Sowing Your Spring Garden

It is almost that special time of year when every gardener’s heart starts to beat a little faster. Seed starting season is right around the corner! Some newer gardeners are intimidated at the idea of growing a garden from seed, but I find it is one of the easier parts of gardening. It doesn’t require you to spend hours outside, throw your back out weeding, or spraying for bugs. Armed with a little knowledge, some trays, and some labels, you can get the feeling of spring as early as late January.

The trusty Old Farmer’s Almanac can help you figure out when to start each seed as well as the backs of most seed packets. First, check the last frost date. For Dalton, GA, our last frost day is April 9th, a fairly early day compared to most of the USA. A late frost can still sneak in so have some supplies on hand to deal with one and use a thick layer of mulch at the base of plants.

Before you go buy your seed starting mix, plan out what you’d like to see from the year in your garden and make sure you have enough space. It is heartbreaking to work hard starting all your seeds and realize too late there isn’t room for them all to be transplanted. Once you have your list, you can figure out when to start your seeds.

As January’s days begin to lengthen, you can start hardy crops like artichokes, cauliflower, and cabbage. Celery, which takes an impressive 12 weeks to establish, can also be started soon. February marks the time to start beloved warm-weather crops like peppers, eggplants, and tomatoes. By March, lettuce, collards, and cucumbers can join the lineup. The early start will keep your plants strong and help ensure you have a bountiful harvest to share with neighbors. Check each seed’s information carefully before starting it to make sure it shouldn’t be sown directly outside.

Seed starting can be low cost especially if you reuse materials. Egg cartons serve as excellent seed trays and can make it easy to keep the seeds separated making transplant easy. Toilet paper rolls can be cut in half and stood upright in a shallow tray. The rolls are biodegradable which means they can be planted directly into the ground, minimizing transplant shock. My personal favorite way to start seeds is outdoors in mini-greenhouses made from clear milk jugs and take out containers. I don’t poke holes into these, but instead water them with a spray bottle.

Last year, I got an extra lesson in plant identification because I didn’t think it would be important to label my seeds because “surely, I’ll remember what I started and where.” Take it from me, you won’t remember. Take the extra time to label them when you first plant them. It is much easier to determine spacing when you move the plants outside if you know exactly how much space each seedling needs and how much sun and water the plant will need. Items like plastic utensils, or even old window blinds cut into small pieces can be transformed into plant markers.

If you are excited about seed starting, make plans to attend the annual "Bring One for the Chipper: Tree and Electronics Recycling Event". This year, the event will take place on January 4, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at Home Depot on Shugart Road. Live trees, electronics, and cardboard can all be dropped off for recycling. All participants can pick up their own selection of free seeds and seedlings for their spring gardens, courtesy of Keep Dalton-Whitfield Beautiful, Keep Georgia Beautiful, Ferry Morse, Georgia Forestry, and Home Depot.

Amy Hartline is the recycling and education program coordinator for the Dalton-Whitfield Solid Waste Authority. Have a recycling question? Contact her at (706) 278-5001 or ahartline@dwswa.org.