Blog Posts

I believe that I have been a gardener since birth. As a kid, I pulled weeds and played in the dirt all day long. Now, I still play in the dirt and have the privilege of doing it for a living. And I love it.

During the course of my life, I have met all different types of gardeners. I am continually amazed about the uniqueness of each one. I have always been particularly impressed by those who seem to have an innate ability to remember the names of plants, especially the scientific names.

Like Lagerstroemeria, Zephyranthes drummondii, and Cyclamen hederifolium.  Maybe the fact that I can never remember these complicated names adds to my respect. Whatever the case, I am grateful that gardening is not dependent on knowing names, but on the passion that you have for it.

I may never be able to tell you what a Taxodium disticum is, but I will be playing in the dirt for the rest of my life..and that’s something all of us gardeners can relate to.

For hundreds of years, people have been starting on their seeds in late winter/early spring in order to get a jump on spring.  And of course, we all want to be the first one to have a beautiful harvest!

Thankfully, science has made the race to spring a little easier with some high-tech tools to make seed sprouting more productive. Instead of putting seed trays next to the fireplace, we can now keep our seeds at an optimized temperature of 80 degrees with the help of an electric heat matt and a thermometer. Most gardeners agree these gardening heat mats allow seeds to germinate and thrive in half of the time they typically would, without a mat. In addition, some gardeners even feel the plants that begin on heat mat are stockier and healthier overall.

And hauling huge seed trays in and outdoors for optimized sunlight? Forget about it! Now, all you need are some florescent grow lights and you can enjoy watching your seeds sprout from the comfort of your kitchen. In order for a plant to grow properly the light it receives must mimic natural sunlight. Sunlight contains all the colors of the spectrum and all are necessary for the process of photosynthesis. Red and blue are two of the most important colors vital to plant growth. Red stimulates vegetative growth and flowering.  However, too much red will create a leggy plant. Blue regulates plant growth for a fuller, stockier plant. Your grow light will help you make sure that your seedlings receive exactly the kind of light they need.

One of the most challenging aspects of sprouting is water. Have I overwatered? Have I under watered? Now, the guessing game is over. Science and Mother Nature have teamed up to form the Rapid Rooter Natural Plant Starter.  These little cubes are made from composted organic material (like tree bark) and bound together by plant-derived polymers. These guys have the perfect air to water ratio, which makes starting seedlings a breeze.

Seed starting is fun and very rewarding. And thanks to technology, now it is easy too! So, start sprouting and send us pictures of your success!