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March 25, 2025

This Week's Garden Gab: ​
​I Started My Seedlings

Hi Reader!

I'm not fond of starting seedlings inside but it must be done in order for some vegetables to show up at the right time during the summer.

As I mentioned in a previous version, I started tomatoes, peppers, basil, and a few flowers. The set up is in my spare bedroom, which is the only space and place I can set aside for this.

Education:

Everything started fine. After a few days, many of the seeds germinated. I set the grow lights on a 12-hour cycle and had all of the seed trays on a heating mat.

After the seeds started to germinate I removed them from the mat but I keep the lights going. New seedlings need a LOT of light or they will start to stretch for any light and get leggy.

Things were going great but then I had a family emergency and had to leave the plants for 2 and a half days. When I returned, most had survived but a few clearly suffered. They became leggy but I'm going to try to save them.

I try to time seed planting so I won't have to up-plant the plants before it's time to put them outside, but at the rate they are growing it looks like I will need to put them into a larger container for a while.

That's all I have for this edition. Feel free to write me at jangardener@gardenease.org if you have any questions or comments.

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I'll see you in the next edition!

Jan🤗

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If you have questions, comments, praises, complaints, or ideas about gardening or about the newsletter, you can reach me at: jangardener@gardenease.org