There She Sows!

I was amazed how quickly the seeds started to sprout! There is something about seeing those little green tips pop out of the soil that makes you feel like summer is just around the corner (even though it was snowing when we planted)!  We added a few more veggies last weekend, some of which are sprouting already.

After 9 days, this is what we have:

Not bad, right? 

Basil is coming up nicely...

And cucumbers (less than a week in the ground!)...

Carrots too!

If I just showed you these pictures you might think I was half-decent at this... but unfortunately, not all seeds escaped with their lives... My seedlings have suffered at the hands of my rookie urban farming hands in more ways than one.

I present to you Exhibit A: Mold

Exhibit B: Damping

Oh the shame!  So what went wrong...

I was worried the seedlings wouldn't get enough light or warm in our south-facing window, so I made sure to seal the clear lid tightly to keep in the warmth. This worked well, but unfortunately inhibited air flow, thus allowing the mold to grow and too much moisture to be kept in, leading to the damping.

My first thought was to chuck the moldy seedlings, but internet wisdom says "no", they may just survive. The dampened carrots are, of course, goners. My plan is to wait til the weekend - then get rid of the casualties and start a-new.

Lessons learned

Don't overwater! I had read this, but didn't realize just how EASY it was to overwater. The soil we started with was already quite damp, so it really didn't need the extra water I put in the bottom of the tray on day one.

Put the trays on an even surface. I thought our ottoman-thing was even (to the naked eye it is) but it become apparent after a few days that one end of the trays were getting more hydration than the other.

Air flow is imperative! Don't leave the lid on too long without air circulation. Some even recommend a small fan.

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