Spring Seedling Tips
Spring has fully spring here in Vermont and as the last frosts happen here in the Champlain Valley, it is time for home gardeners to start planting in earnest. In anticipation of the second week of the seedling sale happening, Farmer Jane put together some quick tips on taking care of your new seedlings.
Flowers & Herbs
Flowers and herbs are tender, warm weather loving plants. Keep your seedlings in a sunny window for a few weeks before all danger of frost has passed.
Sunflowers can grow quite tall if given the room, up to 4ft for many varieties. Choose a sunny spot where the flower heads can follow the sun throughout the day.
Basil is especially tender to cold temperatures. Keep inside until after May 21 or put a towel, blanket or piece of fabric over the plants if night time temperatures are below 40*. Pinch and harvest basil frequently to have a constant supply through the growing season and a beautiful bushy plant.
Statice and Strawflower are beautiful components of dried bouquets. Let them grow all summer then pick in the fall and allow to dry. The blossoms will keep their color and you can enjoy their beauty throughout the winter.
Nasturtiums have edible leaves and flowers. Both have a peppery, exciting flavor and add delicious complexity to any salad. Nasturtiums are also great pollinator attractors and can help deter some common garden pests such as those that love brassicas.
Greens
Spinach can be planted now for a spring and early summer harvest. It likes cool weather and will taste best before the summer solstice.
Lettuce can be harvested as a "cut and come again" crop. Simply harvest the leaves 2" above the soil to maintain the growth point. Allow it to grow back for 7-10 days giving you a weekly harvest for 1-2 months.
Brassicas
Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower all thrive in the cool temperatures. Plant now and enjoy a beautiful harvest in 4-6 weeks.
Peppers
Hot and sweet peppers are sensitive to cold temperatures. Keep your seedlings inside until May 15 or after the threat of frost has passed.
Sweet peppers can grow quite large if given the space and love the heat and sun. If plants get quite large, give them a trellis or other kind of support such as a tomato cage. This will help the plants stay strong when laden with heavy fruit.
Lunchbox peppers are petite in plant and fruit. The fruit will turn yellow or red when ripe even if they are quite small, 2-3" long. They also love sun and warmth but can thrive in a pot better than some other pepper varieties.
Eggplants
Eggplants thrive in warm temperatures with good sunlight and fertile soil.
Eggplant stems and leaves can be prickly so be careful when harvesting. The plants can grow large in ideal conditions so providing a support such as a tomato cage can be helpful when the heavy fruit sets.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are quite sensitive to cool temperatures. We recommend waiting until May 21 to plant tomatoes outdoors in most locations in Vermont. When planted in fertile, well draining soil, watered regularly and given fertilizer monthly throughout the growing season, tomatoes can provide a gorgeous bounty.
Watering the soil at the base of the plant is recommended as it is best to keep the leaves dry to prevent plant diseases. Give a trellis such as tying to a secure stake or tomato cage to provide support as the plant will be heavy with fruit.
For optimum production, prune the leaves below the first fruit cluster and prune the "suckers" growing in the shoulder of the plant, between the main stalk and the leaf branches.
In mid to late September, cut the top of your tomato plant where the growth point is located. This will send the energy to ripening the fruit. If fruit does not ripen before the first fall frost, harvest and place in a sunny window or in a paper bag to encourage ripening.
Fiber Pots
We use beautiful fiber pots because they are biodegradable and provide a healthy habitat for our seedlings during their early growth without the use of plastic. Fiber pots should be watered regularly as they draw a bit of moisture from the potting soil. When you are ready to plant, simply break the six packs apart, tear the base of the pot a bit and plant, pot included, directly into the soil.