Growing Methods

on starting seeds

This is just a note for all of you local to the Eastern Shore of Virginia folks, reminding you to sign up for our CSA. Starting in May and continuing into September, you will receive a weekly box of seasonal vegetables, herbs, and fruit. I grow each of the vegetables from seed all the way to harvest on your table, and each box is a labor of love designed to generously feed a family of 3-4 or a couple who eats a lot of vegetables. You don't want to miss out. Shares are going fast, so sign up today!

This essay is for paid subscribers. I give you a little teaser about what's going on at the farm during our first truly busy month of the year, but once I get into the weeds of seed starting, germination and our processes, that part is for my generous supporters. I also include a recipe for our seed starting mix and a list of some of my favorite seed companies. Happy planting! 🌱

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Late winter and early spring are a time of becoming and nowhere is this more manifest than out in the wild spaces of nature and across the fields of my farm. We have arrived at my favorite time of year: sowing seeds. For the previous month of February we've been sowing out fava beans and peas in the field in the hopes that a blanket of snow would nourish them before warmer temperatures arrived. Sadly, this year, the hopes for snow went unrealized but the fava beans, sugar snap & snow peas are beginning to peek up above ground now. The garlic and overwintering onions appear to be growing by the green inch every time I go to hoe them and the strawberries even have a few flowers on them already due to our incredibly mild winter.

Growing vegetables and all that it entails is one of many tasks within my purview here on the farm, though I can quite often be found shirking my duties and bribing the animals with treats for a midmorning cuddle. My happy place consists of days spent in the greenhouse seeding flats and potting up seedlings.

We have once again arrived at that time of year when seeding and greenhouse work command much of my attention and so I thought I'd share with you a bit today about my process, timing and methods.

Seeds

We save some of our own seeds, especially peppers, tomatoes, and herbs. Seed saving: the whys, hows and more would be a whole other essay, so I'll save that for another time. There are many other seeds that simply are not practical for me to save so I have my favorite seed companies that I order from each December and January when I'm planning out my garden.