Link to a Must-Read Post PLUS DIY Seed Starting Rig Update

First, I wanted to share an interesting post about how many seeds to store/how much land you need to survive from The Survivalist Blog. If you haven't read it yet, be sure to check it out as it has some food for thought. You need to store many more seeds than you may think!

Second, remember that DIY Seed Starting Rig I made? We have been putting it to hard use and have made a few adjustments to it with experience.

Here is what it looks like today. There are plants growing on four levels of the shelving unit. If we massively increase our garden in years to come, we'll definitely have to add another shelving unit, but this will work for now.

The rig in use

We started out with only one shop light per level, but soon found that the seedlings on the outer edges of the flats were bending toward the light.

Two shop lights work better than one. You can use one in a pinch, though. 

We rotated the plants so all would have nice, straight stems, but found that it was better to just add another shop light to each level. I am so pleased with the results that we have gotten so far.

'Dwarf Blue Curled' Kale

'Farao' cabbage. These babies need transplanted soon. 

'Waltham 29' Broccoli' 

Our broccoli plants are getting extra TLC at the moment. They got a little stressed for water (see below) and  appear to need some additional fertilization. I'm paying close attention to their moisture levels and dosing them with liquid kelp and effective microbes.

The above plants were all started a month and a half ago and are certainly large enough to be hardened off and transplanted outdoors. There's just one problem: we keep getting snow! We're supposed to get another 1/2 ft. of snow this weekend.

'Purple of Sicily' cauliflower - started on March 10. We just thinned the seedlings to one per pot.

You might also notice that we have ditched the toilet paper roll seed starting pots. They work fine, but they hold so little soil that they get dried out quickly and require transplanting up into large containers. I am lazy enough that those factors make a difference for me.

'Five Color Silverbeet' - Rainbow Chard

Last weekend we planted our first seeds that require additional heat to germinate - eggplant and peppers. Tomatoes are also in that category and will be started this weekend. We bought some seedling heat mats to place under the flats that hold heat-loving plants. They raise the temperature 20 degrees above the ambient temperature of the room.

The eggplants have sprouted

Apparently it is working because we have baby eggplants. I've never grown eggplants before.

Eight shoplights + two seedling mats = a perceptibly warmer room. We think the additional warmth in the area is one of the causes for the stressed broccoli. We are paying very close to attention to moisture levels so they will outlive the lingering winter weather and survive to get transplanted outdoors.


Have you started your spring garden yet? What is growing at your house? 

Perennial Vegetables to Establish Now for Your Survival Garden

I've been watching a series of old British TV shows called "The Victorian Kitchen Garden", "The Victorian Kitchen", and "The Victorian Flower Garden". I find it really relaxing to learn about gardening in days gone by. It's kind of like visual Valium for me.  I love it.

One of the things that these programs have done is to pique my interest in perennial vegetables. The Victorians grew a much wider array of vegetables than are commonly consumed today and many of them are perennials that will grow back year after year. If you establish several of these types of vegetables in your garden now, you will have them in place should an emergency situation occur. You could consider these plants to be living members of your food storage.

Perennials in the kitchen 

There are perennial vegetables mentioned in many of the episodes of the series listed above, but this episode of "The Victorian Kitchen" is the one that really got my wheels turning. If you start watching around 8:00, you will see the head gardener, Harry, come in with a basket of Jerusalem and Chinese artichokes for the cook, Ruth. The finished dish of Chinese artichokes is shown at about 10:30.

E8 Victorian Kitchen - The Dinner Party 

Don't those Chinese Artichokes look like some sort of insect larva? I'm not sure that I would have an easy time putting them in my mouth, but I'd enjoy giving it a go.  

Another reason to plant perennial vegetables - OPSEC

Besides the obvious advantage that perennial vegetables have in coming back every year with little help from the gardener, it is also worth noting that many don't look like vegetables to the uninformed. Jerusalem artichokes, for example, are a type of sunflower and could simply be a pleasing addition to your landscape. If the worst happens, the average Joe isn't going to recognize that your sunflowers have serious edibles growing underground.

This is what a Chinese Artichoke plant looks like. Does this look edible to you?
Image source: shizuokagourmet.com

What should you plant? 

There are whole books dedicated to perennial vegetables out there. (Try this one,especially if you live in warmer climates.) The following is a short list is composed of plants that will thrive in my Zone 5 climate. Many of these plants can be grown in climates both warmer and cooler than Zone 5. Follow the provided links to learn more about each plant and its needs. 

Asparagus - A classic, but, alas, no one in my family likes it. Maybe we can use it to barter. It must be grown for several seasons before you can harvest spears and even longer if you start with seeds rather than crowns.

Crosne (aka Chinese Artichoke) - Fool your friends and make them think you are eating insect larva! A plus for the time-crunched or fuel-conscious: these tubers can be cooked or eaten raw. 

Dandelions - Maybe you don't need to plant these in your garden, but you probably have them in your yard already. Just make sure you don't spray them with chemicals and you can eat them or feed them to your chickens.

Egyptian Walking Onions or other Multiplying Onions - The article I linked says that they "tend to be more reliable and productive, less day-length sensitive and less subject to the depravations of pests and diseases" than your standard onion. Yes, please! 

Good King Henry - I love the fanciful name of this plant. Apparently it is similar to spinach, though it also has edible flower buds and seeds. It can be grown in the shade, so if you have an area of your yard that is too shady for traditional vegetables, this would be a great option.

Lamb's Quarters - This is a plant that grows as a weed in many areas of the country. You can eat any of the above-ground parts of the plant and it can be used as a substitute for spinach. 

Lovage - Lovage can be grown as a substitute for celery and it was used for medicinal purposes in times past.

Patience Dock - This is a hard-to-find plant, but apparently worth the search. It is supposed to taste like spinach (Is that the perennial vegetable equivalent of "tastes like chicken"?) and is one of the earliest greens in the garden.

Russian Red Kale - I am a new convert to the wonders of kale. If you've never tried it before, it reminds me of broccoli, but in leaf form. My kids gobble it up and it is great livestock feed as well. Many varieties of kale self-seed readily, which makes kale a great addition to your perennial vegetable plan.

Rhubarb - Rhubarb is a popular spring dessert ingredient, but don't forget that the leaves are poisonous!

Skirret - This is a vegetable I had never heard of until I watched "Victorian Kitchen Garden". Apparently it was a favorite of Queen Victoria. The edible part of the plant is its roots. 

Sorrel (all kinds - Garden/Common, or French) - Tasty, lemony-flavored greens. 

Sunchoke (aka Jerusalem Artichoke) - This tuber is popular with chefs and can be eaten raw, roasted, or boiled and pureed.  This is one of the most attractive perennial vegetables to me simply because the plant is so pretty.

A sunny patch of sunchokes
Image source: http://myselfsufficienthome.com/jerusalem-artichokes/

I hope you find this list to be a useful starting place. I definitely plan to make perennial vegetables part of our garden in the future. 

Helpful References:


Gaia's Garden, Second Edition: A Guide To Home-Scale Permaculture by Toby Hemenway

Perennial Vegetables: Grow More Food With Less Work , by Vicki Mattern, Mother Earth News, April/May 2012 

Perennial Vegetables: From Artichokes to Zuiki Taro, A Gardener's Guide to Over 100 Delicious and Easy to Grow Edibles by Eric Toensmeier

Indoor Seed Starting 101, Part One

There may still be snow on the ground, but it is the perfect time here in Zone 5 to get our 2013 garden started. We had variable success starting seeds last year, but after Hubby Dear's research and an investment in infrastructure, we feel confident that this year will be more fruitful. Here's how we started our broccoli, cabbage, and kale transplants.

First, gather whatever pots you want to start your seeds in.

Toilet paper roll pots aren't just cheap - they really work great! 

We are using a mix of containers. Here is the link to my tutorial on making little pots out of toilet paper rolls.

Recycled containers drying after being dipped in a bleach solution

We are also recycling a variety of plastic containers. We washed them, drilled several holes in the bottom of each pot, and sanitized them prior to planting in a 10% bleach solution. Seeds and baby plants can be very delicate and mold or bacteria growth from an improperly cleaned container could kill them.

Tip #1: Sanitize recycled or previously used seed starting containers. 

In addition to containers, you will need a seed-starting mix. Seed-starting mix is different from regular potting soil in that it is sterile. Sterile conditions will greatly improve your chance to avoid the dreaded damping off disease and other issues that can plague seedlings started in potting soil.

You can make your own seed-starting mix. Here are a couple of "recipes" you can try: this one or that one.  We decided to go ahead and buy a large bag of it from Johnny's Selected Seeds and I noticed that even our local Wal-Mart is carrying organic seed-starting mix.

Tip #2: Buy or make a proper seed-starting mix.

The night before we planted our seeds, we poured out the amount of seed starting mix that we estimated we would need. Then we added enough water to moisten but not flood the soil. By noon the next day, the moisture level was perfect - similar to a wrung-out sponge.

Mini Me demonstrating the proper consistency of the seed starting mix

Since the soil would be consistently moist throughout, the seeds would get a serious head-start to germination.

Tip #3: Pre-moisten your soil prior to planting. 

Now that you have sanitized containers, moistened seed-starting mix, and, of course, some seeds, it's time for the fun part. Scoop the soil mix into the pots and then tap the container several times against whatever work surface you are using.

Tapping the pot

You will be surprised just how much the soil will settle when you tap the pot and eliminate air pockets. This is a simple trick that can make a huge difference in your results. Top off with more seed-starting mix if necessary and then lightly press the soil down with your finger

Tip #4: Tap, tap, tap that container! 

Then add your seeds. We put two seeds in each container.

Covering the seeds. These are "Farao" cabbage seeds. 

Then we lightly covered the seeds with soil so that the seeds would be at the depth recommended on the seed packet - about 1/4" deep for the type of seeds we planted (all are brassica or cole crops).

Planted! 

The next step was to lightly water the containers. We chose to use a spray bottle so we could gently mist everything.

Next, we placed a dome over our seed starting tray. We happened to buy a dome kit, but you don't need to get fancy. You can slide the whole apparatus into a plastic bag and it will work just as well. The point is to keep moisture in until germination occurs.

Tip #5: Keep things covered until the seeds germinate. 

Sprout little seeds! Note: we have our lighting rig on, but it is not necessary for germination. 

About 48 hours after we planted the seeds, the first cabbage sprouts poked their sleepy heads above the soil. Success!

As soon as the first seedling pokes out of the soil, take OFF your dome or plastic bag. Turn on your lights or put the seedlings in a sunny window. Here's the post about the DIY seed starting lighting rig we put together. The seedlings need a lot of light to grow into strong, sturdy plants. We have our lights on a timer so that the plants get about 16 hours of light a day.

Our cabbage sprouts on day three

Broccoli, cabbage, etc. will sprout just fine in our cool basement. The lights are 1-2" above the plants; this is to give the seedlings the optimum amount of light but it also warms them ever so slightly. We will have to provide supplemental heat for our tomato, pepper, and eggplants, however, since they are heat lovers.

Tip #6: Check heat requirements for the optimum germination. 

Cabbage on day five. 

I can already tell that this year's plants are going to be more sturdy than those we started in 2012. It is amazing how much of a difference the correct amount of light makes.

Tip #7: Let there be light! Lots and lots of light. 

Since the lights are on a timer, it takes very little of my time to care for the seedlings. They need to stay moist, but too much water can cause the seedlings to rot. We are watering from the bottom in an attempt to minimize that problem. We pour water into the bottom tray, let the plants soak up the water for 30 minutes, and then pour off any remaining water.

Tip #8: Water from the bottom. 

Don't forget to read Part Two of this post. I cover thinning, fertilization, transplanting to large containers, and hardening off in the next installments. 



Some Helpful References:

Best Tips for Starting Seeds Indoors, by Barbara Pleasant, "Mother Earth News", Dec 2012/Jan 2013
Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre by Brett Markham