It's time to talk plants. There are two ways to get plants for your vegetable garden, grown them yourself from seed or purchase them as small plants. Today we're going to discuss seeds.

Buying Your Seeds

There are many companies that you can buy your seeds from. You can purchase them through seed catalogs or from online retailers. Or you can purchase them from your local stores. This time of year, most stores are carrying a supply of seeds - even your dollar stores!

There is a lot of buzz in the gardening world about purchasing heirloom seeds, which are seeds that are in their purest state. These seeds have not been genetically modified (GMO); they have not been cross pollinated to create a hybrid plant. Some seeds are very rare. If you are seeking a more pure seed, there are some great companies out there to purchase from.

This is my first year of growing my garden with seeds. I chose a more economical route for my seeds since I wanted to purchase many different types (over 40!). Yes, I bought dollar store seeds.

However, I really wanted spinach and it wasn't available at the dollar store, so I purchased organic spinach seeds from Home Depot for 8 times the price of my dollar store seeds. So far, the spinach seeds are the only ones that are NOT germinating!

Things I Learned About Seeds

Don't assume similar plants require the same care. I learned that cauliflower likes to be started indoors and then transplanted, but broccoli does not do well when transplanted. These plants are similar in many ways, so I was very surprised to learn this. It proved to me that I really needed to do my research before starting my seeds.

I started yellow squash and zucchini in the same starter pod kit as my tomatoes and lettuce. Well, my squash and zucchini are about 4 inches tall now and towering over the rest of the seedlings. I will be moving them to individual containers so that I can better care for the littler plants. Had I known that the squash and zucchini germinated and grew so much quicker than the others, I would have started these seeds differently.

Many of my seeds did not germinate at all. I had placed 2 or 3 seeds in each of the pods, and for some pods I got 2 plants and for others I got none. After some research, I learned that I could place my seeds in wet paper towels for a few days to see if they start to sprout, and then only plant the sprouting seeds in order to have a higher population that grew into seedlings.

Use STERILE starter soil for your seeds and make sure you sterilize your pots or pods before using them. I did use starter soil for my kit, but it was not sterile and I don't know if this was why my spinach did not grow. I still have some seeds left from the package, so I'll try again soon and see what happens.

If you are using pods, keep them warm (70 degrees is best) and covered until they germinate. Spritz them with water daily, but only until they germinate. Once they germinate, remove the cover and water them from the bottom only. This will promote stronger roots for the seedlings. Make sure your new seedlings get at least 10-12 hours of sunlight per day, more if possible. I had to purchase grow lights because mine were wilting due to lack of sunlight.

30 Day Challenge

For those of you who are following along with the challenge, how are you doing? Is your garden ready for planting, or do you still have some prep work to do? If you have any questions, please post them here or on my blog and I will do my best to help you. See you tomorrow!