February's Indoor Garden
© Leda Meredith
Every Spring, as I struggle to find room for just one more flat of seedlings under the plant light or in the windowsill, I promise myself that next year I will wait to plant my seeds until the weather warms up. And every year, come February, I succumb to the urge to give something "a head start" indoors.
At least nowadays I hedge my bets by only planting those seedlings that can go outdoors before the last frost, making room on my windowsill for all the summer-loving vegetable seedlings. Or those that grow so slowly I don't have to worry about potting them up before the true sunshine arrives. That isn't until the end of April or early May here in my Zone 5 garden.
Here are some suggestions for gardeners who can't wait to get started:
What can you plant now? Assuming you've got a sunny window or some good plant lights, there are several choices available to you. The first question to ask yourself is where these seedlings are going to spend the rest of the year. Do you have room to plant them in the ground, or will they live out their lives in pots on your fire escape? Keep in mind that every tiny seedling will eventually grow into a full-sized plant that needs root room. One foot of windowsill space for seedlings can translate into nine feet of garden or container space by June. Don't plant more than you'll be able to take care of once they've grown.
Perennial herbs such as rosemary, lavender, and thyme are notoriously slow growing when started from seed. This is a boon for impatient gardeners, since you can start them now and they will not need potting up before spring. Annual herbs such as cilantro and chervil tend to grow quickly, and so you're better off waiting to plant them for another month or two.
Then there are those plants that don't mind a bit of cold weather: parsley, lettuce, leeks, onions, and chives can be started indoors and transplanted into the garden long before the last frost. These edible alliums can be finnicky about dry, indoor heating. Give them a "haircut" down to about three inches tall every now and then to prevent the tips from turning brown. Transplant outside about a month before the last frost date for your area. When you are ready to transplant any of these seedlings, harden them off first by letting them spend days outdoors and nights indoors for a week. Water them every day for a week after transplanting outdoors. After that, even if they get limp from a late snowfall, they will perk back up as soon as the weather is mild. Shallot, egyptian walking onion, and garlic cloves or bulbs can be planted outdoors on any day that the soil is warm enough to dig in.
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