Seeds Have Arrived

I came home to a package from Johnny's Selected Seeds sitting on my porch!  Now that my order has arrived I need to get some of these seeds sown ASAP.  First some additional materials were needed, off to the farm supply for:

• green sand
• compost - believe it or not I don't have any mature compost right now
• potting trays and lids
• fish emulsion
• Fish & Kelp fertilizer

I ended up purchasing a bag of seed starting mix rather than make my own.  I didn't really have a choice because I couldn't find any acceptable compost to make my own mix.  After a bit of shopping I decided on "Light Warrior Seed Starter" if for no other reason than the name and graphics are so ridiculous (actually the ingredients seemed more than sufficient).  Hey, they have a website!!

My loose plan is to start many of the crops indoors, as many as possible as I still have substantial work to do on my outside beds.  I'm looking forward to the experience of starting (and growing) seedlings indoors and the knowledge that I will take away.

I'm going through a mini experiment trying organic individual pots as well as a cell-tray to find out which one I like the best, or maybe which one the seedlings like best.  I pretty much split all plantings 50/50 between the Dot Pots and the cell tray.

I used my seed starting log that I printed off the web and entered each item that I planted.  The idea is that I will reference this log to determine when to start hardening the seedlings off and finally when to transplant.  I don't know, this is all really new and although I'm going through the steps I don't quite understand everything I'm doing yet.  This is how I learn everything though...

Tatsoi planted 1/6/11, Johnny's
ID: 515.1, thin to 1 plant,
sown in pot

I marked each set of plantings using popcicle sticks and developed my own layout format with the information that I wanted:

• date sown
• plant name
• seed supplier ID
• pot or cell sown
• thinning info if applicable

I also created a legend in my log book so I can remember what the abbreviations are and the layout of the info - this is how standards are born!

To be honest I'm totally overwhelmed right now, I feel this immense pressure to have a garden plan complete with rotation schedules and succession planting schedule, etc.  I haven't worked out my irrigation solution yet and I really don't even know when exactly I should be direct sowing into my beds!  I like a challenge but I'm concerned that I may be striving for a level of expertise and efficiency that can only come with time.  Tonight should have been enjoyable but I was actually feeling melancholy the whole time worrying if I was doing everything correctly.  The feeling continues as I fuss about watering, temperature and light requirements for my (soon to be) seedlings.  Gotta stick with it though, it can't be that hard...

As I type this up my two flats of sown seeds are sitting on top of my refrigerator where I hope they will benefit from the slightly higher temperature radiated from the fridge.  I've got to come up with a solution to the impending light requirements as well as managing the various post-emergence requirements for my new seedlings.  For example, the tomatoes need to be transplanted and introduced to a cooler environment once their true leaves emerge.

I need to remind myself how great it will be to have a full, thriving garden that I can harvest fresh food from each day.  To have people over for dinner and eat in the yard and invite them to pull their own veggies.  To give away great tasting, home grown organic veggies and enlighten friends and family on the virtues of growing your own food and controlling what goes into it.

It's worth it, I'm just freaking out a little.  ;0)