It's hard to imagine planting seeds when there is still over three inches of snow in Edmonton. However, since the beginning of March, we have been planting seeds at Prairie Urban Farms to give our plants a head start, especially considering our short growing season.
On our first seeding day we got nearly 1000 seeds put into the soil which included the ever popular – Red Genovese Basil, Cubanelle Pepper, and three different tomato varieties… mmmm…
One week later we planted another 1000 seeds including Wild Bergamot, the herb used in Earl Grey Tea, Anise Hyssop, a favourite among our bird and bee pollinator friends, and Long Island Brussel Sprouts (give them a chance, you may surprise yourself!). We got 500 more seeds in the soil at the end of March including Marigolds, Pansies, and Wild Asters, and our first set of squash (Butternut, Spaghetti, and Pumpkin) and melon (Cantaloupe). Yes, you can grow melons in Edmonton. With a little luck and extra care they might even grow big enough to make more than a single serving of fruit! Stay tuned…
So far we’ve purchased all of our seeds from the Devonian Botanical Garden collection, Apache Seeds in downtown Edmonton (a family owned business who are extremely helpful!), and from local vendors at Seedy Sunday (the Planting Seeds Project, Earths General Store, Brother Nature Organic Seeds, and Harmonic Herbs to name a few).
How did we plant them? It was easy enough that you could do it at home. We plant one or two seeds (depending on the size of the seed) into each soil cell with each tray containing 40 or so cells. We use a sieved soil and sand mixture because it’s easier for the seedlings to get a head start in a medium that doesn’t have a bunch of huge clumps getting in the way of growing their tiny roots. We cover the newly seeded cell with vermiculite which helps the little soil cell retain its moisture.
With nearly 2500 seeds started now we’re hoping Edmonton’s snow melts soon, so that our soil can warm up in time for transplanting in May and June! Please take note of the awesomely unintended rhyme.
