Starting from Scratch: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Gardening

Welcome to my week by week guide to starting your very own garden. This is the first installment in the series: Starting from Scratch: The Absolute Beginner's Guide to Gardening! Let's get started.

Week One

Dixie cups and the three S’s: Soil, Sandwich bags and Seeds

I got a call from my future mother-in-law last week about how to start her garden. Mama Jo went over some options for direct planting, transplanting and then dejectedly said, “Or I will just go to the store and get plants.” I think that frustration is often what keeps people from starting seeds. There is no need to feel overwhelmed or frustrated! As I assured Mama Jo, Dixie cups and the three S’s were all that was needed to start a garden from scratch. 

Timeline: This step starts in early spring before ground can be worked. Each plant has different timelines. Make sure you read the back of your packet. I will be doing a Garden Planning Timeline in a different post. 

Supplies Needed:

Dixie Cups

Soil

Large Sandwich Bags

Seeds

Knife

Water

Step One: Pick your favorite Dixie cup pattern, mine are these happy owls. 

Step Two: Turn the cup over and stab two holes in the bottom. This is a very important step. Your plants need well drained soil to grow. As you can see I wiggle the knife back and forth a bit to make the slits a little wider. 

Step Three: Fill the cup up to the very top. If you only fill the cup half way your plants will not have as much soil to grow into and you will not have very good air circulation for your seedlings. 

Step Four: Pick out good seeds. The better the seeds the better your chance of having strong seedlings. I personally try and get organic and non GMO seeds, but it is completely up to you. Make sure the seeds you use are new.

Step Five:  Read the back of the package for easy to read instructions. These seeds need to be planted 1/4" deep and says that we can group 10 seeds together. You can use a ruler to get an idea of what 1/4" of an inch looks like, or you can make a slight divot with your finger. Cover the seed with a light layer of soil.

Step Six: Water. I like to use a spray bottle so the soil is not disturbed too much. Water until fully saturated. 

Step Seven: Loosely cover with a large sandwich bag and place in sunny area. Make sure to keep the soil moist but not drenched. Keep the bag on until the plants start to emerge and are about a centimeter high.  Make sure there is some ventilation for the seeds or you might get some mold. 

Step Eight:Watch your plants start to grow! I don't have any pictures of chives yet, but you can see what your plants will start to look like after a few weeks.  These leeks are almost ready to be planted in the ground.

Let me know if you have any questions! Look out next week for Week Two: How to prepare your garden.