How to Start Seeds in a Plastic Sandwich Bag

This method of seed starting is one that's popular in preschool and kindergarten classes.  Both of my older two have come home from school with their little beanstalks that they started in school. 

What you need:

:: Seeds

:: Plastic sandwich bags

:: Paper towels

:: Water

:: Seed Starter Mix (totally optional; our seeds have always sprouted without it)

Wet the paper towels down and place them in the bag.   If you have it on hand (as I happen to have some), add a teaspoon or so of Seed Starter Mix to your bag as well.  Add one or two seeds.  Seal the bag, then tape the sealed bag to a sunny window.

Wait and see what happens - be prepared for squeals of ooooh! from your kiddos when they spot little green seedlings emerging.  ;-) 

I'll share our seedling progress with you next week!

Weekly Quote

"Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw."

- Henry David Thoreau

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle | Eggshells

RRR | Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is my weekly post geared toward gardening on a budget by reusing & recycling items you already have on-hand.

This week's topic: Eggshells

 Eggshells can be quite useful in your garden.  Because they contain calcium, adding them to your compost pile will result in a calcium boost to your plants in the future as your compost pile matures.

But eggshells take a loooong time to break down.  You can grind them in a blender, mill, or cusinart until they are a fine powder to accelerate the process.  Some gardeners simply crush the shells and add them around the base of their plants that require higher amounts of calcium to thrive (think roses and tomatoes).  

For an interesting discussion of eggshells and composting, read the comments at this forum; there's lots of useful (and funny) information about how to best compost eggshells.

You can also use nicely halved and cleaned eggshells as seed starter containers.  This is a great project to do with your kids as you wait for spring to come and the return of sunny days.  For instructions on how to make cute eggshell pots with (or without) your kids, click here.

Thanks for reading and subscribing to Farm Fresh Backyard!

Wordless Wednesday | Packrat!

I found these tucked away on a garage shelf. I think they're about six years old; the last time I grew cherry tomatoes, my oldest was still in diapers.

Time to experiment with growing indoor herbs!

Add your photo to the Wordless Wednesday fun at 5 Minutes for Mom.

How to Amend Clay Soil

Ideally, the soil in your garden should be loamy - rich,dark, and moist enough to squeeze into a loose ball that crumbles easily.

Some soil (like mine) is loaded with clay. When I dig a hole for a transplanted bush, I bring up heavy shovels of sticky clods of dirt. If I sqeeze those clods, they squish in my hands like a hunk of potter's clay. The problem with highly clay soil is twofold: it doesn't drain well and when it dries out, it hardens and cracks. Both conditions are tough on the roots of your plants.

If you're in my part of the world (SW Ohio) and you find yourself with predominantly clay soil, you can work on amending it by adding compost and other organic matter to the soil. If you're digging a hole to transplant a bush or a tree, add compost, peat moss, or even coffee grounds to help improve the soil around the roots of your plant. For a larger garden or bed, use the same amendments and work them into the soil as you dig and/or till each year.

Not into digging or tilling? I don't blame you - neither am I! You can wait until late fall and add layers of peat, compost, and those coffee grounds you've been saving to your beds. Over the long winter months, the worms will help you by breaking down the materials you added; you'll find better soil when you put your spade in the ground come spring.

Clay soil is tough to work with but amending it year in and year out will bring you closer to the loamy soil that gardens thrive on.

Thanks for reading and subscribe to Farm Fresh Backyard!

In the Garden This Week | January 25, 2010 {Week 4}

In the Garden This Week is my weekly garden planning feature. My goal for this weekly post is to stay on track with planning the work that needs to be done to prepare for and maintain a garden this week.

I'll also review the previous week's goals and let you know what I accomplished.

----------+++++----------

Last Week's Goals

:: Make a final list of what I'm planting this year and begin garden planting calendar.

Well, this goal ended up being harder to meet than I had hoped, mostly because my Burpee seed & plant catalog came last week. 

Oh my!  So many choices, so many thoughts, so many ideas.  I love seed catalogs!

I'm pretty certain of what I intend to plant this year:

Tomatoes
Green/Red/Banana/Hot Peppers
Onions
Carrots
Lettuce (Butter, Iceburg, Romaine)
Radishes
Beets
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Pumpkins (small sugar variety)
Cucumbers
Zukes + Squash
Eggplant
Peas
Beans (Several varieties)
Herbs
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Blackberries

If I opt to order live plants, they'll ship in early March for my zone.  That gives me a good idea of when I'll need to have the garden beds ready to go (mid-late March).

My goals this week:

:: Finalize order list (and stay within a reasonable budget!)

:: Find good raised bed building plans online for my hubs

:: Begin garden calendar

:: Clean up yard (we've got several branches down from the winter winds).

I'll be back next week to share my progress! ;-)

Weekly Quote

"The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing something better than they have ever done before."

- Vita Sackville-West