By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Many years ago I discovered the epic tell of the paper, hand, and seed.

While it is not as impressive as the movie Titanic or as classical as Romeo and Juliet it still weaves a level of intrigue that only horticulture can bring to the big screen.

One may wonder how can paper, a hand, and seed weave a tale that could be compared to such great stories as those mentioned and the answer is it deals with dilemma that every gardener faces when it comes time to start seed.

The dilemma I refer to how deep to plant the seed.

Every spring the excited gardener gets out the equipment needed to start the first seed of the New Year. They fill the flats with soil, write the tags out, organize the seed packets, and start to plant. Some may purchase a store-bought seeder to handle those seemingly microscopic seeds that seem to be impossible to plant at the proper depth.

Some individuals may choose to wing it and cast caution into the wind along with their seed. This approach only works for Read the rest of this entry »

By Kira Hamman

If you live in the northern half of the country, the tomato seedlings you started indoors probably have a bit of cabin fever right about now.

They’ve undoubtedly outgrown the pots you started them in and are reaching for the sky (that is, ceiling) with determination.

Maybe you’ve started to harden them off, and their first brush with outside light and air has left them a bit woozy. They’re not quite ready for independence, but soon, so soon, they will be. You’ll take them out to the garden and – gasp! – leave them there.

We’ve already covered hardening off, and that is indeed a critical step. But once it’s done, there are still some things you can do to ease the transition and improve your plants’ chances of success. Read the rest of this entry »