This season will be my first serious attempt at starting seeds inside.
Thanks to @brimwoodfarm and @walkerland, I now know how to keep my starts from getting 'leggy'.
You see, in the past, I've tried the usual windowsill herb gardens and the odd veggie start here and there, but they all seemed to get too tall, too fast. Next thing I knew, they'd bent in half and were dying.
@brimwoodfarm gave me my first clue on how to avoid this problem. Selecting the proper starting medium is vital. I'd thought the richer the soil, the better, but I was mistaken. That method provided too much nutrition too early - contributing to growth spurts. In other words - legginess.
https://youtu.be/-AEU0M3XvDA?t=1m50s
That bit of information led to researching for a good mix that I could get my hands on. A couple dozen #homesteadersonline posts, websites, videos, and ag school papers later, @walkerland, in her Heirloom Seeds Series, was ever so kind as to share her recipe for strong starts. (Click the link for the recipe and check out the entire series while you're there!)
The next thing to figure out was - when should the seeds be started?
I know I'm in Zone 5b, so from there I searched for my Frost Dates, since that's the yardstick the planting instructions are based on. I found a handy little chart that really helped organize my timing. They even offer a printable version of both the Spring and Fall recommendations.
Here's a glimpse at the layout:
https://i.imgur.com/OSsvZdf.jpg?1
As you can see, there's plenty of time for prepping things. As antsy as I am to get going, it's not a good idea to jump the gun. As an added measure, I'm also going to try incorporating the Farmer's Almanac Best Days suggestions for planting inside and out, plus see how all that lines up with the Amish Folklore Moon Phases Calender, which is supposed to increase the vitality and productivity of the crops.
