We offer several articles with our own tips & tricks to seed starting but this one is a bit more in-depth. We start planning and prepping for seed starting when it's still chilly outside.
I like to use Coconut Coir for seed starting. It's easy to use and less acidic than peat moss. Seeds do not need any fertilizer in the beginning stages so it is best not to use compost or treated soil for seed germination.
Coconut Coir Pellets or 6 Cell Germination trays work well for seed starting. Use garden markers to label the seeds you've planted. I hear from SO many gardeners that they forgot to label or lost their labels and they don't know what they planted! We recently posted 2 video to help you get started
Sowing depth varies, depending on the germination needs of the plant, but generally most seeds are sown at a depth about twice their width. Some seeds require light to germinate and so require sowing on the soil surface. Once depth is determined, sow one to two seeds per pot and mist the soil surface with water so it's evenly moist. Most seeds germinate best at temperatures between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Watering when the soil surface feels dry is sufficient, but empty any collected water from the drip tray within 30 minutes of irrigation to prevent soggy soil.
Some seedlings may have to be transplanted into larger pots to give them room to grow and develop their root systems. Handle the baby plants gently by their leaves, not stems or roots, and try to keep the tiny rootballs intact as you move plants to their new pots. When watering seeds, I use either a spray bottle to moisten the soil or pour water into the reservoir so the soil wicks up the water. Heavy-handed pouring can displace tiny seeds so it is best to use caution. Kathryn at Little Bits of Heaven homestead mentioned her secret to avoid "dampening off" in her video Starting the Summer Garden & Cheap Seed Organization and it's cinnamon! We use Cinnamon as well and it definitely helps. Check on your plants once a day Harden off your seedlings prior to transplanting outdoors. Not sure how, we have an article Hardening Off Seedlings If you'd like to check out our very first video on seed starting, it's also on our youtube channel
If you have additional questions please give us a call or email
Zone 1 vegetable gardening will take a bit of planning ahead. With a last frost date of approx June 1st and first frost date of approx July 31st, you might be limited in what you can grow outside. First and last frost days may vary by 2 weeks (or more depending on the weather).
Since the growing period for Zone 1 is so short, it is recommended that you start seeds indoors. A simple setup might be a shop light over a table or as elaborate as a heated greenhouse or multiple racks with lights. We hope that our USDA Zone Specific planting guide with be a helpful tool in your garden planning and planting!
Asparagus, Artichoke and Rhubarb take approx 1 year to mature from seed so if you intend to grow from seed you'll need a bit more room. Asparagus should be planted in the ground so it's not recommended for this zone.
Easy varieties to grow indoors include: Arugula, Sprouting Broccoli, Chinese Cabbage, Lettuce, Kale, Spinach and Swiss Chard.
Growing indoors allows you to produce and eat fresh green year-round!
Now that we've covered our USDA zone-specific planting guide, below you will find additional planting info such as plant spacing and growing tutorials.
We will update this list as we add to our youtube channel and articles posted here on our website. If you have specific garden or seed related questions, please contact us via email at MARY@MARYSHEIRLOOMSEEDS.COM
Zones 10 has a long growing window for gardening. With a last frost date of January 30th or earlier and first frost date as late as November 30th to December 30th. First and last frost days may vary by 2 weeks (or more depending on the weather).
If you'd like to get a jump-start on Spring and Fall planting, it is possible to extend your season by starting seeds indoors. A simple setup might be a shop light over a table or as elaborate as a heated greenhouse or multiple racks with lights. We hope that our USDA Zone Specific SEED planting guide with be a helpful tool in your garden planning and planting!
Zones 9 has a long growing window for gardening. With a last frost date of January 30th or earlier and first frost date as late as November 30th to December 30th. First and last frost days may vary by 2 weeks (or more depending on the weather).
If you'd like to get a jump-start on Spring and Fall planting, it is possible to extend your season by starting seeds indoors. A simple setup might be a shop light over a table or as elaborate as a heated greenhouse or multiple racks with lights. We hope that our USDA Zone Specific SEED planting guide with be a helpful tool in your garden planning and planting!
Zones 7 has a medium/moderate growing window for gardening. With a last frost date as early as March 30th and first frost date as late as October 30th. First and last frost days may vary by 2 weeks (or more depending on the weather).
If you'd like to get a jump-start on Spring and Fall planting, it is possible to extend your season by starting seeds indoors. A simple setup might be a shop light over a table or as elaborate as a heated greenhouse or multiple racks with lights. We hope that our USDA Zone Specific SEED planting guide with be a helpful tool in your garden planning and planting!
Zone 6 has slightly longer growing window for gardening compared to Zones 3 and 4. With a last frost date as early as March 30th and first frost date as late as September 30th. First and last frost days may vary by 2 weeks (or more depending on the weather).
If you'd like to get a jump-start on Spring and Fall planting, it is possible to extend your season by starting seeds indoors. A simple setup might be a shop light over a table or as elaborate as a heated greenhouse or multiple racks with lights. We hope that our USDA Zone Specific SEED planting guide with be a helpful tool in your garden planning and planting!
Produces a diversity of gorgeous translucent, jewel-colored ears, each one unique. A stunning corn variety selected over many years by Carl "White Eagle" Barnes, a part-Cherokee farmer and breeder from Oklahoma.
Selected from crossing several traditional corn varieties and saving seed from the vivid, translucent kernels. Size of ears range from 3-8 inches.
Glass Gem Corn plants commonly produce numerous tillers, or side stalks, which also produce ears. Height of plants depend upon quantity of water, but can reach up to 9 feet, typically 6 feet. A popcorn, the kernels may be ground into cornmeal or popped
In the course of growing some of the older corn varieties still being farmed at that time, Carl began noticing ancestral types of corn re-appearing in his crops. As he isolated these, he found many of the variants to match up with traditional corns that had been lost to many of the Native tribes - particularly those peoples who had been relocated during the 1800s to what is now Oklahoma. Thus, he was able to re-introduce specific corn types to the elders of those tribes, and this helped their people in reclaiming their cultural identities. The corn is, to them, literally the same as their blood line, their language, and their sense of who they are."
What are some of the Heirloom Corn varieties that Carl worked to "Back to Life"?
Plant corn in well-drained soil with lots of organic matter. Grow in full sun. Mulching around your corn will help keep the free of invasive weeds during the summer.
Corn seeds should be sown in warm conditions, covered very lightly (depth of ¼ inch) and kept reasonably moist until seedlings emerge.
The sweet corn seedlings should germinate after 10 - 12 days, and once they have fully emerged the weakest seedling from each pot should be removed. If you choose to direct-sow, thin Seedlings 6-8 inches apart.
Water well and if they are being germinated indoors - move to a warm, bright windowsill.
110 days. Hickory King White Corn can grow up to 12 feet tall and produces 8-9" long ears. Huge white kernels not seen in modern corn. An Appalasian staple, dating back to the 1800s.
Excellent for roasting, grits, cornmeal, and cornuts. Hickory king has a very high leafy green matter which makes it perfect for silage. Tight husks which help keep out corn worms.
85 days. Cubanelle Pepper is a variety of sweet pepper commonly used in Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican cuisine. Famous for delicious fried or stuffed peppers.
Sweet frying pepper, 4.5-6 inches long x 2-2.5 inches in diameter, 3 lobes, tapers to a blunt end, slightly irregular and roughened, medium-thick waxy flesh, yellow-green to red, distinct flavor.
40-60 days. A hardy Japanese non-heading type mustard that is extremely vigorous and cold tolerant.
Mizuna grows in bunches and has long stems growing from a central stalk. The dark green leaves have deeply serrated edges and have a fringed appearance. The thin, white stems are firm and offer a crunchy texture. Mizuna is harvested at both the baby lettuce and mature stages, with the younger leaves being more tender and milder.
55-60 day. A burpless slicing type that has been popular for over 80 years!
Fruits are medium-dark green, 7-12 inches in length, and quite plump and smooth. Excels as a slicer, because each fruit yields so many slices of uniform diameter.
Tendergreen Burpless can also be used for pickling if picked early.
20-50 days. Contains: Arugula, Red Russian Kale, Greenwave, Tatsoi, and Mizuna Mustard, and Paris Island Cos Lettuce. Start harvesting your greens when they’re 4- to 6-inches long. This can be as soon as 2 weeks after planting!
70-80 days. (Indeterminate) A Kentucky Heirloom grown by Lettie Cantrell since the 1940s. The original seeds were given to Lettie from a soldier returning home from Germany during World War II.
Large, meaty fruit are about 1 lb. and are wonderful for fresh eating, slicing, or canning.
80 days. (Indeterminate) Bulgarian heirloom tomato
The word druzba means "friendship" in Bulgarian and Druzba is a very friendly tomato. Not too large, half pound to a pound, the fruit is born in clusters of 3 to 5. Flavor is outstanding, with just the right combination of sweetness and tartness.
60-70 days. (Semi-determinate) Moskvich is a high quality, early season, Russian Heirloom.
Fruits are round to slightly flattened with deep red color and luscious, rich flavor. Great eaten fresh or processed. Highly resistant to cracking, making it a great pick for the greenhouse. Like most Russian varieties, it can stand up to cool conditions.
80 days. Indeterminate. A heirloom variety from Russia. These compact plants bear plenty of wonderfully rich, mahogany-brown tomatoes that average about 4 ounces.
Grows in full sun and are cool-tolerant. The is a great greenhouse variety.
I hope you're as excited as we are about these new arrivals! We are currently working on more tutorials and videos for 2019 and adding a few more heirloom varieties to our current collection.
