Second Planting
The average last frost date for Salisbury is 11 April. This means that one year in two the last frost happens before that date and the other year it happens after that date. Because winter has had such an enduring grip on our temperatures this spring, our best guess is that this will be a year of a late frost. April 15 moves your odds of a frost after that date up to one in three and after 23 April, the likelihood of one in ten.
Consider not setting out even hardy seedlings until around tax day. Gardening is a great stress reliever for the tedium of dealing with taxes, so you can kill two birds with one stone. Even so, this year, we recommend having row covers handy or use planting tunnels due to the highly unpredictable weather.
Today is about 4 weeks prior to that average frost free date, so it’s not too late to start your second round of plantings. This would include your basic peppers and tomatoes and perhaps zucchini and melons. You’ll want to check the back of the seed packets for instructions on proper starting times. You will find it interesting that different packagers recommend different lengths of time for the same variety, bringing to mind the reminder that, after all, it’s gardening, not brain surgery!
The next question to be answered is ‘what do you start your seedlings in?’ The Gardening Grannies, always careful with the purse strings, suggest you start with what you already have. Granny Griffith saves and re-uses the little 6-packs that her bedding plants came in from prior years. One of the Grannies makes bio-degradable starter cups out of newspaper with one of those little forms you see available in some gardening supply catalogs. Another Granny uses inexpensive medium size cups from Sam’s Club with holes punched in the bottom for drainage and puts them in the disposable aluminum roaster pans. She swears the pans reflect the light better and she gets healthier, sturdier plants. Other Grannies purchase the peat pots that can go right into the ground. There is no right or wrong. Just different and what works best for you.
Now, what starting medium to use? If you are a reader of gardening tomes, you will find various exotic soil mixes and recommendations of all sorts. Granny Griffith, well-known for her strong “survival of the fittest” attitude swears by Miracle Grow potting soil because it contains a self-fertilizer and retains moisture well. Those gardeners who prefer a peat based product are likely to be shaking their heads at this moment, muttering, “never, never.” Not to worry. Both methods work and will grow plants for you. It ‘s all a matter preferences determined by your individual past successes and general gardening habits.
There is one point at which all of the Gardening Grannies agree. That point is that germination is quicker and more reliable when warmth is applied beneath the starter containers. There are a variety of ways to accomplish this. You can place your seedling trays on top of your dryer in the laundry room (assuming you make frequent use of it), on top of the refrigerator in the kitchen or near a low density heater. You can buy specially made heater mats from gardening supply catalogs but they tend to be pricey. As a cost saving measure, you can make your own. Granny Griffith has a homemade tray warmer that consists of two 8′ lengths of plastic coated wire closet shelving from the local hardware store. They are placed with one about two inches above the other, held apart by a couple of old books. In between the two is an inexpensive electrically heated throw set on a timer for 12 hours on and 12 hours off. See top edge of picture. The only cautionary note about this method is to use reliable drip pans so as not to get water on the throw.
It ‘s always a good idea to include planting date information on your plant identification markers, especially when using seeds saved from prior year(s). It will help you determine the difference between poor (or no) germination and naturally longer germination times.
The day those little seedling rascals poke through the soil, it’s time to move them under a source of bright light and congratulate yourself on a job well-done!
Gardening Grannies, a mature group of avid and Master Gardeners, live love and garden on the Delmarva Peninsula.
