First Planting of 2023

I found unfrozen Pro-Mix (HP not BX, but close enough) and a big bag of worm castings so I'm ready to plant my first seeds of 2023!

I know I'm very early, but Brussel Sprouts really do take a long time to mature and I can put them out in April (especially if I use low tunnels). I'm also planting peppers because they are pretty slow growing and they are destined for pots in my greenhouse anyway. I'll probably do a second set of peppers in a month or so. Lastly, I'm planting 6 romaine lettuces. I really want to get a solid supply of lettuce this year and they like cool weather. Plus, I can interplant them with the Brussel Sprouts.

I started by mixing my growing medium in a big tupperware. This tupperware will live in my living-room until it's warm enough to garden outside. I like having a lot of good soil available so I can plant more seedlings or transplant babies as they grow out of their egg cartons. I used egg cartons last year and they worked great. They keep in moisture nicely and they are free! The one lesson I learned last year is that you want to keep them in at least sections of 6 - anything less than that and they are harder to move and kind of fall apart.

I mixed up the Pro-mix and the worm castings, moistened it slightly in a small container (I don't want to moisten all the soil because it makes it heavier and harder to work with). I pressed the mixture into the egg cartons and then planted the seeds!

I have a heat mat, which the peppers seeds will love, and then lights. I won't turn on the lights until the seedlings have sprouted.

And that's my first planting! I'll update as they come up and in two weeks I'll be planting cabbage, kale, and a few flowers.

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