Just getting started gardening, just need some tips & tricks, or wanting to move to organic gardening?
I have to admit…I really don’t do anything special when it comes to gardening. Just a lot of hard work and patience!
I love collecting what we grew and being able to eat what came from the backyard, but getting there takes time and effort.
We till up the ground in late winter when the ground is soft, and again in the early spring. I always make sure the dirt is easy to work up with my hands – that’s when I know I’m done tilling for the spring. I’ve planted too many times when I haven’t tilled up the ground enough and my seeds never germinated, because the roots couldn’t get through, so we till up the dirt as much as we think is needed for a good growing season!
Starting In The Greenhouse
First you’ll need some gardening tools, some are optional…seeds are not, gloves are, soil is not, tape is, water is not, seed trays or containers are not, labels are… you get my point.
What I keep on hand in my greenhouse:
- Seeds
- Seed Starting Soil OR Potting Soil
- Spray Bottle
- Water Pitcher
- Seed Starting Trays
- Feed Bags (empty, cut into strips, for snail rolls)
- Masking Tape
- Sharpies
- Popscicle Sticks
- Gloves
- Scissors
- Paper Towels
- Trash Bag
- Large Bowl or Container (to mix soil in)
- Lids for seed starting trays
A greenhouse can be a room in your house or a legit greenhouse outside, you just need a space for your seeds to sprout that is warm and full of light -when it’s too cold outside.
I will usually use seed starting trays or make snail rolls and a good organic seed starting soil or potting mix. For some plants I will just start off with using medium sized pots (usually left over from the plants I bought for landscaping around the house) and potting mix because I don’t want to have to up-pot them several times before they can go outside. It truly depends on the types of seeds you’re starting and your climate for when you can transplant outside, I am right on the line of zone 6 & 7 so I start most of our seeds in mid-March. Some seeds (onions & herbs) I will start in January or February.
Once late May hit it was usually warm enough for me to plant most things in the ground.
Chief likes to help plant…and by plant I mean dig.
I do not have a green thumb whatsoever, in fact I was relying on the sun, rain, and prayers. Once I get those babies in the ground I water religiously, especially when it gets super hot out. We’re also in an area that gets pretty windy so things will dry out quicker. So just keep those things in mind when thinking about watering.
I guess the only trick I can think of that I believe really boosted up our sprouts was using fertilizer. I did not use a bunch I just sprinkled a little at the roots when I planted them in the ground and watered it in.
Needless to say, you don’t NEED a greenhouse and you don’t need to also start your seeds before putting them in the ground, but it sure does help and gives them (and you) a very controlled environment, which is better for seeds (especially in the spring when the weather can be so finicky)!
Now you’re probably looking at these pictures thinking…umm she said “green thumb, not so much”, but it looks very green to me! Lots of prayers people!!!
If you have good dirt (a.k.a. a structure for the plants to grow in & good nutrients for the plants to eat), water, & sunlight you should be golden!
It is such a great feeling when you go out to harvest with a bucket or basket and end up having to take multiple trips with overfilling produce!
Chief harvesting the produce he helped plant!
