Invasion of the Seedlings

Locked Down & Restless

Middle of March. The World Health Organization declared a global pandemic on the 11th. We were locked down. The government, the media, our local health authority, all told us to stay at home, social distance, do nothing. It wasn’t that I had much to do. My garden plan hadn’t been approved yet. I was restless. It was time to start seedling for the garden.

I was also sure my plan would be given the green light. And there were the experts on garden shows, on YouTube, even on the seed packets, telling me to do something. Telling me “Start those plants indoors. Start those seedlings for the garden in early April if you’re going to be putting them out the beginning of May.”

How Early is Early Enough?

April? I was chomping at the bit, wanting to get an earlier start than the recommended date. After all, with climate change, weren’t things supposed to be warming up? I checked the average last-frost date and what the actual date had been for the last three years. I was betting on an earlier last-frost date.

In October 2019, a friend had given me a few tomatoes from his garden. Black Cherry Tomatoes.

A beautiful thing. He gave me simple instructions on how to save the seeds.

1. Wait until a tomato is ripe, with a really rich color and the skin a little soft.
2. Cut the tomato in half.
3. Squeeze the pulp onto a piece of paper towel.
4. Spread the seeds out and put the paper towel where the seeds would dry out, but not in the sunlight.
5. Leave the seeds on the paper towel. Less fuss.

I decided that the top of the refrigerator would be the best place. Those seeds stayed there for two weeks before I folded up the towelling and stuffed it into an envelope. This much I did know: if seeds are packed into an airtight container, any trace of moisture will invite mold, which will destroy the seeds.

And, there I was, six months later, thinking, “Gotta start those seedlings.” Now, have I mentioned that I’m cheap? I look for the most inexpensive way to do anything. Why buy seedling starter pots when I could I start my seeds in paper egg cartons.

Of course, I planted more than just my precious tomato seeds. Luckily, I had lots of seeds on hand. Apparently, lots of other people had gardening in mind, and many seed companies were out of stock.

With my seeds tucked into good soil, I put my egg cartons in a warm place with an east facing window. The cartons multiplied and soon took over the good part of our kitchen counter near the window.

I didn’t consider this an invasion of the seedlings, but Vicki regretted seeing her new granite counter disappearing beneath endless containers filled with soil – however, the promise of fresh veggies won out.

Promises on the Kitchen Counter

So, what was I hoping to harvest down the road? What seedlings did I start?

Roma Zucchini – I’d bought these seeds from a local Italian supermarket. Never grown them before but the packet promised a striped, large fruit that didn’t become pithy as it matured.

Runner Beans. I’d grown beautiful White Lady Runner Beans a few years earlier but lost my saved seeds. Then, Hallelujah! I found them. I was being very optimistic about those, being years old, but I couldn’t find new ones. Sadly, the White Ladies failed, and I had to go with Scarlet Emperor runners.

Just a quick note about beans: Runner beans continuously climb whatever support you provide, creating a luxurious green wall and producing steadily through the season. Bush beans grow to a limited height and provide lots at one time. To provide green beans over a period of time, bush beans have to be planted over a period of time.

Back to the seedlings. The time came to transfer them to larger containers as they grew. I used some basic plastic containers, like the ones you get when you buy bulk items, for potting them. They were clear plastic—not ideal, because plant roots shy away from the light. And I had to poke holes into the bottom for drainage. Like I say, I’m cheap and I use what I have on hand. But, hey, they worked.