A Tutorial: Sowing Seedlings Using Jiffy Pellets

I hope that boring, science book-y title doesn't scare you off.  I know it would've scared me off a mere year ago!  I'd have headed on over to Delightful Distraction to read about what Natalie Portman wore to The Oscars.  Who wants to read about dirt, right?

Well, I do!  For some strange reason (I blame the Pioneer Woman)... I caught some strange bug this year that has had me poring over gardening books, saving my banana peels and eggshells, and hiring these dudes to come till up my back yard.  I's crazy!

Anyway, this morning I started some more seedlings.  I plan to expand my herb garden this year to include sage and thyme.  And since I've given you only tidbits of information about the process I used to start seeds this year, I thought I'd document this morning's sow-fest and give you a little tutorial.

These are Jiffy pellets.  I think they're great!

They're inexpensive, nice and sanitary for young seeds, easy to use, and everything you need to get started!

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To get started, all you do is pour about 11 cups of very warm water into the tray.  (Gradually, not all at once.)  It should equal about 3/4 cup per pellet.

It'll only take a few minutes for the pellets to start growing and expanding.   They become the perfect little miniature flower pot!
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See how they begin to expand?

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When I first read the instructions, I thought this process of hydrating the pots might take all day.  But it takes like ten minutes.

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Once they've expanded fully, it's completely fine to get in there and adjust them so that they're all sitting straight up.

Then you just pull open the netting that covers the top of each planter...

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Fluff up the top layer of peat moss a bit...

and they're all ready to have seeds added to them!

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These are sage seeds.  I'm glad they're big.  Little seeds freak me out.  You drop them on the soil and lose sight of them forever and just have to hope they're really still there.  Sage seeds make the control-freak in me smile.

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Just sow about three or four seeds per peat pot.  Each one has the potential to form an entire adult-sized plant, so resist the urge to crowd them in there.  Trust that God'll keep doing what he's been doing for millions of years and that these will in fact be plants one day.  (It's actually really hard to believe that, but maybe after a year of doing this I'll have an easier time.  Or... maybe I'll always be in awe as I watch this process happen.)

Make sure and get dirt under your nails.  It means you're a true gardener.

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Now then... cover each seed just barely with a little moss.  The rule of thumb is that each seed should be covered with a layer of soil twice its diameter.  So that's practically nothing!

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Let's move on to the thyme.

Oh, goody.  :(  These ones are TI-NY!  Not cool, Thyme.  Not cool.

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I went ahead and sprinkled five or six of these into each peat pot.  As soon as they left my hand I had no idea where they had landed and no clue whether I was actually covering them up as I nudged the surface peat moss a bit on each planter.  And I didn't like that feeling.  As I said, little seeds freak me out.

Oh well.  You've got to make some sacrifices if you want to make Eggs Provençal with fresh thyme in a few months!

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Meanwhile, here's how my little tomato seedlets are doing... really well!

All the seeds have sprouted and that means I can remove the greenhouse lid and move the plants into direct sunlight.
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How exciting!  Pioneer Woman is right... when you see anything in its infant form (especially something you've helped create) you're struck with a sudden maternal urge to nurture it and name it Zachary.

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My pepper seeds are moving a little more slowly so instead of removing the lid, I've propped it open a bit and moved them to direct sunlight as well.

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As for the sage and thyme...
They've got some germinating to do!

So that means they need to sit in a bright room (but not under direct sunlight) with the greenhouse lid on!

Check.

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Tune in next time as the process continues to unfold!

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Did I mention I got some new dining room furniture?  I L-U-V it... but I need some advice concerning it so I'll be sure and post picture soon.

Happy Saturday!

~Carissa