Once again it is time to start plants indoors. I get stranglty excited over these "babies" in my house. I was not in Montana all of March, so I planted my baby tomatoes a little later than I would have liked. It seems having them planted by March 20th is a good idea --this year I didn't get them planted until almost the first of April. However, both the tomatoes and cucumbers seem to be fine.

  

I didn't use the paper pots this year. I wasn't happy with the ugly yellowing the paper did and I seemed to have plenty of little plastic pots, so I switched back to my peat pellets. These pellets come in a small package (mine had 25) and when soaked in water become tiny little round seedling homes. Once my plants are an inch tall, I transfer the peat pellet to a larger plastic pot.

I used colored straws again this year to mark plants and I managed to find enough different colors that I didn't have to try cutting the straws oddly on the ends to use them for marking multiple plants. I then taped the colored straw to the seed packet.

Grow Table

This year my grow table isn't a "table" but is only a set of grow lights sitting on the floor. I'm using the same idea for hanging lights above the plants with chains that can be adjusted as the plants grow. I sure am glad that I used a tablecloth under my seed trays to keep the overzealous watering can from allowing escaping soil to become mud on the carpet.

Read about Spring 2012 for more tips about starting baby plants indoors.

If you live in Montana and have a greenhouse or start your own vegetables from seeds, I would love to add some pictures and comments here. Please fill out a contact form and I will email you.