Germination Station

Last year we put in most of the garden by planting seeds directly in the ground. A few plants, like tomatoes, peppers and parsley were purchased at the Westside Community Market or received from my Garden Guru. This year I decided to start some seeds indoors on my own from my current supply. I've started seeds in the past with wildflowers and even hostas back when Shady Character was all the rage on the Internet. Back then I had a good sized propagation bed on a table in the basement complete with a heating cable. This time around I'm using the plastic-enclosed shelf I built for my orchids which are greatly reduced in number now. Fluorescent fixtures provide the light and some warmth in the enclosed space. I've also got a fluorescent fixture over part of our work bench lighting some pots on a small heat mat I purchased as well as some pots that that are doing just fine without any bottom heat. I'm looking forward to seeing these little guys grow into real food-producing plants!