Kevin @Epic Gardeningupdates his seed-starting methods annually for better results, consistency, and health of his seedlings. Check out his NEWmethod featuring the help of some Espoma Organic Seed Starter.
When planting onions from seed, Espoma Organic Seed Starter is a key component in promoting root growth and improving moisture retention. Check out how Garden Answer uses it!
You’ve waited all winter, and spring is so close! It’s just about time to start sowing early spring crops.
You can sow cool season crops directly in the ground as soon as the soil temperature is at or above 40ºF. If the soil is wet and muddy, you’ll want to wait a few days until things dry out. Working wet soil can ruin its structure. Some people use polythene tunnels to warm the soil and give them an even bigger head start.
While you sow, don’t forget to feed your soil. Use Espoma Organic’s Garden-Tone, it is perfectly formulated for your vegetable garden.
Here are our top vegetables for early spring:
Spinach
Spinach sprouts fairly quickly and is remarkably frost resistant, especially when grown under cover. Plants like the morning sun and are happy to have some afternoon shade. Fresh baby spinach is tasty and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Try a springtime salad with spinach and strawberries or put them in your favorite breakfast smoothie.
Swiss Chard
This beet relative is another excellent early spring crop that is easy to grow from seed. Once the leaves are 6 inches tall, you can begin to harvest the outer leaves. Let inner leaves stand for a later harvest. Chard contains 3 times the recommended daily intake of vitamin K and 44 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin A. Eat it raw or cooked.
Lettuce
There are hundreds of different kinds of lettuce; they come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Harvesting baby greens is quick and easy. Look for varieties you can cut back that will regrow. Many can be harvested in just 30 days. They won’t flourish during cold snaps, but they won’t die unless temperatures dip below 28ºF.
Radishes
Radishes are one of the fastest vegetables you can grow. They’re fun to grow with little ones because they come up before you know it. You can plant radishes alongside lettuce or other spring greens. As you harvest the radishes, the greens have more room to grow. Use them as an addition to salads and tacos or roast them for a delicious treat.
Kale
We all know kale is a super food — cooked kale delivers more iron than beef. Lucky for us it grows easily from seed. Harvest the outer leaves for baby kale and let the rest of the foliage grow to full size. It can produce a great deal of food with little effort. Sow kale early and protect from hard frosts.
Peas
Fresh grown peas are so sweet and delicious, even your kids will love them. And, the seeds are big enough for little hands to plant them. Plant them in the ground around St. Patrick’s Day or 4 to 6 weeks before that last frost free date. Some varieties will need a low trellis. Check the seed packet to see how tall they’ll grow. Grow sugar snaps or snow peas if you don’t want to do all the shelling regular peas require.
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Seedlings-773x1030.jpg1030773Kevin Pyleshttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngKevin Pyles2019-03-12 22:46:522019-05-07 09:57:01Are You Ready To Plant?
Keywords: starting plants indoors, can you grow tomatoes indoors, growing vegetables indoors
Starting seeds indoors is great way to make your garden successful from the start. Nurturing and watching seedlings grow from nothing into a fully grown plant can be incredibly rewarding.
Gardeners have asked how to be more successful with starting their own seeds and the problems usually boil down to simple, common mistakes. Here are the three most common mistakes and how to fix them.
In a few short weeks your seedlings will be ready to transplanted into the garden!
1. Problem: Not Enough Light
A common mistake beginner seed starters make is not giving their seeds enough light. New seeds need a lot of light to get growing. You can start with a south facing window, but if it doesn’t get 6+ hours a day, it probably won’t do.
Solution: Artificial lights.
Using grow lights, found at your local garden center, can provide the ample amount of light your seedlings need. Hang lights from chains, so you can lower and raise them as they grow. Keep lights about 2-3 inches above the seedlings.
2. Problem: Too Much or Not Enough Water
This is the most challenging part about starting seeds. Seedlings are incredibly delicate and need to be watered just right. Keep potting mix moist, but not wet.
Solution: Check seedlings regularly.
First, cover your seed starting container with plastic until the seeds germinate. This will trap any moisture in and will help keep the soil moist. Use a misting spray bottle until seedlings appear to avoid overwatering. Once your seedlings are established, water from the bottom. Your container should have drainage holes, so let your plants soak up the water from the holes to minimalize the risk of overwatering. Lastly, check your plants every day.
3. Problem: Starting Too Soon
Many beginners try to start seeds as soon as they buy them, instead of when the package advises. We all get a little excited to have green plants growing again, but if started too soon, they can die off from the cold.
Solution: Find out when your expected last frost is.
Seeds should usually be started four to six weeks before your last frost date. This will ensure that by the time your seedlings are ready to be transplanted, your soil will have started to warm up. You may need to place your seedlings outside during the day and bring them in at night for a few days to get them acclimated to the outside temperatures. Before you plant your seedlings in the ground, use Espoma’s Bio-Tone Starter Fertilizer to give your soil and new seedlings the head start they deserve.
In a few short weeks you’ll be ready to transplant!
https://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Seedling-e1522271372241.jpg400600espomahttps://www.espoma.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/espoma-logo340w-1.pngespoma2018-02-27 10:55:022022-04-12 09:09:083 Common Seed Starting Problems and How to Fix Them
Spring is here! Shed off those winter blues and head outdoors to restore your lawn and garden. The days are getting longer and your soil is beginning to wake up. April is a great time to get out in your yard and begin again.
Wondering where to start? We’ve got 6 tasks you can accomplish this month in your own yard.
Hydrangeas embody everything we love about gardening. They have billowy textures, come in bright colors, and are easy to care for. Plant some this month for the best blooms. Feed your Hydrangeas with Espoma Organic Holly-tone fertilizer.
3. Grow berries.
Did you know blackberries have almost as many antioxidants as blueberries? And raspberries make the perfect addition to jam, cobblers, and pies. Berries are just so delicious, scrumptious, and oh-so-juicy. Plus, many berries are easy to grow and care for. Find out when, where, and how to plant your favorite berries. Feed your berry-producing plants with Espoma Organic Berry-tone fertilizer.
4. Revitalize lawns.
Perform a soil test to find out what your lawn needs, then amend and choose organic. Organic lawns need less watering, fertilizing, and mowing all summer long. Yes — that means you get to spend more time enjoying your beautiful lawn and less time caring for it! Plus, as natural lawn foods break down, your soil becomes stronger on its own and needs less help. Feed your lawn with Espoma Organic All Season Lawn Food.
5. Plant blooms.
Azaleas and Rhododendrons are some of the most popular flowering shrubs. Blooming from late spring to early summer, these shrubs thrive in almost any garden. Plus, they come in virtually every color of the rainbow — from bold pinks, purples, and reds to soft, muted yellows and whites. Make sure you’re adding these bloomers to your garden this year. Feer your beautiful Azaleas and Rhododendrons with Espoma Organic Azalea-tone fertilizer.
6. Feed roses.
Your roses are waking up now, they’ve made it through a long winter and they are starving! Choose Espoma’s organic Rose-tone. It includes more nutrients than any other rose food. Most rose fertilizers contain three nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Here’s how to feed with Rose-tone.
Sit back and relax once you’re done.
April showers will give way to May flowers in no time at all.
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Check out our Total Guide to Growing Organic Berries!
Raise new plants that grow as big and mighty as Jack’s Beanstalk with these five tips for planting success. Your new plants will look so perfect your neighbors will think you plucked them right from a fairy tale!
Before you even think about picking up your garden trowel, check out these tips.
Say Yes to Success: 5 Tricks for Planting New Flowers, Veggies and More
1. Start with the Best. Make sure you have the right light, space and soil for each plant. Then select plants with shiny, blemish-free leaves that you can easily lift out of the container.
3. Feed Now… and Later. When planting, mix in an organic starter plant food. Adrianna, an Espoma customer, loves Bio-tone Starter Plus. She can even tell “when the roots begin to take up the plant food because they start to grow MUCH faster.” Bio-tone Starter Plus’ secret is mycorrhizae, which promotes bigger blooms and helps plants get established faster.
4. Stay Strong Seedlings. Before moving indoor seedlings outside, toughen them up. Otherwise, they may not make it. To help seeds adjust, begin hardening them off two weeks before transplanting. How-to instructions here.
5. Don’t Forget to Water. While still in their nursery containers, water your plants. Then water deeply after planting. Water reduces plants’ stress levels and helps them adjust to their happy, new abode.
Get ready, your organic flowers, veggies and plants are about to be bigger and healthier than ever! You grow, gardener!