Mid-March: Spring updates and starting seeds

Spring is happening, with the rain and warmer weather there are crocus starting, snowdrops, and squill besides the aconite. Pussy willow has pussies this year, there was a pause for about two years while the shrub recovered from deer damage, it is now caged like other plants enticing to deer. Bulbs are always covered by metal grates after planting to deter squirrels from digging them up, but when leaves had emerged grates were removed. Big mistake, next morning all the leaves had been grazed and one bulb was missing, grates are back. The new leaves of daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and naked ladies are all pushing up so it is time to rake away autumn leaves that cover and press them down. New leaves will be yellow until they have been exposed to the sun for a few days. Checked the garden after a long cold winter. Weeds growing of course, especially members of the cabbage family which do fine in cold weather. Amazingly, one of my experiments seemed to have worked; spinach seeds directly planted in January during that mild interval have germinated. Also planted onion seeds but no results so far. Garlic is waking up (planted in November). Since parsley is a biennial last year's plants will bloom this year, but until that happens there are leaves to be harvested for soups and stews. Mid-March is about the time to start seeds of tomatoes, peppers and other plants that will be transplanted into the garden in May. Some people have started already, and there is no rush since the plants won't start thriving until the soil is warm. Seeds take about a week to germinate, then must be given good light or they become straggly looking. The advantage of starting plants from seed is the greater variety of plants available, just look at the pages! of tomatoes in any seed catalogue. Seeds can be started in just about anything, peat pots, cow dung pots, cardboard toilet paper rolls cut into mini planters, seed snails, egg crates, etc. they need moisture and germinate faster with warmth. Make sure they do not dry out but that there is drainage so they do not drown. Some people use heating pads for the warmth to speed germination. Most critical is light once they have germinated. If you plant too many seeds in a small space, as I always do, they can be carefully transplanted into individual pots (or cut excess seedlings with scissors so only one or two remain) then put in the window with the best light or under grow lights. I use small paper bathroom cups, punch holes in the bottom, fill with potting soil, place seeds (heirloom varieties, collected from fresh tomatoes with unknown viability), cover lightly, water until water comes out the bottom, label with name, and put in a pan in a warm place. You can plant seeds of flowers, vegetables and herbs inside now to give them an early start when they go out into the garden in May. Busy times, but happy, enjoy. Susan Carty is professor emerita from Heidelberg University.