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Friday, August 3, 2012

planning for fall


i started some fall seeds! spinach, kale, lettuce, swiss chard, thyme, and oregano.  most of the seeds are from my favorite seed catalog, but the lettuce is from my mom. when i went home over memorial day, she took some of the bolted lettuce from her garden and let it dry to save the seeds for me. i hope it sprouts! 


i bought some potting soil, because i don't use regular soil for seed-starting.  then i have these seed-starting plastic containers that i re-use over and over. i ordered them about four years ago, when we moved to maryland, and have used them at least once or twice a year since then. i just fill each pocket with the soil, then plant a few seeds, and mist with water. i start them inside - no light needed until they sprout. i just keep misting them. once they sprout, i thin them so a couple per section have a better chance of getting big and strong. once i have a leaf or two, i transplant into little 4" pots - i save them whenever i buy a plant. part of the quest for no waste in my household! 

i also transplanted some of the basil starts in my other pots.  if you have a basil plant, let a few stems go to flower. then let the flower dry up - that is your seed. drop into some dirt and keep it watered... a new basil plant will sprout before you know it. i have tripled the basil plants at my house in less than a year! so this round is for giving away : ) 


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