Gardening & Landscaping
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Seedlings question
When should I start a few seedlings for my container garden if I live in the northeast? I would want to start them indoors 1st right? I want to plant carrots, onions and a few spices. Are there any suggestions for container garden newbies? I don't really know what I'm doing yet. Thanks in advance to any and all helpful advice.
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Re: Seedlings question
Carrots are typically grown from seed directly sown into the ground or bed. Thye're nothing special so I wouldn't bother unless I had a child or a whole lot of space.
Onions can be grown from seed, but most folks grow them from "sets" which are sort of fetal onions.
What spices do you want to grow, species require very specific growing conditions. Maybe you really meant herbs? Herbs are a terrific use of containers since they tend to be expensive. To that end, unless you're growing heirloom varieties things like onions and carrots are a waste of container.
When I decide I look at items that I either can't get locally, are wicked expensive or that are best eaten within minutes of picking. Maybe you want a salad garden.
Yes herbs, thats what I mean! I wanted to try some easy ones the only 1 I really really want to try is parsely, so other then that suggestions are welcomed.
if you're in the northeast, your growing season (at least starting to plant) for those things is over until spring. To find out when you should plant, google for your last average frost date. The package of seeds will say that you should start indoor X weeks before average frost date.
Agreed with above posters, onions and carrots should be directly sown into the land in Spring. You can check the internet for what temps the ground needs to be to do so.
As for herbs, it really does depend, but a lot of herbs are notorious for being hard to start from seed, and might be easier to buy a seedling in the spring. Also, some are annuals (like parsley) and some are perennials. I have rosemary, fennel, chives, mint and thyme that come back year after year and don't worry about it, but I have to buy dill, parsley and basil every year.
To me container gardens = things other than herbs, like tomatoes, peas, green beans, etc. I did my first one last year with pretty good success.
McGee & Stucky's The Bountiful Container was a really helpful book for me. I also looked back at my library's reading history (I don't buy books until I try them), and I also checked out The Urban Homestead by Kelly Coyne. I don't remember if that had container garden info in it or not.
If you're doing things other than herbs, I have a bazillion links saved about particular varieties of plants that do well in containers and planting requirements.
First, when you say "container garden" are you actually referring to an outdoor square foot garden? If so, then follow PPs (Kastle?) advice on figuring out the dates from the seed packets.
You can always plant things in large pots that can go indoors/outdoors depending on how much room you have. I have an aunt that grows tomatoes year-round (CO, zone 5) because she has these giant containers she can wheel in & out. Too much of a PITA for me, but she loves it.
Starting a garden can be really overwhelming. I think the best thing to do is figure out what you want to eat & grow it if it makes sense. For me, I love lettuces, peppers, tomato & corn. Peppers & tomato are expensive, and I have plenty of room to grow them, so I do. We go through lettuces very fast, so luckily they also grow fast. Corn isn't very expensive, but I don't have room to grow a ton of it. (I usually try a little for fun, but it hasn't done well)
I used little pre-made peat pots for starting seedlings last year & it was really easy. I put them on a warming pad at first and most did fine. I don't stress too much and will also supplement with plants I pick up at a nursery or farmer's market though.
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