Washington Gardener Enews March 2010

MARCH 2010 Welcome to the Washington Gardener Enewsletter!

This enewsletter is the free sister publication of Washington Gardener Magazine.

Both the magazine and enewsletter share the same mission and focus — helping DC-MD-VA region gardens grow — but our content is different. In this monthly enewsletter, we address timely seasonal topics and projects; post local garden events; and, include a monthly list of what you can be doing now in your garden.

We encourage you to subscribe to Washington Gardener Magazine as well for indepth articles, inspirational photos, and great garden resources for the Washington DC area gardener. Without your support, we cannot continue publishing this enewsletter. Our magazine subscription information is on page 10 of this enewsletter.

If you know of any other gardeners in the greater Washington, DC-area, please forward this issue to them so that they can subscribe to this free enewsletter as well using the form on page 6 of this enewsletter to subscribe to our print magazine.

You can also connect with Washington Gardener online at: • Washington Gardener Blog: www.washingtongardener.blogspot.com • Washington GardenerDiscussion Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WashingtonGardener/ • Washington Gardener Twitter Feed: www.twitter.com/WDCGardener • Washington Gardener Web Site: www.washingtongardener.com Sincerely, Kathy Jentz Editor/Publisher Washington Gardener Magazine

Reader Contest

For our March 2010 Washington Gardener Reader Contest, Washington Gardener is giving away several pairs of tickets to the Glorious Glass in the Garden: The Art of Hans Godo Frabel at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond, VA. The show runs from April 1, 2010 - Jan. 10, 2011.

The world-class exhibit by the renowned glass artist will feature more than one hundred pieces ranging from the realistic (brightly colored frogs and intricate portrayals of orchids, lotuses and waterlilies) to the whimsical (“sprite-like” figures, masks and large-scale geometric shapes). Smaller pieces will invite viewers to step in for a closer look while larger ones will amaze with sheer impact. In all cases Fräbel’s work “plays” with its surroundings -- offering ever-changing views.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden is located minutes north of Richmond, VA, off Interstate 95. The Garden is open daily from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and admission is $10 adults; $9 seniors (55+); $6 children (3-12); free for children under 3 and free for members. To find out more, visit their web site: http://www.lewisginter.org To enter to win one of pairs of tickets, send an email with “Frabel” in the subject line to WashingtonGardener@rcn.com by 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 30. In the body of the email please include your full name, email, and mailing address. The ticket winners will be announced and notified by March 31.

Current Issue

Our Winter issue cover story is on Garden Thugs. I had a great time researching and writing this one.

I’m hearing from a bunch of folks who are enjoying the features including a profile of Melanie Choukas-Bradley, author of The City of Trees. What City, you might ask? Why Washington, DC, of course!

Also in this issue are Unusual Edibles

by Cindy Brown. From Cardoon to Chinese Okra, she shares her tips on how to grow these exotics here in the MidAtlantic and even throws in a tasty Bok Choy recipe to tempt you into stretching your garden palate.

Then we take a day trip out to Riversdale House in Riverdale Park, MD. No, that extra “s” is not a typo, there were multiple nearby rivers when this Federal-era estate was built near the PG County-Washington, DC border. Tucked into that daytrip article is a side-bar on Winter Cover Crops for our area. Sarah Urdaneta, Riversdale gardener, trialed and tested several and gives her top choices.

You’ll also find in this issue: • a plant profile feature on Red Twig Dogwoods • a how-to article on Seed Starting Basics • a short warning piece about newly developing Round-Up Resistant Weeds • 5 New Plant Picks for 2010 • our Insect column focuses on Stopping Mealybugs • a club meeting with the Washington Daffodil Society To subscribe, see the page 6 of this newsletter for a form to mail in or go to our web page and use our PayPal link.

March Garden To-Do List

Spotlight Special

Baptisia australis is the Perennial Plant Association’s 2010 Perennial Plant of the Year™. Baptisia, pronounced bapTEEZ-ee-uh aw-STRAH-lis, carries the common names blue false indigo, wild indigo, and baptisia.

This Eastern United States native grows three to four feet tall and three to four feet wide in an upright habit. This exceptional perennial grows across a wide range of zones and is one of the most adaptable native species.

Often, when first planted, baptisia has only several stems and appears sparse. However, the clump goes from a slow start to really flourishing within three years, when it reaches full size.

Because Baptisia clumps expand to a diameter of approximately four feet with a shrub-like habit, these dimensions should be considered when plants are placed in the landscape.

It grows best in full sun, but can survive partial shade. If the plant is grown in shade, staking may be in order to prevent flopping. It is drought-tolerant, once established. It should be noted that this perennial has a tap root and should be placed in a permanent location. Some clumps can reach 20 years old not have to be divided. This lowmaintenance quality is another attractive feature.

Baptisia australis is an excellent plant to anchor the back of the border.

It is also valuable for cottage gardens, native plant gardens, and native area of prairies and meadows.

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Here is our comprehensive garden task list for gardens in the greater DC metro region for March 16-April 15. Your additions to this list are most welcome: • Avoid walking on and compacting wet soil in the garden.

• Prune grapevines.

• Put up trellises and teepees for peas, climbing beans, etc.

• Plant peas, potatoes, beets, turnips, radish, cabbage, mustard greens, onion sets, carrots, and kale.

• Set out traps for mice, moles, and voles.

• Get a soil test.

• Soil preparation -- add lime, compost, etc. as needed.

• Mulch beds with a light hand.

• Start or update your garden journals.

• Clean out any old debris from last season from your growing beds.

• Turn your compost pile.

• Repot root-bound houseplants and start fertilizing them.

• Clean leaves and debris from your water garden.

• Do not be alarmed if your pond turns green from algae bloom, this is natural until your water plants fill the surface area. Add a barley ball to combat it for now.

• Cut back ornamental grasses.

• Water during dry spells.

• Cut your Daffodils for indoor bouquets, but do not combine daffs with other flowers in one vase. They give off a toxic substance they may kill your other blooms off prematurely.

• Weed by hand to avoid disturbing newly forming roots.

• Walk your garden -- look for early signs of fungal disease.

• Divide perennials and herbs.

• Fertilize new growth.

• Plant and prune roses.

• Transplants small trees and shrubs.

• Buy or check on your stored summer bulbs (such as dahlias and caladiums). Pot them and start to water, if you want to give them an early start on the season.

• If you started seeds last month, thin them and start the hardening off process.

• Start some more seeds -- especially try flowering annuals like impatiens and petunias.

• Prune fruit trees as their buds are swelling. Check for dead and diseased wood to prune out. Cut a few branches for indoor forcing, if desired.

• Build a raised bed for vegetables. Add lots of manure and compost.

• Buy an indoor plant to liven up your office space. Try an orchid or African violet.

• Cut back and clear out the last of your perennial beds.

• Feed birds and provide nesting materials (try dryer lint) as well as houses for the start of their family season.

• Plant a tree for Arbor Day. Arbor Day comes on different dates in different states.

In our area it is the first Wednesday in April for Maryland, Virginia has it on the second Friday in April, and DC has it on the last Friday in April. In addition, many local groups and towns have their own celebrations.

• Read a good gardening book or magazine.

• Cut some branches (forsythia, quince, bittersweet, redbud, willow, etc.) for forcing indoors.

• Have a wonderful 2010 growing season!

Quick Links to Recent Washington Gardener Blog Posts • Lasker? I Hardly Know Her • It’s About Bloomin’ Time!

• Philly Flower Show Photos • Farming Our Schools • The Forgotten Annuals and an Old-Fashioned Seed Swap See more Washington Gardener Blog posts at WashingtonGardener.Blogspot.com.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2010 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

Cherry Blossom Fest and Alternatives

By Kathy Jentz

It is almost Cherry Blossom Festival madness again in Washington, DC. This year, the National Park Service has predicted the blooms will go from March 31 through April 11. The predicted peak will be April 3-8 when 70% of the blooms are doing their thing.

If you have been there, done that or just can’t get enough of those dainty pink and white blossoms, here are a few alternatives to the Tidal Basin crowds: ~ The National Arboretum has a splendid and more varied display and LOTS or parking. Stroll around Fern Valley and the other gardens as well while you are there.

Take the Self-Guided Tour: Beyond the Tidal Basin: Introducing Other Great Flowering Cherries from March 27 – April 11, 8:00 am-4:30 pm daily to explore the arboretum’s collection of over 2,000 cherry trees representing 600 different cultivars, hybrids, and species of various shapes, sizes, flower colors, and bloom times, including trees that have been created by arboretum scientists. Note: The free tour covers several miles of arboretum roads, and can be driven, biked, or walked. Pick up a brochure in the Administration Building.

Also, on March 28, 2:00–3:30pm, Dr. Margaret Pooler, a National Arboretum research geneticist, will begin this program with the story of how flowering cherry trees came to be Washington’s celebrated symbol of spring. She will then share a behind-the-scenes look at how arboretum scientists have created new varieties of flowering cherries with improved qualities, such as size, shape, and flower color. A brief walking tour of some of the trees will follow the talk. Free. Registration required. Call 202-245-4521 to register. ~ The Bethesda neighborhood of Kenwood for their stunning display. Park and walk in for an immersion in cherry tree lined streets. ~ Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown has a marvelous orchard of cherries. There is an $8 admission fee that goes to support the gardens. Parking is also a bear in that neighborhood -- I recommend you walk or take the bus. ~ Hillwood Estate in NW DC is pleased to celebrate the National Cherry Blossom Festival with short guided tours of Mrs. Post’s Japanese-style garden. Docents will be available to answer questions between the tours. The suggested entry donation to Hillwood is $12 per adult. ~ Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, also has beautiful cherry blossom trees and many other flowering trees like plum, apricot, magnolias, and quince in bloom right now, and you don’t have to fight the crowds to see them. The gardens are also full of flowering bulbs like hyacinths, tulips, and hillsides of daffodils. ~ Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in Vienna, VA, has over 100 cherry trees surrounding a lovely lake that you can stroll around. ~ An anonymous post to my blog, tipped me off that there are several blocks of cherry blossom trees creating an arch above the streets of Garrett Park Estates in Kensington, MD. Take Strathmore Road near Holy Cross Church, turn onto Flanders and then I think it’s Waycross. The trees span several streets, are lovely, and totally free of crowds! ~ Adam Bailey let me know that “Stanton Park and Lincoln Park on the Hill — and the Capitol Hill neighborhoods in general — have a good display of blossoms, too.” ~ Grow your own. In the very first issue of Washington Gardener Magazine, we did a PlantProfile column on the selection and cultivation of cherry trees for our area. Ever since getting my weeping ‘Higan’ cherry, I feel no need to rush downtown. I keep a daily watch on my baby tree and celebrate loudly when the buds finally burst open. I highly recommend it. 

Washington Gardener Magazine’s staff and writers are available to speak to groups and garden clubs in the greater DC region.

Call 301.588.6894 or email wgardenermag@aol.com for available dates, rates, and topics.

In Our Next Issue of Our Print Magazine...

SPRING 2010 Community Gardens Our 5th Anniversary!

A Stunning Before & After Comprehensive Article Index

If your business would like to reach area gardeners, be sure to contact us by March 20 so you can be part of the next issue of our growing publication! oooooooooooooooooooooooo

Be sure you are subscribed to:

See page 6 for full subscription details.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2010 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

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DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events March 16-April 15, 2010 Beltsville Garden Club James E. Duckworth School 11201 Evans Trail Beltsville, MD 301 890 4733 www.beltsvillegardenclub.org

• Wednesday, March 24, 7:30pm UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND ARBORETUM – A TREE CAMPUS USA Karen Petroff on the Univ. of MD Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, which incorporates the diverse heritage landscapes of the campus from its beginnings as an agricultural college in 1856 to its current urban setting. The Arboretum is comprised of 6,550 currently inventoried trees and the Campus is home to a seedling of the Wye Oak, the state tree of Maryland.

Ms Petroff is the Manager of Operations, Landscape services, and Facilities Management at the University. She earned her degree in Horticulture at Michigan State University and has been with the University of Maryland for four years. As always, the club will have plants for the door prize table and refreshments after the meeting.

The public is welcome and admission is free.

Brookside Gardens 1800 Glenallan Avenue Wheaton, MD 20902 301.962.1400 www.brooksidegardens.org

• Saturday, March 20, 10:00am-4:00pm Sunday, March 21, 10:00am-3:00pm FOBG ORCHID SHOW & SALE Sponsored by the Friends of Brookside Gardens • Saturday March 27, 10:00am-4:00pm CAMELLIA SOCIETY SHOW & SALE Sponsored by the Camellia Society of Potomac Valley •Saturday, April 10, 2:00-5:00pm Sunday, April 11, 9:00am-4:00pm DAFFODIL SHOW Sponsored by the Washington Daffodil Society •Friday, April 16, 10:00-11:30am SPRING LECTURE SERIES: WHEN PERENNIALS BLOOM Tomasz Anisko, Ph.D., Curator of Plants, Longwood Gardens When you’re planning a perennial garden one question is bound to arise again and again: when will this plant bloom?

Whether you’re a home gardener or a nursery, design or landscape professional, this presentation will help you to gain insight into the most anticipated event in every garden. Course number 102349 Free; registration required Visitors Center Auditorium

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Casey Trees

1123 11th Street NW, Ste. 3 Washington, DC 202.833.4010 www.caseytrees.org • Saturday, March 20, 8:00am-4:00pm ARBORISTS’ DAY OF SERVICE AT THE ARMED FORCES RETIREMENT HOME WASHINGTON CAMPUS Professional arborists from Casey Trees, Lewis Tree Service, The Care of Trees, Davey Tree, Bartlett Tree Care Experts, and Growing Earth Tree Care will donate their services to improve the safety of residents and the health of the trees in highly trafficked areas around the campus’s Stanley Chapel. The improved tree canopy will also ensure the safety of the children from the nearby William E. Doar Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts, who play beneath these trees daily.

Industry non-profits, the Maryland Arborist Association and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture are supporting the event by recruiting member companies to participate.

Volunteers will work in teams to prune and fertilize oaks, elms and zelkova trees in the northern area of the campus. Three trees in declining health will be removed.

The Armed Service Retirement Home, established in 1852, houses men and women who have served our country and now reside in the District. Although beautiful, with century old buildings, years of budget and resource limitations have had an unfortunate impact on the vegetation of the campus and many trees are in poor condition.

The Armed Forces Retirement Home is located at Rock Creek Church Road and Upshur Street NW.

Green Spring Gardens 4603 Green Spring Road Alexandria, Virginia 22312 703.642.5173 www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp/

• Sunday, March 21, 1:30-3:00pm TREES FOR ALL SEASONS Sean Hogan opens our eyes to an unexplored world of foliar beauty from China and Japan to Australia and New Zealand.

He is the co-founder of Cistus Nursery in Portland, Oregon, a nursery world-famous for its collection of rare plants and display gardens. His new book, Trees for All Seasons, explores evergreen broadleaved trees. Book signing. $10. Call 703-6425173 to register.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2010 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

• Friday, March 26, 1:30-2:30pm BASIC GARDENING SERIES: SPRING VEGETABLE GARDENING Green Spring’s Master Gardeners share gardening tips and information on spring vegetable gardening. $12. Call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173 to register.

• Saturday, March 27, 9:30am–12:30pm RESIDENTIAL RAIN GARDENS: DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE Learn how to properly locate, design, construct and maintain a small-scale rain garden — a landscaped area designed to capture rain water and allow it to soak into the ground. Rain gardens allow polluted runoff from roads and buildings to infiltrate into the ground, slowing its flow and preventing pollutants from reaching local streams and the Potomac River, a drinking water supply for the region. Rain garden tour included as part of the program. Morning coffee service provided. $20. Call Green Spring Gardens at 703642-5173 to register.

Friday, April 9, 1:30-2:30pm BASIC GARDENING SERIES: OH DEER! PLANTS THAT DISCOURAGE VISITS Green Spring’s Master Gardeners share gardening tips, dazzle you with time-saving techniques, clarify simple steps and debunk horticulture myths. Sign up for the entire series or for individual workshops. $12. Call Green Spring Gardens at 703642-5173 to register.

Saturday, April 10, 9:30-11:30am MULTIPLYING GARDEN TREASURES: DIVISION Fill your garden with perennials, grasses and bulbs without emptying your pockets.

Mary Frogale, staff horticulturalist, will demonstrate how to use hatchets, pruning knives and garden forks to lift, split, and divide single plants into many divisions.

Take them home and add them to your gardens! $22. Call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173 to register.

Monday, April 12, 10:30am-4pm TILLING ONE’S SOIL–CULTIVATING ONE’S SOUL - A SELF DISCOVERY RETREAT Jeanne B. Evans, a licensed professional counselor, marriage and family therapist and gardener, invites you to make space in your life for cultivating your own interior landscapes. You’ll “dig” into your interior landscape and cultivate your inner terrain as you spend a day “reading” nature and resting in its comforting embrace. Please bring your own lunch. $40. Call Green Spring Gardens at 703-642-5173 to register.

DC-Area Gardening Calendar ~ Upcoming Events March 16-April 15, 2010 tion’s orchid collection specialist, has a United States Botanic Longwood Gardens special mission to help preserve and save Kennett Square, PA Garden Conservatory these beautiful plants. He has been grow(610) 388-1000 (USBG) ing orchids since he was a child and has www.longwoodgardens.org

• Saturday, March 20, 9:00am-12noon A GREEN ROOF – IS IT FOR THE BIRDS? Birds will be moving right in to the most environmentally friendly bird house in the neighborhood. We’ll provide birdhouses that have been created using reclaimed wood with a special plantable roof. A wide variety of plants specially suited for green roofs have been selected for you to plant. Learn about planting medium and how to care for your green roof. Once your house is complete, we’ll discuss the best placement to keep those feathered friends winging their way to your yard. $81 Garden pass member; $90 non-member • Monday, March 22, 6:00-9:00pm VERMICOMPOSTING Vermicomposting is a process in which worms consume and transform organic materials into a valuable soil amendment.

Gardeners value worm castings for their ability to increase soil moisture, build soil structure, and provide soil biology to feed the soil foodweb. This class covers building a worm bin and the complete process of vermicomposting. Participants will build and take home a fully functioning worm bin. Come ready to get your hands dirty and learn how vermicompost brings soil biology to life! $45 Garden pass member; $50 non-member • Thursdays, March 25 – Apr 29, 1:003:00 PM or 7:00 PM -9:00 PM DECIDUOUS FLOWERING SHRUBS II Shrubs provide structure, texture, and year-round interest to the landscape.

Plants studied include those less commonly found in the home landscape; those that attract birds, butterflies, and other wildlife to the garden; and those that thrive in difficult shady, wet, or dry situations.

This course will expand your horticultural palette of deciduous shrubs through identification, cultural requirements, and landscape uses. $162 Garden pass member; $180 non-member •Wednesdays, March 31 – May 5, 7-9pm SMALL FLOWERING TREES Flowering trees are among the most eyecatching plants in season. Defined as flowering trees less than 40 feet tall, small flowering trees make spectacular statements, accents, and specimen trees in any landscape. This course will focus on identification, culture, and landscape uses of the favorites such as dogwoods, cherries, and magnolias, in addition to some beautiful, lesser known species like the snowbell (Styrax spp.) and dove tree (Davidia involucrata). $162 Garden pass member; $180 non-member

100 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 202.225.8333 www.usbg.gov

• Wednesday, March 31, 6:30-8pm SAMURAI ORCHIDS The United States Botanic Garden will host Japanese orchid expert Jason Fischer as he explores the Japanese fascination with their native orchids, both the history and traditional culture surrounding their love of these exotic plants. The Japanese call the orchids that they display similarly to bonsai, “Samurai Orchids.” Fischer will focus on the history of the Neofinetia falcata orchid, which was collected by shogun and samurai in the late 1800s. In honor of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, Fischer, who lived and taught English in Japan, will present a photo travelogue of that country (including cherry blossom photos taken in Kyoto). With his father, Jerry, Jason Fischer operates Orchids Ltd., in Plymouth, Minnesota.

FREE: Pre-registration requested • Mondays, March 15, 22, 29, April 5, 12, 12:00noon-1:00pm LUNCHTIME TOUR OF THE USBG CONSERVATORY USBG Volunteers What do manila folders, Chanel No. 5, vanilla and fossil fuels have in common?

The answer is that they all come from plants on permanent display in the USBG Conservatory. Take a tour with a knowledgeable guide who will connect the exotic plant world to everyday life. You might see bananas and coffee ripening on the tree, you can watch the Venus flytrap catch its lunch, or you can learn about the next big breakthrough in medicinal plant research. FREE • Friday, March 19, 1-2pm ORCHID CONSERVATION Tom Mirenda, Smithsonian Institution Orchid Collection Specialist The more than 25,000 natural species of orchids family have adapted to almost every environment on Earth, and there are more than 25,000 natural species of orchids in the world. Unfortunately, due mostly to habitat loss or poaching, many of these special species are threatened or endangered. Join Tom Mirenda for a lively presentation with spectacular images from the Smithsonian’s orchid collection.

Mr. Mirenda will discuss the need for cooperation collaboration between plant and animal conservationists in order to improve conditions for all species, and what the general public you can do to help. Mr. Mirenda, Smithsonian Institu-

become an advocate for orchids the world over. He has traveled the globe, speaking to people about the orchid family;, delivering messages of conservation and collaboration to save endangered orchid species.

US National Arboretum 3501 New York Avenue, NE Washington, D. C. 20002-1958 202.245.2726 www.usna.usda.gov

• Saturday, March 27, 8:30am–4:00pm LAHR NATIVE PLANT SYMPOSIUM: NATIVE PLANTS: NOW. Internationally regarded presenters will discuss pollinators, mosses, home rain gardens, nomenclature, garden design, and the newly renovated Fern Valley Native Plant Collection. Note: Registration is required and the fee includes lunch and early access to the Native Plant Sale. Fee: $89 (FONA $71).

• Monday, March 22, 7:00pm A MAN NAMED PEARL FILM SHOWING Topiary artist Pearl Fryar will attend the 18th annual Environmental Film Festival’s screening of the film, A Man Named Pearl, about how he came to create The Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden, which has been designated a Preservation Project of The Garden Conservancy in Bishopville, SC. The Film Festival runs March 16 – 28 and will present several films of interest to gardeners. For all films, dates, locations and show times, visit the Festival Web site at www.dcenvironmentalfilmfest.org or call 202-342-2564 for a printed program.

Event Listing Notes

For even more area garden event notices than we can’t possibly squeeze in here, become a member of our free online discussion group. To join the email list serv, just send an email to: WashingtonGardener-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

To submit an event for this listing, please contact: Wgardenermag@aol.com and put “Event” in the email subject head.

Our next deadline is April 12 for the April 15 edition of this enewsletter featuring events from April 16-March 15.

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Are you trying to reach gardeners in the greater DC region/Mid-Atlantic area? Washington Gardener Enews goes out on the 15th of every month and is a free sister publication to Washington Gardener magazine. The ad rate is $250 per issue or $1,000 for five issues.

The ad deadline is the 10th of each month. Please submit your ad directly to: washingtongardener@rcn.com.

WASHINGTON GARDENER ENEWS © 2010 Washington Gardener Magazine All rights reserved.

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Magazine Excerpt: Seed Starting Basics by Rachel Shaw

I learned one of the most important lessons of indoor seed starting on my first attempt. My little tomato seedlings germinated just fine and grew quickly. In a matter of a few days, they were about two inches tall but, somehow, they didn’t look quite right: a pair of leaves atop abnormally slender, lanky stems. It was then it occurred to me that hanging a fluorescent light a foot or more above the seedlings just wasn’t going to cut it. Those babies wanted light, and they wanted it up close and personal! I started over, this time with the lights only an inch or so above the surface of my seed pots. Success! Thus was born what has become a passion for seed starting, from all kinds of vegetables to native plants.

Seeds started indoors need pretty much what they’d need outdoors: good light, warmth for germination, a growing medium, water, and judicious amounts of nutrients. You just have to decide on a way to provide these that works for you.

My husband, never a gardener, became interested in the various issues I encountered as I became engrossed in seed starting. He developed several innovations that he’s turned into a unique seed starting system and nascent business. Although I use his methods now, I’m not going to focus on those here, but on the basics. For the true bible of seed starting, see The New Seed-Starters Handbook by Nancy Buble.

Many vegetables can be direct seeded in the garden, often when the weather is still quite chilly. But some heat-loving plants with a long growing season, like tomatoes and peppers, do best with an indoor head start. You’ll have many more choices of varieties if you start your own plants from seed. And those seed catalogs that start pouring in about now are a welcome diversion as we head into winter.

There are plenty of other benefits to starting plants indoors. Germination rates are good, and your little seedlings don’t have to contend immediately with insects or other animal pests. You can set out your transplants just where you want them, rather than waiting to see where and how many of the seeds you started outdoors germinate....

Want to learn more about seed starting indoors under grow lights to get a jump on the spring growing season? Read the rest of this GardenBasics column in the Winter 2009 issue of Washington Gardener Magazine.

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