This is my first year starting seedlings inside. I have historically just waited to plant either seeds or starts outside later in the year as the temperature rises. However, we have seen some growth stunting and even tomatoes with a delayed fruiting stage from planting outdoors too soon (i.e. before the final frost date). So, this year, I attempted to start most of our home organic gardening indoors from seed, and the following is the process I followed and what I learned along the way.
We love Territorial Seed Company located in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. For those of you in the pacific NW, Territorial does a fabulous job of stocking a ton of fruits and veggies and varieties that do well in our region. However, they have something for everyone. You can read more about their history and process here.
Territorial also has a great organic selection AND my favorite garden planner software! You can build out your garden layout and individual beds, select your plants and when completed the software will print you out a plant list complete with target dates to plant (indoor and outdoor), when to harvest and when to replant if desired. The super handy feature is that Territorial will also send you emails to remind you of the specific plants you have on your list and that you are within your 2-week optimal planting window!
For our 2021 garden we chose the following combinations:
The Old Farmer’s Almanac does a good job of reviewing various pairings for optimal growth, such as basil and tomatoes do well together (not just a tasty combination!). As always, make sure to compare this to which plants do well in your growing zone. To find out which growing zone you are in, click here to go to the USDA Interactive Map.
The first step was to determine what type of pot I wanted to plant the seedlings. There are so many options out there from reusable starter trays to recycling old egg cartons. Since we grow exclusively organic in our garden and do all that we can to limit animal products, I went with an OMRI-listed, biodegradable peat pot from Gardener’s Supply. Territorial has wonderful peat pots as well, but were sold out at the time that I needed to purchase them. (If you are wondering, OMRI stands for Organic Materials Review Institute, which is a non-profit organization that provides independent product review to support and protect organic product integrity.)
The second step is to determine the type and brand of soil that you want to you. I really enjoy using the OMRI-listed, Black Gold Seedling Mix, but it can be quite expensive when you have a ton of seedlings to start (I have 57 seedlings growing indoors right now in 3.5” peat pots…. and this size can add up to a lot of soil). To save a little money, we supplemented with a seed starter that our local organic farm supply store makes in bulk, and added the Black Gold to the top half of the peat pots.
Third step is to determine where inside you will be housing your seedlings. Ample light and an external heat source are ideal for healthy seedlings. We are fortunate to have a large bay window that happens to have one of our heater vents directly below the window, and a side table that is just large enough to support 4 seedling trays. If this type set up isn’t available, then you may want to explore small grow lights and seedling heat pads. I also have these reusable clear plastic covers to create a greenhouse effect for the first days to promote germination and increase the soil temperature.
Fourth step is to determine your last frost day for your region and then based on the plants that you selected work backward to determine the ideal planting date for your home garden. The range varies by plant, but a rough estimate is usually 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost day for your area.
Once your seeds, pots and accessories arrive, bring on the planting! But remember to label your pots. I made the mistake of forgetting to make or purchase seedling labels until the day I wanted to start planting. Luckily, we had the following items on hand that make the quickest, easiest and most adorable little signs: toothpicks and spice bottle all-purpose labels! Total cost for 50+ signs was less than $0.50!!! Win-Win in my book!
Being the overly spreadsheet-obsessed pharmacist that I am, I naturally made an excel spreadsheet of the various plants that I selected to keep track of the anticipated germination dates and date ranges to transfer them outdoors. I will be creating an easy version for you all for your home organic gardening needs and will send it out once it’s completed.
Follow along for the next update when we will be transplanting our seedlings to our outdoor raised beds. In the next post I will walk through our process to prep our yard, construct the raised beds, pick the optimal soil, and discuss the various watering systems that we reviewed.
Additionally, we are also adding chickens to our family this year. I’ll be posting soon with a ton of information for first time chicken owners and what to expect when bringing home your first chicks…..we are in a steep learning curve. But, these chicks are bringing so much light and laughter to our days!
For now check out the Wellness Section on Shoulders With Freckles for recipes, nutrition and more!
See more of my favorite home organic gardening finds in my Garden Life List on Etsy!
Founder of Shoulders With Freckles and SUMMERSKIN, as well as a Pharmacist, Melanoma Survivor & Mom.
