I really should be starting my tomato seeds..RIGHT NOW! I’ve just been inundated lately so I’m off to a slow start. Funny, the first year I started gardening seriously I bought a couple little seed trays with those coconut coir pellets that swell up. I knew that the sunlight outside is about 10,000 to 20,000 lumens, compared to a few compact fluorescents at 1000 lumens a piece. But what I didn’t’ account for was the temperature fluctuation. Leave your seedlings in the sun in March? Great during the sunshine…forget them till 8 o’clock? Yeowch! Chilling them is not good. For the seedling stage heat is super critical.

Next year I set up the 3 cfl bulbs with aluminum foil laid over top and left them on for 18 hours a day with a timer. A month of that and I was pure gold. Everything grew and when they were large enough I put them out in the sun for a little longer each day to harden up.

Now I love the convenience of getting starts no question, but growing from seed is so, so satisfying. I highly recommend it!

Oh and whats on the seed list? I’ve got White Ice Lavender, French Perfume Lavender, squash, herbs, you name it! More on that when the order comes in!