Seed Starting and Germinating Lavender & Rosemary: Start Really Early!

Seed Starting and Germinating Lavender & Rosemary: 

Start Really Early!

Lavender and rosemary take a long time to germinate, compared to many vegetables and flowers. They are also slow growers. They are both seeds you can start indoors a good 10-12 weeks before they would be able to go outside into your garden. Lavender and rosemary are a handful of seeds I start indoors in January, here in Maryland Zone 7. 

The best tip I have for both of these seeds is that they germinate poorly. Some people say refrigerating them for 7 days helps with germination. I have not tried that yet. So make sure you put several seeds in each starting cell. They actually divide pretty, easily so don't worry if more than one germinate. I place a seed in three of the four corners of each cell. It is better to have to remove seedlings and have too many than to have too few.

I recommend you buy a sterile seed starting mix. Don't bring soil in from your yard for starting seeds indoors. You will bring in disease, fungus, mold and insects. Pre-moisten your starting mix before you pack it into your seed cells or cups. You want to gently press the starting mix into your containers to makes a firm planting base for your seeds. If it is too loose, seeds can fall to the bottom of the cells or cups when moving them around.

Lavender Transplants After about 12 weeks

Lavender and rosemary can take 3-4 weeks just to germinate, so be patient. I press my lavender seeds onto the surfaces of the starting mix. Press them in with your fingers, to make sure they make good contact with the starting mix. Rosemary should be covered with about 1/4 inch of soil. Water the seeds in after planting, from the bottom. Let the containers sit in water and absorb water from the bottom holes. After about 30 minutes get rid of excess water in the trays. 

Once you see the first seed germinate, the trays or starting cups should get 14-16 hours of light daily from your grow lights. After I see the first seed germinate that is when I put everything under the lights.  If you don't have grow lights, you can try a south facing window. Water them when the seed starting mix dries on the top. The video will give you tips on germinating and seed starting lavender and rosemary.


Good Luck with Your Garden,
Gary (The Rusted Garden)


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A Quick Vegetable Grow Light Box from a 5 Gallon Bucket: Apply the Principle!

A Quick Vegetable Grow Light Box from a 5 Gallon Bucket:

 Apply the Principle! 

I have done a couple videos on making your own grow light boxes. This is a simple design you can make with a 5 gallon bucket or similar container. The key to any grow light box or closet is having the right intensity and type of light. With that you have to make sure the light source stays close enough to your germinating seeds and plant leaves for them to grow well. I explain those concepts in detail in other videos.

Grow Light Bucket Design - The Rusted Garden

This video will show you how to build the vegetable grow light bucket with basic materials you can get from places like Home Depot.  I also touch on light details so you can better understand what type of bulbs to use for you germination seeds and vegetable transplants.

Join My New YouTube Channel Just for NEW Gardeners: My First Vegetable Garden

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400+ HD Short and to Point Garden Videos: My YouTube Video Gardening Channel
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Understanding Light for Your Indoor Vegetable Seed Starts and Grow Closets: Lumen & Kelvin Measurements Explained!

Understanding Light for Your Indoor Vegetable Seed Starts and Grow Closets: 

Lumen & Kelvin Measurements Explained!

Grow light closets or boxes are great ways to start seeds indoors and grow your own vegetable garden transplants. They are really easy to set up, inexpensive to buy the parts and it really doesn't cost a lot in the way of electricity. A basic set up might cost $10 in electricity a month at the most.

Kelvin and Lumens Explained for Vegetable Grow Closets

The key to setting up a successful vegetable seed start or growing closet is buying the right bulbs. Do NOT spend a lot on bulbs that specialize or advertise for plant growing. They are probably the wrong bulb and will cost your 3x's as much versus buying a fluorescent or CFL bulb with the right Kelvin and Lumen numbers on the package. This video will teach you what kind of bulbs to buy.

Understanding Lumen and Kelvin numbers is essential for growing healthy seedlings for transplants. Lumens is the brightness or intensity of a bulb. You want a lumen number between 2000 and 3000. Kelvin is the color of the light. The higher the kelvin number the closer it is to Natural Light. You want a kelvin number between 4100 and 6500. Keep in mind you may not find the perfect bulb as they vary in availability. However, there is a nice range that is effective for germinating vegetable seeds and growing vegetable transplants.

You don't have to build a big grow closet. you can build a grow light box that works for small scale seed starting and growing transplants. This video shows you how to build one and provides the cost of the pieces. You can get all the parts at Lowes or Home Depot.

Join My New YouTube Channel Just for NEW Gardeners: My First Vegetable Garden

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Building and Planting Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens: A Great Fall and Winter Idea!

Building and Planting Raised Bed Vegetable Gardens:

A Great Fall and Winter Idea!

Raised beds a great way to manage your vegetable garden. They help you concentrate resources to a targeted space and that can save you money. They warm more quickly than earth beds and can be planted sooner. They help with drainage. They require less work in the long run because you never step in them and compact the soil down. And the really look great and help you maximize your planting space!

 

 

 

 

Fall and winter are good times to think about putting in raised beds. This is my new YouTube Playlist on raised beds. I show you how to construct them, fill them and plant them. There are enough videos to help you make a decision about vegetable garden raised beds and if they would work in your gardens.




Join My New YouTube Channel Just for NEW Gardeners: My First Vegetable Garden

Join My Google+ Community Our Tomato and Vegetable Gardens (5000+ Members!)
400+ HD Short and to Point Garden Videos: My YouTube Video Gardening Channel
Follow and Organize The Rusted Garden on Pinterest

Heirloom Tomato Profiles: Mature Tomato Plants - Check Them Out and See if They are Something You Want to Grow Next Year!

Heirloom Tomato Profiles: Mature Tomato Plants

Check Them Out and See if They are Something You Want to Grow Next Year!

What Variety of Tomatoes Will You Be Growing?

I made video profiles of mature tomato plants last year. As we approach winter, you might be considering what variety of  tomatoes you would like to grow in your 2015 garden. Why not take the time to see what 16 varieties of tomato plants look like fully mature?  Most of these are heirloom varieties. I show you the mature fruit on the vine, sliced tomatoes and provide a little bit of history on the tomato seed variety. I can't think of a better way to pass the time until spring arrives.




Join My New YouTube Channel Just for NEW Gardeners: My First Vegetable Garden

Join My Google+ Community Our Tomato and Vegetable Gardens (5000+ Members!)
400+ HD Short and to Point Garden Videos: My YouTube Video Gardening Channel
Follow and Organize The Rusted Garden on Pinterest