Seed-Starting Secrets and Planning Advice for a Thriving Spring Garden

Tip #1 - Buy Your Seeds!

If you haven't already - buy your seeds! Pretty much every gardener's dream is looking through those seed catalogs and daydreaming about all the new plants.

If you haven't already ordered, there may be things sold out but there are so many seed options, honestly too many, so you'll likely end up with what you want or something close to it.

We have so many seeds here at Busy Bee, come check out our large variety of flowers, and veggies. Here's a sneak peek:

Tip #2 - Too Soon? When and How to Start your Seeds

Seed starting - it is an art, well actually it is more of a science. Hear us out.

Remember before you get all excited and plant all your seeds because they came in the mail and you just can't wait to see what they grow into, it is still too early to plant a lot of things indoors!

If you start too early they will get long and leggy and flop their way to an early death or way too much trauma when you take them outside.

"Some things are just better when you wait to plant them outside." – Chelsey, aka the Queen Bee

Seed-Starting Tips

• Using a Warming mat or germination mat keeps the soil temperature higher than indoor temperatures to increase speed of germination and rate of germination.
  

• Putting a gentle breeze from a fan on your seedlings will slow them down and help stiffen up and build stem strength. A fan can also help dry soil out if it gets too wet.

  
  

• Remember to be like Goldilocks when you water. Not too much, not too little. If soil gets too wet it will cause the seeds to rot!

  
  

• If you're using a grow light, make sure you keep it close so your plants aren't reaching for the sunlight.

  
  

• Cover up! A germination tent or cover helps increase humidity and prevent soil from drying out too quickly.

More Advice from the Queen Bee:

• Peppers are very slow to come up so they're something you would want to start soon if you haven't already.

• Some of your flower seeds that take a long time to germinate can also be started soon! Read the recommendations on the seed packet.

• Things you don't want to start inside - cucumbers and green beans. Just trust us.

• Our last annual frost date is around the time of Mother's Day.

• If you want to risk planting early, you'll want to harden off your plants before you subject them to being outdoors full time.

Tip #3 - Planning > Mapping It Out

Where will you plant all of your plant babies?

Our eyes tend to be bigger than our garden. A little time spent with some graph paper and proper plant spacing will go a long way.

Dos and Don'ts!

• All good farmers (and gardeners) know that you must rotate your crops!

• Don't be a creature of habit when it comes to planting. Stop putting the same plants in the same spots year after year. Seriously, just stop. It's like sending out a personalized invitation to every pest and disease in the neighborhood.

• Don't plant your giant tomato plants right next to your other full sun veggies as they may shade out your plants. But planting cool season veggies on the shade side may extend the season a little. Make sure to plant on the west side of the plant so it gets the more intense sunlight into the evening.

• Vines have a mind of their own! Since when does any vine grow where you want it to? Don't plant your little delicate beets and carrots next to your winter squash otherwise you'll quickly end up with just winter squash.

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Tip #4 - Stay Sharp

Clean up your act if you want to cut straight and true!

Be sure to clean and sharpen your gardening tools. If you need any new ones, Busy Bee has plenty of options.

Planning and Performance!

As you can see, we're proponents of proper planning and preparation to prevent poor performance. (Say that 5 times fast!)

Getting started on these seeding and planning tips now will go a long way toward a thriving garden this Spring.