Growing seedlings

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Each year I grow my own seedlings for my garden. I patiently wait for the time to arrive and promise myself that this year I will not plant as many varieties, just the right amount I need. Less plants less work. I cut down from nine varieties of tomatoes to six. I thought this should curtail the unwanted surplus this year. You know the surplus plants you grew that you just didn’t have the heart to throw out. The extra ones that make you shake your head and wonder ““did I plant all of these?”” After all, this miracle of life that comes about from one little seed that you put in the ground, would be sacrilegious to just dump into the compost pile. You casually start to ask your family, friends, acquaintances and co-workers, if they would like to grow some tomatoes this year and once you’ve asked every Tom, Dick and Harry, you begin to beg. PLEASE !!!! In the end, you still have one plant left. It looks perky and healthy and ready to go. In a desperate attempt, you squeeze it into an awkward spot in your flower bed and it produces twice as much fruit as the one in the garden. Your reward for a kind gesture.

Here is another scenario – the one where you aren’t quite sure whether all the seeds will germinate because the packet says 2001. So you plant all the seeds to make sure you get at least 50% germination.  As it turns out, all the seeds were viable and instead of 25 plants you now have 50. Here we go again.

Why grow your own seedlings.

1. It gives you a large selection of different varieties that you may not find in garden centers.
2. There is a kind of satisfaction of growing something from seed to fruit/flower. They are gifts of the earth for man to enjoy.
3. There is also the undying appreciation from friends, family etc. who look forward to your free plants.

Hey, it’s the least you can do to promote gardening.