to provide some air circulation.

To prevent the top from sliding off the sides of the raised beds, this gardener came up with a clever idea. He made two elongated corner braces so the top could be easily lifted and yet would not slide off.

If you are going to sow seeds directly in the ground, it is sometimes beneficial to place something over the top of the soil to discourage birds and squirrels from eating young tender plants. This gardener used this heavy plastic mesh (see photo below), chicken wire also works well.

Here in the Pacific Northwest, slugs can be a huge problem and it is advisable to use some kind of bait or barrier to protect new germinating plants or transplants.

Once your soil is prepped, you are ready. For a novice or first time gardener, if you are going to sow seeds directly into the soil, I would suggest starting your first year with some of those seeds that are relatively easy to germinate. Early spring try seeds like peas, lettuce, kale, radish, and chard. Once summer is here and temperatures are warm, beans, squash, pumpkins, lettuce, and corn are often directly sown in the garden.

Squirrel & Bird Protection - Mesh - Rich Baer

It is not difficult to prepare your soil and, with a little bit of work early in the season, your plants will thank you throughout the growing season for your extra effort.

All photos courtesy of Rich Baer.

Kids Gardening: Growing Radishes

Radish Seedlings
Radish seedlings should come up in a matter of days, if planted when days and nights are mild and cool.

It is always fun getting children involved in a gardening activity and allowing them to start plants from seed is a great introduction to the world of gardening. When choosing a gardening activity for children be sure to pick something that will germinate quickly, grow fast, and mature in a short time. Growing radishes with kids is one easy way to make gardening fun!

Radishes are a good choice. They will germinate in only a few days in spring, if planted in full sun and grown in fertile ground amended with Black Gold Garden Compost Blend. The process is simple: create your rows, sprinkle the seeds along them, cover lightly and then water. Your kids should check them every few days for germination.

Once the seedlings have germinated, thin them to a distance of around 2 inches apart. Then give them good care, making sure they get a drink every few days or so. In only 40 to 45 days you will have crisp, sweet radishes. Kids just loving pulling them from the ground!

Mild-tasting varieties, like the French breakfast radish ‘D’Avignon’, are best for small children.

 

Enjoying Summer Gardening

Here it is July and summer has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest.  It took quite a long time for this to happen as our spring was one of the coolest and wettest on record.  But now that summer is here, what a glorious time of year it is.  As some garden friends have told me; this is why we live here and perhaps it is because we have had such a gloomy winter that when we do see sun, it is a cause to celebrate.

Basil in a trough potSummer Herbs and Vegetables

Finally summer herbs and vegetable gardens can safely be planted.  In my own garden, I have finally planted Basil.  This is a plant that loves the heat and if planted too early will often die.  A nursery grower told me earlier this spring that she tells people not to plant Basil until July 4.  In my garden, we have two ‘trough like’ planters and that is traditionally where the Basil goes.  It is an area that receives hot sun in the afternoon and in previous years the plants have thrived here and I do not expect anything less this year.

For Basil and other herbs in containers, I use Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil.  This has proven to be an excellent soil and one that I have used for many years.  Just prior to setting the Basil transplants in the containers, I add an all-purpose fertilizer.  I find that generally one application of this fertilizer at planting time is usually sufficient for the season.  Some varieties of Basil will tend to reduce leaf production if the plants are allowed to flower and I always try to remove the flower stalks.  This prolongs the usefulness of the plants and we generally are harvesting leaves until cool weather arrives in the fall.  It is also a good idea to apply some slug/snail bait around new plants.

cuperus papyrus in a potBold Container Plants

Another great container plant and one we have had on our deck for the past several years is Cyperus papyrus (Giant Egyptian Papyrus).  I treat it as an annual plant in our climate as I have not had success with it surviving a winter, especially in a pot.  This is a very striking plant and always draws attention.  The tall green stems can reach 6 feet or more and the stems are topped with clusters of thread-like green parts.  We have our plants in front of a tile garden art piece and while the plant is native to Africa, it fits very well in an Asian garden.  This is a plant that requires plenty of water and an excellent mix to use is Black Gold Cocoblend Potting Soil.  This potting soil is a mix of coconut fibers (coir) and peat moss with the addition of earthworm castings and pumice.  The coconut fibers are excellent at retaining water which is ideal for a plant like this.

Veriegated BrugmansiaIn previous web articles I have mentioned Brugmansia (Angel’s Trumpet) and what a great show of flowers these plants can provide.  For one that will provide color even without flowers, consider a variegated type.  We have two of these in urns placed in the entryway as one would enter our back garden area and with all the solid green leaves surrounding them, the variegated leaves really make the plant stand out.  Brugmansia is fast growing and likes both heat and water.  It makes good sense to use Black Gold Waterhold Cocoblend Potting Soil to help retain water.  At this time of year, many garden centers will have Brugmansia available in 5 gallon size containers and thus you can get an instant effect.  Fertilize every ten days to two weeks as Brugmansia is also a heavy feeder.  I always add some blood meal at time of planting to encourage growth.  Be careful using blood meal when the weather is hot as it can burn if applied too heavy.  At this time of year, I would just add a light application at time of planting.

Showy Garden Flowers

If you have read my columns before, you know I am a fan of Salvia.  While my favorite is ‘Black and Blue’, I like to try new varieties.  A new one for me this year is Salvia ‘Oceania’ with sky blue flowers.  I have three plants in a pot on our deck and they have not been without flowers since they were planted in May.  The blue color of this Salvia is sure to draw attention of anyone visiting your garden.

If the soil in your vegetable garden seems to be drying out, this is an excellent time to apply Black Gold Garden Compost Blend.  Work this lightly into the soil around vegetable plants and it will improve water retention and give the garden a more finished appearance.

At this time of year with so much happening in the garden, don’t forget that one of the purposes of why we garden is to enjoy it.  Make some time to enjoy your garden and let it be a calming place.  In my own garden, one of my favorite times is early morning and to water the plants by hand.  It is usually a quite time and I enjoy the solitude which I do not mind sharing with the hummingbirds.

If you have some bare spots in your garden, check out your local garden center as most will have blooming summer flowers in pots to set out for instant gratification.  Enjoy!

Cool to Warm Weather Gardening in Spring

Raised bed gardening in the Pacific Northwest.

Here in the Pacific Northwest temperatures seem to be getting warmer and warmer in the spring. We have finally had some sunny days, and the temperature actually reached the 80’s. How nice it was to see the sun, and what a wonderful feeling to get outside in the garden without a jacket.

I always like to visit other gardens and made a recent visit to the garden of a friend to check on the status of his garden peas. Since peas like cool weather, they have done just fine. It is so nice to see his raised vegetable beds. He worked Black Gold Garden Compost Blend into the soil at time of planting, and the plants look great. The fine compost gives his beds a ‘finished’ look.

If you have held off on planting your summer vegetable garden, it should be all right to do so now. Beans are very easy to grow BG-GRDNCMPST-BLND_1cu-FRONTfrom seed. Once the soil has warmed, they germinate quickly and are a good crop for children to grow. Cucumbers, squash, pumpkins, and corn can also be planted from seed. If you just need a few plants, save time by buying individual starts at your local garden center.

With the arrival of warm weather, basil can finally be planted. Basil definitely needs heat and is one of the last plants I set out in spring. I wait until the nights and days are both warm. Try growing basil in containers on a deck or patio. As long as it has full sun, it should thrive. At our house, we always have basil in several pots on our deck. Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil is a great mix for basil planting. (Basil deserves to be planted in an organic potting soil!)

There are many different types of basil to grow. In addition to the familiar large-leaf Italian sweet basil, consider growing ‘Dark Opa” for its flavorful dark-red leaves or ‘African Blue’ for its purple-tinted leaves. A new one for me this year is ‘Pesto Perpetuo’, which has variegated leaves that are light green with a cream margin. The contrasting color of the leaves make this basil stand out nicely against the reddish stems.

This shaded bed shows the large leaves of my Gunnera towards the back behind the hostas.

Gunnera tinctoria is a plant that always amazes me with its giant leaves and fast growth. Mine are already over 6 feet tall and growing. My Gunnera is also sending up a flower stalk which looks somewhat like a corn cob. Sometimes garden centers will label Gunnera as “The Dinosaur Food Plant” because it is an ancient plant and is found in fossils. Here in the metro Portland (Oregon) region, I have had good success with Gunnera even though it is not considered winter hardy here. Once we have had a frost, I cut the huge leaves and cover the crown of the plant with them for winter protection. I then cut the stems and insert them through the leaves and into the soil to help anchor them. This has provided enough protection for my plant that it has survived for the past five years even though we have had some very cold temperatures.

My experience is that Gunnera does best with some shade, especially protection from the hot afternoon summer sun. It also requires plenty of moisture and a soil rich in humus. I planted mine with about a 50% mixture of Black Gold Garden Compost Blend and good garden loam. I also use two applications of an all-purpose fertilizer later in the season.

Roses should be coming into bloom, and this is the time to fertilize them with a quality rose food. Roses expend so much energy with their continuous flowering, it is wise to fertilize on a regular basis (perhaps every four weeks) during the growing season. I always like to make one application of blood meal because of the high- and fast-acting nitrogen content. For an easy-care shrub rose, consider a Knock Out®rose. While not the traditional cutting rose, ‘Knock-Out’ bears flower clusters that bloom all summer, and it has never had a trace of disease.

Knock Out® Rose

The hardy banana, Musa basjoo is another good summer plant for Pacific Northwest gardens. When the word ‘hardy’ is used, it refers to the roots as being hardy, not the leaves. Like a perennial, this plant will die to the ground in the winter and return from the roots in spring. I have had it planted in my garden for over 10 years. When the first frost comes, I take the old leaves and cover the entire ground area with them.

I am amazed at how tall my hardy banana has already grown this year, considering our cool weather.  Typically, I apply a quality all-purpose fertilizer as it begins to grow. By the end of August, it will reach 12 feet and tower above most other plants in my garden.

Romneya coulteri

A final plant to mention is Romneya coulteri (Matilija Poppy). Each bloom has magnificent white crinkled petals with a cluster of yellow stamens in the center. The foliage is bluish, so the plant attracts attention in the garden, even when it is not in bloom. If you are looking for a plant that will grow well in sunny, hot, dry space, this is it. The only other requirement is that it needs good drainage. Once established, no summer watering is required.

So many plants to choose from! Check out your local garden center, and try something new. I always try to find some plants to add to the garden that are not familiar but look exciting.

 

Raised Bed Gardening

raised bed garden black goldWritten by Nan Sterman

Raised bed gardening is productive. Imagine this: a vegetable garden that produces a huge amount of food in a small space, takes a minimum amount of water, requires very little maintenance, and brings the plants to you, rather than you having to bed down all the way to the ground.

Sound impossible?  Not at all if you garden in raised beds.

Raised beds are like giant, bottomless planter boxes filled with your favorite soil mixture.  The best beds are four feet wide – about right for an adult to reach the middle.  If you garden with children, 3 ½ feet better suits their shorter arms.

Bed length makes no difference, though the longer a bed, the more efficient use of space.

When my now teenage children were small, they each had their own four by four raised bed separated by a three-foot wide walkway.  Three feet accommodates most wheelbarrows (and wheelchairs).  Through childhood, they grew whatever they wanted in those boxes.  One year, my son planted everything purple – eggplants, asters, purple sugar cane, purple leaf lettuce.

The plants didn’t matter, as long as they were purple.

Eventually, their interest in the garden waned, so we replaced the two little beds with one big bed, the length of the two beds plus the walkway.  My new bed was eleven feet long and a more efficient use of the space.

Bed height is important.  I’ve seen four inches tall beds, but I prefer them 18 to 24 inches tall with a 2” x 4” wood cap to sit on and set my tools on as I work.  If you garden from a wheelchair, you might want something even taller.

While my beds are made of long-lasting redwood, in the school garden I manage, our beds are composite lumber made from recycled soda bottles and ground wooden palettes.  They look just like wood but they will last absolutely forever.  And we really liked the idea of using a recycled material.

Raised beds can be made of other materials as well; stone, rock, bricks, blocks, logs, broken concrete.  If your budget is small, make temporary beds from 25-foot long straw-filled mesh wattle. Irrigation and landscape supply stores sell them for less than $30 each.

Coil the wattle into a circle or, if the circle is too large, coil it into a two-tiered circle. Fill with soil and start planting.  The wattle will last for about a year, depending on your climate.

If you garden in gopher-ville or battle other root-loving critters, line the bottom of your beds with galvanized hardware cloth.  The tiny mesh protects delicate root crowns from gnawing teeth, but doesn’t prevent fine roots from growing deep into the soil.

Have your irrigation in place before you set raised beds in the ground.  Use drip irrigation to target water directly onto plants.  Drip is far thriftier than overhead spray. It also keeps water off plant leaves where it can cause fungal diseases like powdery mildew.

Finally, fill beds with a soil mixture that is at least 30% organic matter.  Skip the potting soil, it is great for pots but not for raised beds.

Add soil to within about four inches of the lip, then top with a two-inch thick layer of Black Gold Earthworm Castings and a healthy sprinkle of Black Gold Tomato and Vegetable Fertilizer. Use a hand trowel or small spade to turn the amendments into the soil.

After you plant, continue to apply a quality fertilizer throughout the growing season.  Annual vegetables, fruits, edible flowers, and herbs are all hungry feeders.

So, for the biggest most beautiful plants and produce, don’t forget the fertilizer. Organic fertilizers and amendments are always better for your plants and your soil than synthetic products.

Mulch your raised beds with old straw and you’ll soon have a wonderful harvest.
Every year, refresh the soil in your raised beds by adding a thick layer of an organic compost such as Black Gold Soil Conditioner or Black Gold Garden Compost Blend.

Enjoy!