Each week, my blogs will be about an experiment in gardening. I'm just a writer who likes to watch plants grow into beautiful flowers and luscious vegetables. My watering can can make me smile as does everything about this hobby. That's why I do it, along with the reasons I mentioned last week. Requirements for taking care of everything I grow will become more arduous as the season progresses. For the next four-five months, the process will become more time-consuming.
Let's talk a little about soil. When I plant seeds, I use a seed-starting mix and a Miracle-Gro potting mix. I combine the two for non-edible plants in the bottom third of the pots or trays. For the tomatoes and other vegetables, I use all organic. Then I shovel in a layer of the seed-starting mix. I moisten these two layers. After I deposit one or two seeds in each pot or scatter them in the tray, I cover them with a thin layer of the fine soil. Be careful when using any of these soils. If they are dry, they puff up into your eyes. I wear glasses or goggles to prevent that from happening.
In the past, I've planted in individual peat pots. This year, in attempting to grow petunias, an article I read suggested I scatter seeds in a tray instead. Since last year's process with 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 sized pots worked well, I wasn't ready to give them up. And I'm glad I didn't. When petunias start to sprout, they are very tender and minuscule. They really have to be babied along. I found setting peat pots in a tray, watering from the bottom and then spraying the top gently was the most effective growing method, so I didn't kill those tender shoots. In a tray, that method isn't possible. I plant one to two seeds per pot and then thin by leaving the heartiest sprout. I can already tell I'm going to lose many more sprouts to thinning with the tray method. I'd rather dump peat pots that don't produce into the fertilizer pile, rather than destroying all those young plants. Just personal preference. I can also see that watering those trays could be detrimental to the plants. More on that as weeks progress.
As for watering... My trays sit on a heated plant pad under grow lights. I check them every morning. If they need water for their ten-twelve hours under the light, I water. But then I let the soil dry before the next watering. This keeps down mold and fruit flies.
I mark my peat pots and trays with colorful hors d'oeuvres toothpicks. That helps me sort colors. This year I planted Double Purple Pirouette, Merlin Blue Moon Hybrid and Prism Sunshine petunias. The purple and yellow varieties are popping up (pictures below). Not one blue petunia has peeked out of the soil. I have a blue garden and blue flowers can be difficult to grow! Either that's also true with the blue petunias or...they just need more time. I won't give up yet. We'll see what happens until next week! Has anyone out there had luck growing blue petunias or petunias in general?
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7 comments:
gardening is really a hobby that hard to forget. Your blog post reminds me of my own doings, its very informative that made learn new things. it made me smile to see my own grown vegetables and its self-fulfilling. I actually host a weekly gardening link up every Friday on my blog. I'd love for you to drop by and join in.
I haven't grown petunias from seed, but I'll tell ya' - they are one if my favorite flowers to have. They're so pretty and fragrant and the hummingbirds love them.
Thanks for the gardening tips! I'm a gardener myself and am always looking for ways to improve. My husband got me a composter for Christmas, so I'm pretty excited making my own compost : )
Great post!
I've never grown petunias, but I did manage to grow from seed a real pretty perennial geranium with light purple and white striped flowers. And then there was the packet of eucalyptus seeds I started. Ended up with three 15' eucalyptus trees in my front yard, well at least until we had a real cold winter that took them all out.
;)
I've never planted petunias, but I did grow from seed a real pretty perennial geranium with light purple and white striped flowers. And then there was the packet of eucalyptus seeds I started. Ended up with three 15' tall eucalyptus seeds in my front yard, at least until a real cold winter took them out.
;)
Tiffany--is that your twitter handle?
Kim--I've thought about getting a composter. I'd like to know how it works out. I never knew petunias had such a pretty scent until I started sitting on the patio after dark.
Liv--I might have to try geraniums. We usually plant those, too.
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