Seeds!

Do you have any seed packets? If not, go to the store. Go to the grocery store or to the nursery. Now is the time to find them! Now, if you have them, grab them. Grab them right now. Right. This. Second. Now shake them. Do you hear that sound? That's the sound of possibility!

It's March and I can finally justify starting seeds indoors! Not that I haven't been already, but now it's reasonable! I grow my vegetables in a zone 5b climate in Arlington Heights, Illinois, where it's lovingly cared for by my parents. It's now about 10 weeks before the last frost date which means I can start cool season crops like broccoli, cabbage and parsley inside my window. That also means that In another three weeks I can justify starting warm season plants like tomato and bell pepper!

If you're starting seeds indoors, it's recommended that you put them a few inches under a fluorescent grow light. Full spectrum is ideal but one cool white bulb with one warm white bulb will do for fairly healthy growth. You'll want fluorescents since they produce very little heat and will not burn up your plants. You can also start seeds in a window but the problem is that they tend to get leggy. I don't personally mind them being a little leggy because it means I can keep the electric bill a bit lower. I am also blessed with a south west facing window which means I get a lot of sun during the day.

I've already started mustard greens which are doing beautifully in the windowsill. The kind I have were collected from a variety known as red threads. I like to start some of my meals with a few small leaves for a touch of bitterness to aid digestion.

I'm planning to only start my kale this year on my window. The rest of the window is being saved for the 20 varieties of tomato seed that I have in my seed box.

Note:
I'm currently in Connecticut and though the time stamp on this post may read the 5th, I had to post it on the 6th. The blogger app for android was having difficulty posting the revised version and I didn't have access to a computer. I will be posting another seed related blog post within the next month that will expand on this, unfortunately my time was cut short due to external factors. I'm a little worried about my plants at home because I didn't have time to water them before I left for my trip and I was supposed to be back on Thursday. Unfortunately, LaGuardia airport shut down following a plane crashing into a fence at the airport so I will be leaving Saturday.