after a day or two of weeding our garden beds and cleaning up the winter debris, we got all our seeds out. i went to "seedy saturday" where heirloom seeds are sold and traded and brought home the beginings of a bountiful harvest. we got out the egg cartons i collect to plant our seedlings for the year. my little man always helps me with this on the spring equinox. there is something so magical about this for me. we have such sweet convos about the changing of the seasons, what we loved about winter, what we are excited for about spring, and looking forward to in summer. i always braid in notions about how the seeds we are sowing in spring will be so fun to enjoy all summer. we talk about what we will make with the fruits and veggies that will grow and the picnics, bonfires, and potlucks we will share them with our friends. i love this day.
i cut down the center of the carton, separating the two halves and cutting off the little side tab to recycle it. then i stack the two together and fill with organic soil. loji loves doing this part. i usually leave cleaning the porch off after winter rains and pine needles dropping until after we plant our seedlings. he also likes poking holes with his pinky and placing seeds in them. he tries to convince me that all we should grow is watermelon and corn and i explain to him, or try to, because i halfway agree with him, why that isn't what we are doing.
then because the soil isn't packed down at all and you want to keep it pretty loose for the seeds to sprout, but don't want it spilling all over the sides...we water the first few times with a spray bottle. i used a sharpie to write on the sides of the egg cartons what seeds were which. i usually use popsicle sticks to label them, or clothespins that have snapped apart, but was pretty much fresh out. so, a sharpie it was...
then, i put them on baking sheets or pans so that the watering doesn't make a mess and put them in a sunny window. it takes only a day or two to start seeing the sprouts. loji and i make bets which will come up first and run to check every time we think about them. radishes and brussel sprouts won the first round this year. if you have a good farmers almanac use that or google where you live and what gets planted outside when. i also use this step to help loji learn to research things that interest him and help him find out things he'd like to know. today we will be planting our lettuces, arugula, kale, cilantro, dill, beets, broc., and brussel sprouts. since the cardboard of the egg crate will be a bit moist, it is so easy to tear them each individual sprout in an egg cup right off and plant the whole thing right in the ground. before i do this, i pinch a little whole in the bottom for the roots to easily grow right through. the carton itself mulches right into the soil and actually protects the youngster in the ground a bit. love this time of year. kinda giddy like a school girl.
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