3/2/20 2020 Master Gardener Plant Sales April 24–25 at Center for Urban Horticulture, NE 41 St St. Seattle The Grange • Heirloom tomatoes & peppers • Herbs & vegetable starts • Unusual & heirloom perennials • Native plants, groundcovers, ferns • Fuchsias — both hanging & hardy types • Unique specialty flowering annuals • Ornamentals, shrubs • Rhododendrons, conifers, succulents • 20 specialty plant vendors • Houseplants • Succulents, carnivorous plants • Garden art vendors • Lots of Mother’s Day gift ideas • Preview Party tickets through Brown Bag The Master Gardener Plant Sales are the largest source of revenue to operate the King County Master Gardener Program Resources The information contained in Growing Groceries presentations is based on WSU home gardening publications and other science and research based materials. Resource lists are provided on the King County Growing Groceries website and at the end of some presentations. Seed Starting and Early Greens To enliven the learning experience, speakers may use Created by Suzi O’Byrne and Margaret MacLeod examples from their own garden experience and draw from their personal gardening successes and failures. Adapted & Presented by Suzi O’Byrne & Bruce Caredio March 4, 2020 1
3/2/20 Welcome! Suzi O’Byrne • Retired 911 Police/Fire/EMS Dispatch Supervisor (30+ years) About this evening’s class • Learned love of gardening from Nana (paternal grandmother) • I’m Nana now passing it along to About us granddaughters Tenley & Quinnlyn • KC Master Gardener since 2009 • Clinic at Renton McLendon and the Bellevue Demo Garden (Edible Flowers) My Favorite “Compost Donors” Our Veggie Garden 2
3/2/20 Seed Starting in the Greenhouse Bruce Caredio • Retired Teamster since 2014 • Lifetime gardening experience • KC Master Gardener since 2015 • Master Pruner • Bellevue Demonstration Garden volunteer • Home garden raised beds ~3600 sq. ft. My Raised Long Beds My Composter • Any length you want but nothing wider than 4 feet DIY Three Stage: • Create from wood, metal • Plans are free on the and/or masonry internet • Low maintenance isles • Removable cedar slats = (gravel, turf, burlap easy access and pest bags) control • Avoid compaction of soil • “All important rain cover” • Can be “hooped” 3
3/2/20 My Raised Square Bed My Love of Oaks! Kits can be purchased The seeds (acorns) were from “big box”, mail gathered in Arizona. order or hardware stores. These trees are not locally Garlic is in this one — available on the “open one of the few crops market” that can be planted in the fall. It grows over These trees are 3 years old! the winter and harvest This is an example of my in late spring — just in hobby of growing “exotic time for your “veggie plants” planting time”! Where to Start? Site Soil 4
3/2/20 Why to Start Equipment You’ll Need What are the benefits of • Greater selection and variety starting plants from Trays, flats, pots seeds? • Vulnerable stages of Diggers, snips, dibblers planting are more controllable Tweezers, baby spoons, bait boards • You know your own Labels, pencils, notepads microclimate, and can fit Meters, mats, and spray bottles seeds into your growing and/or harvesting timeline • Starts make great gifts to share! Equipment You’ll Need Preparing Your Equipment • Trays Wash and remove last year’s dirt and debris • Seed starter Soak for 30 minutes • Heated mats • 9 parts water : 1 part bleach • Row cover Rinse thoroughly and air dry completely before • Fan storing • Chopsticks 5
3/2/20 Seed Clean all trays, heating mats and Selection surface areas used for seed starting! The Grange BEFORE AFTER Catalogs Hardware stores Nurseries Online Get started early for sales, deals, and selection. We Are in Zone 8b Early Seeds Hardy plants survive 15- to Plant 20 � weather. Check with seed company where you To start right now!! purchase your seeds (or Check seed packets the map on the back of for best soil seed packets) to confirm temperature for zone. germination Isolated coastal pockets Enter zip code for your https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ hardiness zone: 6
3/2/20 Planting Chart Resources Planting westcoastseeds.com Chart territorialseed.com johnnyseeds.com What to Grow When to Grow Planting too early sets seeds up for rot and other What do I like to plant? failures Is there anything I want to try to plant that I’ve Planting late sets plants up for less than optimal never planted before? harvest How much space do I have? Will I eat this food? Can I donate this food? Better to plant a little late than too early 7
3/2/20 Where to How to Grow Grow Germination considerations Area with the least amount of temperature • Seed starter temperatures are ideally 70– fluctuation 75 � (listed on seed packet sometimes), which can be regulated using a heated mat with a thermostat Choose a location that • Air temp. above 55–60 � and soil temp. at 70 � for is okay to get messy majority of successful germinations • Cotyledons are first mini leaves to appear, true leaves are next Seed Germination The Back of a Seed Packet What is important to note and to know Germination times Days until harvest Spacing Planting depth Days to maturity 8
3/2/20 Seed Viability/Ragdoll Germination Test Viability of Seeds • Take two sheets of a paper towel 1–5 years if kept dry • Wet and squeeze well Check on the back of the seed package • Add 10 seeds (20 is better) or 100 seeds if planting a Check with the seed company (email/phone) large area Keep seeds in cool dry place • Fold in half, gently roll into tube Wet paper towel trick • Place in sealed plastic bag in a warm location • Count after 3–4 days, then again after another 3–4 days How to Grow: Watering How to Grow: Sowing & Covering Read seed packets for any Small seeds vs large special instructions seeds Small seeds vs large seeds Top vs tray—water from General rule of thumb: cover the bottom seeds 4x width of the seed Dry vs moist Cover and gently firm down Using spray bottles to Some seeds need little to no mist covering of soil 9
3/2/20 How to Grow: Lighting Planting Media/Potting Mix Use quality sterile seed starter mix at first Seedlings need 12–18 hours of light per day Pre-moisten planting media before South facing seed tray works dividing into containers best Potting mix is for transplanting Fluorescent light should be no No fertilizer until the first true leaves sprout more than 2–4 inches above Loosen and break up clumps before putting in the plants container Light with a timer that can be set is helpful Fill containers evenly Don’t pack too tightly! Direct Sow Start in Flats vs. Pots Check back of seed packet for instructions Starting in a Flat Starting in a Pot Soil temperature is very important Flats with cells Not necessary to Thin seedlings according to packet instructions transplant Flats with pellets (Beet greens and others can be eaten after Can move easily to thinning) different areas to promote growth 10
3/2/20 Spacing for Mature Plants Spacing for Baby Greens Don’t Forget to Thin! Green Transplanting Housing Prepare surface and vessels DIY green houses When seedlings have 4 true leaves, they need to work great! be transplanted into 4” containers Keep the plastic Snip weak or spindly seedlings at the soil level loose to hold heat and discard and moisture Baby spoons are a great tool for scooping the seedlings out to move! 11
3/2/20 Transplanting Hardening Off Air is the enemy (roots dry out easily) Once plants have 2 or 3 sets of true leaves, they Moisten soil prior to moving seedlings need to get used to our weather conditions Water seedlings by spray bottle immediately once On a mild day, start with 2–3 hours of sun in a they’ve moved sheltered location outside Over 7–10 day period, help seedlings become accustomed to strong sunlight, cool nights, and less frequent watering Hardening Off Planting Outdoors Seedlings need nighttime temps to be above 50 � Pots, 6” + all night long Containers Bring indoors nightly if temps are below that or if Pre-prepared garden area you aren’t sure 12
3/2/20 Other Considerations “Failures” Check the weather There is no such thing as a failure, only Are the conditions opportunity to learn right for plants to be outdoors? The most common learning curves are over/under Tomatoes and watering, too low or too high soil temps, putting peppers cannot go the wrong plant in the wrong place in the ground too If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!! early—many stores sell them too early Harvest Growing Lettuce ( Lactuca sativa ) Lettuce is a member of the Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY- Stagger seed sowing to see-eye) family, which includes: have a sustaining crop • Chicory/Endive Veggies are at their peak • Jerusalem & Globe Artichoke flavor and nutrition at • Tarragon, Artemisia harvest • Marigolds, Chamomile, and Chrysanthemums “Peak of maturity” vs “overripe” Seed collection is its own gardening specialty 13
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