Jump start your garden plans this January
When making your seed order, consider what types of seeds you realistically need.
The spring planting season may be months away but I'm still checking gardening tasks off my to-do list. January is a great time to sow seeds for microgreens and sprouts, sharpen garden tools, and add a few new indoor plants to your collection.
It's also time to start planning what to grow in 2021. In a typical year, gardeners place seed orders or pick up seed packets in mid to late spring. However, the seed rush of 2020 hasn't been forgotten and local seed companies are already seeing a big bump in early orders of vegetable, herb and flower seeds.
When making your seed order, consider what types of seeds you realistically need. Some vegetables are direct seeded while others are transplanted into garden beds and containers. Beans, peas, carrots, beets, and lettuce can be direct seeded, while long season crops like tomatoes and peppers are transplanted. If you don't have a south-facing window or grow light to start seeds like tomatoes indoors, perhaps wait and pick up seedlings from a garden centre in spring.
Nova Scotia seed suppliers include Halifax Seed (Halifaxseed.ca), Annapolis Seeds (Annapolisseeds.com), Yonder Hill Farm (Yonderhillfarm.ca), Cochrane Family Farm (Cochranefamilyfarm.com), The Incredible Seed Co. (Incredibleseeds.ca), Hope Seed (Hopeseed.com), and Revival Seeds (Revivalseeds.ca).
So what should you grow in 2021? I dedicate about 80 per cent of my garden beds to standard crops and family favourite varieties. The other 20 per cent leaves space to try
new or new-to-me varieties.
And while January may be too early in the year to start seeds indoors, there is a sneaky way you can get a jump on the growing season: winter sowing. Winter sowing is an old technique and an easy way to grow onions, leeks, cabbage, kale, spinach, milkweed, hollyhocks, calendula, and foxgloves.
Gallon milk or water jugs or plastic salad containers are perfect for winter seed sowing. These act as mini greenhouses, allowing seeds to germinate when the growing conditions are right.
Start by gathering and rinsing your containers. Poke small holes in the bottoms to allow for good drainage. I also poke a handful of holes in the tops to allow air circulation and moisture to seep in. Other essential supplies include potting mix, seeds, labels, and packing or duct tape if using one-gallon jugs.
To plant in salad containers, add two inches of moistened potting mix, sow the seeds, and add a label. If using a gallon jug, use sharp scissors to carefully cut around the middle of the container. I don't go all the way around to leave a little hinge at the back. Add two to three inches of moistened potting mix and sow seeds. Use a sharpie to record the seed variety on the outside of the container.
Replace the top portion of the container and use packing tape or duct tape to secure it closed. I leave the screw tops off the jugs so snow and rain can keep the soil evenly moist.
Take the planted containers and place them outdoors in a spot where they get sun and rain or snow but won't be buffeted by high winds. I like to tuck my winter sown containers beside my cold frames and polytunnel. As the weather warms in March, check the containers from time to time, watering if the soil is dry. By May you'll have sturdy, healthy seedlings to move to your garden.
Niki Jabbour is the best-selling author of three gardening books, and a two-time winner of the prestigious American Horticultural Society Book Award. Her latest book, Growing Under Cover is now available. Find her at Savvygardening.com.