Showing posts with label seed starting. seeds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label seed starting. seeds. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Seeds, Seedlings, Babies

It's getting close to decision time. Will I or won't I start seeds!

Starting plants from seeds is a lot of work. Am I really up to the challenge again this year? Seed starting, I think , is a lot like baby starting and child rearing. First the seed is planted. You cross your fingers and wait and wait for a sign of germination. Finally, if you're lucky, the test is positive, you see a tiny bit of green emerging from the moist brown potting mix. You're overjoyed to see the new life you helped to create. But then, the real work begins. Coddle, coddle, coddle! The new seedlings need lots of tender loving care...must have enough light, must have proper moisture, must be protected from damping off. I'm tired just thinking about all the monitoring. Weeks pass as you pamper the seedlings and watch them grow more strong and vigorous. Then the time comes to prepare your babies to leave the house. Gradually you expose the seedlings to direct sunlight and the open air. They have to be ready for life in the real world. Finally, it's planting out day. You carefully and proudly put your very own beautiful little plantlets into the troweled out little holes in the garden bed. As you step back and admire your work, you give yourself a pat on the back . What a proud parent you are!