Growing Challenge Update: Week 3

Is the road to sustainability paved with homegrown veggies and herbs? Gardening may not be right for everyone, but we have a nice size yard (and its not paved over,) and live in a neighborhood where even agribusiness produce is hard to find. So this year I am participating in the Growing Challenge, and count on eating at least one organic and local salad this summer.

This weekend my son and I had planned to make some newspaper seed starter cups for our peppers. I had found instructions for them here and there, and they looked so easy. But when my version turned out to be too flimsy, I did a little research and turned up this brilliant idea:


Luckily, there were a bunch of toilet rolls in the recycling bin (note to self: put out recycling this week). We quickly processed 1/2 a dozen into little cups, scooped soil into them, and lined them up in a plastic tray. After planting one seed per cup, we labeled the rolls with the date and the letter P. We watered the cups and put the tray in the window next to the tomato seeds.

Last week when we planted the tomato seeds we decided to keep our fingers crossed, because I wasn't sure exactly how old they were. After 8 days I thought we would have to get new seeds and start again (plus, my fingers were getting sore), so I was thrilled when I opened the lid and saw the tiniest of shoots beginning to grow. I soaked them, sealed the lid, and will have to try to keep myself from checking on them every few minutes. (Rhonda Jean at Down-to-Earth suggests that seeds can be viable long past their use by dates, and outlines a simple way to check for germination rates.)

Each week, Melinda at Elements in Time does an amazing job of summarizing the progress of gardeners from various continents participating in the challenge. If you need some ideas and inspiration for what or how to grow your own this year, Melinda's would be a great place to start.