February 15 2025

Winter seems endless, even with seeding to do and other gardening chores. I have to pace myself, because starting things too early is the way to madness, when you get leggy strangled growth, and weak seedlings that have to be propped up with a skewer.

Hold off on all the warm loving crops, like peppers and tomatoes. I had the best luck just sowing one seed in a recycled Cool Whip container, and then transplanting it one time only, right into the garden.

You might find my growing set up useful, feel free to adapt it however suits you. Some people have the perfect warm sunny window to start seedlings in front of, but not having that made it imperative to develop another system.

Most of my ornamental plants spend most of the year under lights, although some, like the impatiens I tried for the very first time, were supremely happy outside, once the slugs were dealt with. Hopefully this year will be easier. In the meantime, I'll be looking eagerly over my seeds, impatiently waiting for the window to seed them - under lights or not.

You can find Frill Free on Facebook .

If you would like me to answer your questions about homesteading or other topics you're interested in, reply to this email, use the contact form, or fill out the survey on the bottom of every page of the website.

Visit the Homesteading Blog for all new and updated pages.

Back to Back Issues Page