Once you have figured out where you'll be gardening and how much space you'll have for growing, you can start thinking about what you might want to grow.  Our recommendation is to order your organic seeds from a trusted seed company online to get the best organic seed selection for your money.  We buy 99% of our seeds from fedcoseeds.com because we love and trust them so much and know that you will too.  I admit that I am a bit of a sap, but I cry every year when Fedco's black and white seed catalog finds it's way into our mailbox.  You can just feel their goodness, transparency and great ethics on every page.  Click here to request a copy of your own, or you can just order on their website. 

Fedco Seeds is a small cooperative seed, tree, bulb and organic growing supply company out of Clinton, Maine and have been in business for 41 years.  In a world of increasingly larger mergers and consolidations, you'll find such pleasure purchasing seeds from this small worker-consumer cooperative.  They have high quality diverse seed offerings at a very fair price.  Their honest descriptions even include supplier codes so you know where your seeds are coming from.  They refuse to sell genetically engineered products and they do proactive GMO testing of some seed crops.  They also boycott Monsanto and Bayer products (Hip hip hooray!!!), and they support organic, ecological, small-scale and local seed production.  Seriously I could go on and on about why I love them but I'll save you some time.  Trust us you'll love them.

The other two seed companies that we recommend to order organic seeds from are:  

1.  Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that conserves and promotes America's endangered garden and food crop heritage by collecting, growing, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants.  They are located in Decorah, Iowa.   Their website is seedsavers.org. 
2.  High Mowing Organic Seeds is an independently owned, farm based seed company dedicated to providing farmers and gardeners with high quality, non-GMO, certified organic seed.  This seed company is located in Wolcott, VT.  Their website is highmowingseeds.com

There are only a few types of vegetables that cannot be direct sown into your garden and need to be started indoors.   These vegetables have a rather long growing season and need the extra time growing indoors to be able to produce fruit for you before your growing season ends.  These vegetables are; onions, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.  Every other vegetable we grow is planted by us by seed at the right time in the garden soil.  To figure out how early you should start your seeds indoors, you should first figure out your area's last frost date.  You can check that by clicking here.  Once you have that date, your seed packets will instruct you on how much in advance from this date you should start your seeds inside. 

You will need a couple of things to get started growing seeds indoors.  For the best start for your seedlings, we recommend the following supplies:

1.  Organic Seed Starter Mix - we recommend Coast of Maine Organic Sprout Island Blend Seed Starter.  It's important to use a loose, well drained mix for indoor seed starting.  Sprout Island Blend is a rich mixture of blended Sphagnum peat moss, perlite, kelp meal, worm castings and well aged compost.  It was designed specifically for germinating seeds into healthy plants.  Sprout Island Blend meets the organic production standard of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.  It is also listed for OMRI listed for organic use by the Organic Materials Review Institute.  Follow the instructions on the package for best results.

2.  Something to grow your seeds in - You need 2 to 3 inch deep containers with drainage holes to hold your seed starting mix.  Many people use recycled yogurt cups, or you can buy a simple seed starting tray with cell pack inserts.  Some come with a plastic dome that holds in moisture, but covering trays with a sheet of plastic wrap will also work. 

3.  Growers Light and Growers Heating Pad- Your seedlings will need more light and heat than your home can provide.  Most plants need temperatures between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit for germination and optimal growing.  A growers heating mat placed under your seedlings will provide the perfect heat source for them to grow.  A light source placed an inch above your seedlings for 12-14 hours a day will provide the perfect lighting conditions needed for growing.  Even florescent lights placed at that height would do the trick.  Growers lights can be found at your local greenhouse, growers store, or local hardware store. Or click here for a cool one you can buy from Amazon   

4.  Hardening off - about a week or 2 before your plants are to be transplanted outside, you will need to acclimate them to the outside world.  This is known as "hardening off."  Plants should be placed outside for small amounts of time at first to get used to the sun's rays and the wind.  The first day would be an hour and you would increase little by little each day.  Some gardeners have setup oscillating fans near their indoor plants to build up the stem's strength for their future in the outside elements.

The vegetables you'll be planting  are generally categorized into cold and warm crops.  This basically means that some of your seeds will be direct sown into the ground while it's still cold out while others need to be direct sown after all chance of frost is gone a little later in the season.  Cold crops are vegetables that thrive in cold or cool weather.  Whereas warm-season crops will usually be killed by frost.  Cold crops can be planted before the threat of frost has passed.  In our area, that usually means that cold crop seeds can be direct sown in mid-April.  Some of these include; arugula, beets, broccoli, carrots, peas, spinach and many other lettuce/greens.  Warm crops in our area are usually planted around Memorial Day weekend for things like tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cucumbers, squash and corn.  Be sure to find out your area's average last frost dates to determine when you should plant outdoors. ​This is the date your seed packets and any other growing instructions will reference when explaining when to get started. Remember this date is an average from past years and not necessarily what is going to happen this year. Stay on top of the 14 day forecast as you approach your planned planting date. For anything that needs to be planted after the last frost date, make sure there are no low temperatures below 40 degrees in the forecast. If there are you'll need to protect your sensitive warm weather crops with row covers or some other way of keeping them warm and free of frost, but probably better to just wait a bit if that's the case. 

Check out our 4 keys to organic gardening success. Our home garden relies on the following 4 principles. They are all very simple to do and will turn that backyard garden into your own little thriving ecosystem. Follow these methods and everything else pretty much takes care of itself.

Composting             Crop Rotation                 Raised Beds                    Mulching

Memorial Day is a time to reflect on how lucky we are to be living in a country that allows us the freedom to do and say as we please - and to honor those men and women who lost their lives fighting for that right.  For us northern gardeners Memorial Day also has a secondary significance. Generally speaking this is the point in the calendar where you can be 99% certain that we have no danger of an overnight frost. I say 99% because...well it's the weather...so check your weather app to make sure there are no low temperatures below 40 in the foreseeable future. If so, you're ready to go. Here is what should be on your to-do list:

You're now cleared to plant any seeds that go directly in the garden. Cucumbers, pole beans, broccoli, and summer squash are just a few examples of items you can direct seed. If you missed out on a spring planting of peas, carrots, kale, or other greens, go ahead and get those in the ground now too. The seed packet should have instructions in terms of how far apart to space them and all that good stuff. Or you can check out our Vegetable Index for quick and detailed instructions on how to plant the most common garden vegetables.  

Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and any other veggies you started from seed can now go in the ground. But - did you harden them off first? Hardening off means bringing your seed trays outside for a few hours every day to get them used to real sunlight and wind after being in a climate controlled environment for so long. Going directly from your windowsill to the real world might be too much of a shock for your fragile seedling, so if you haven't done this yet it's better to do that for a week or so first vs. rushing to get your plants in the garden ASAP. 

If you are ready to transplant - be gentile. The less you can disturb the existing roots the better. You can click on the links for specific instructions on tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant, but one tip that applies to all is to use the deep planting method. 

​Dig a hole deep enough so that only the top 4-6" of the plant will stick out. ​This is where most beginners go wrong only planting the existing roots underground. It may seem odd to bury part of the stem that has already begun growing leaves in the ground, but new roots will grow from any part of the stem that ends up under the dirt.  Tall skinny plants are weak producers and this deep planting method helps to promote a strong base which will support the plant and its fruits for several months. Deeper roots and more roots results in bigger tomatoes and more of them. Snip off any small fruits or flowers that may already be there so that the plant can focus all of its energy on the plant itself rather than the budding fruit. Don't worry - they will come fast and furious soon enough.

Memorial Day is a guideline, not a deadline. If you need an extra week or 2 to do things right you'll be better off in the long run vs. rushing to get it all done now. If you're looking to prioritize, something to consider is the temperature needed for seed germination. Lucky for you we put together a little chart showing the optimal soil temperature for most plants (scroll down below the pH stuff). Start with the lowest temperature plants first and work your way up. Seeds planted at lower temps will take longer to germinate, so for things like squash and melons you're not going to gain any advantage by rushing them into the dirt. 

If you're planting corn or pumpkins - give it an extra week or 2 before planting those. Corn requires some serious heat to germinate and planting too early can make your seedlings weak and more susceptible to pest problems. Pumpkins also require a lot of heat, but another reason to delay is planning for when you actually want them to be ripe. If you plant your pumpkin seeds too early you will have bright orange pumpkins in early August and by the time we get to October they will be a pile of mush. Delaying planting your pumpkin seeds also helps in the fight against squash bugs and vine borers who typically come out of hibernation now looking for your new squash or pumpkin plants. If there are none for them yet they will move on to a new spot. 

We hope you all enjoy this long weekend no matter what your plans are, and as always if you have any questions we are happy to help. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter (see links below), or just add a comment here. Happy Memorial Day everyone, especially to those who made it possible for us to spend our days worrying about squash bugs and tomato worms instead of our safety and security, something none of us should take for granted on that day or any day. Thank you to those that have served and to the families of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. 

Those of us lucky enough to live within driving distance of the great state of Maine are familiar with this sign that welcomes us as we cross the boarder. This week Maine added one more reason for us to believe the slogan is true: As of January 1, 2021 restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and all other food service businesses will no longer be allowed to use Styrofoam to-go containers or plastic beverage stirrers. 

Polystyrene (Styrofoam is the brand name) cannot be recycled, so while that cup of coffee may be finished, the Styrofoam cup it was in is not. In fact, it will be around for decades to come and eventually it will break down into particles, polluting our environment and hurting our wildlife. Foam also absorbs toxins faster than other plastics and is mistaken for food by marine life. And the toxins that wildlife consumes makes its way up the food chain into people. 

The Natural Resources Council of Maine estimates more than 256 million pieces of disposable foam cups, plates, bowls, platters, and trays are used every year - just in Maine alone. Considering Maine is only the 42nd most populated state...just imagine what that number looks like nation-wide. 

Maryland's legislature also has approved bills to ban polystyrene, but it's unclear whether Republican Gov. Larry Hogan will sign the legislation. Let's hope he does and we can keep the momentum rolling into other states. Want to see something similar happening in your state? Contact your local state representative. All of these bills start with a single rep proposing them, so find out if yours feels as strongly about this as you do. And if they don't - vote for someone who does next time you have the chance. These things don't happen overnight but they do happen eventually when enough people care. 

Excerpts from this article were taken from the following article posted on CNN.com 5/1/19

1.  Remove standing water from your yard since this is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.  

2.  Patch up any holes in your windows and door screens so mosquitoes can't enter your house.

3.  If you are outside, circulate the air near you with a fan.  Mosquitoes are not strong fliers and fans make it difficult for them to fly near you.  

4.  Purchase a bat house (or several) and make your yard a place bats will visit and naturally rid your yard of mosquitoes.

5.  Purchase seeds and/or plants that you can grow in your yard that mosquitoes will stay away from.  As an added benefit, some of these mosquito repelling plants are edible!  

1.  Lavender - Mosquito repelling and edible
2.  Lemon Balm - Mosquito repelling and edible
3.  Basil - Mosquito repelling and edible
4.  Mint - Mosquito repelling and edible
5.  Rosemary - Mosquito repelling and edible
6.  Citronella Grass - Mosquito repelling
7.  Marigolds - Mosquito repelling
8.  Geranium - Mosquito repelling
9.  Catnip - Mosquito repelling 

6. Clear out trees and shrubs that block the sun. Don't go crazy chopping down every tree in sight, but mosquitoes need dark shady areas to breed. If you can let more light in that will drive them away, especially during daylight hours. 

Within the last few years, concerns over toxic pesticide use has caused Massachusetts towns such as Marblehead and Swampscott to opt out of mosquito spraying for their entire town.  In these towns, aerial spraying must be voted on at a Town Meeting.  Is it time for us to come together and opt our entire town out or at the very least rethink our current plan?   

Other Massachusetts organizations such as The Massachusetts Audobon also believe  "The existing programs for mosquito control in Massachusetts are antiquated and fragmented, and reform is needed."  You can read their full position on mosquito control here.

A great national organization called Beyond Pesticides is a 501©3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington D.C. which works with allies in protecting public health and the environment to lead the transition to a world free of toxic pesticides.  Beyond Pesticides identifies and interprets pesticide hazards and designs safe pest management programs.  Please visit their website for information on the many programs they lead to keep us and our planet healthy.  They also include information on how you can lead the way to get your town opted out of spraying completely. 

Is stopping spraying over your tiny piece of the planet going to save the bees? No, but it's a start. By telling people you are deciding to opt-out or by putting your "no spray" sign on the front lawn you are raising awareness that there is even a problem in the first place. Awareness leads to education which leads to positive change. Imagine if one of the ballot questions in the next election was about widespread spraying of chemicals known for a fact to harm bees and aquatic life - do you think that would have any chance of passing? The only reason it's allowed to continue today is because only a tiny fraction of the population knows it's happening. You have a chance to change that right now just by sharing this article. Somebody lead the charge in Marblehead and Swampscott to get their town to stop spraying so we already know it can be done. You may not be the type who would take the reigns and run with a local campaign to do something similar - but you just might inspire the person who is. 

We had the same problem at first and resorted to a lot of the fake "meat" products that were actually pretty tasty and high in protein, but they are also highly processed and high in sodium so that's not a great long-term answer either. I thought to myself, it would be really easy if they made protein powder but used protein they extracted from plants. But then I figured it would probably be way too expensive and definitely wouldn't be organic. 

Lucky for all of us (and like usual) I was wrong! Such a thing does actually exist and we've been using it for about a year now. The company is called Garden of Life and they make a whole line of organic, plant based versions of the unregulated chemical junk you find in GNC (with the added bonus of nobody harassing you to sign up for rewards cards). To be fair, I originally found this stuff in a GNC but after shopping around have settled on Amazon as the cheapest place to get it (see link below).  It comes in chocolate and vanilla, but unless you are some kind of weirdo you're obviously going to get the chocolate. 

As you can see, for just 160 calories you can get 30g of protein with 0 saturated fat. Compare that to a 4 oz. steak which is over 300 calories and has 9g of saturated fat just to get 28 grams of protein. Maybe you love steak and can't live without it, but when it comes to the nutritional benefits the math says you would be better off with the plant based protein instead. 

I know there are plenty of diets out there that convince you that animal muscle is the only place we can get protein from - so where did they get it from then? By eating PLANTS - that's how. You may not have the 4 stomachs necessary to draw protein from grass and corn stalks, but you can still get all the protein you need by eating plant based products, you just have to know where to find them (You're welcome). 

In addition to the organic plant protein this powder also contains probiotics - something vegans and people on the keto diet miss out on when they can't have yogurt anymore. 

If you take a daily multi-vitamin you may want to give these guys a look as well. They make theirs from all organic fruits and vegetables, most of which you have actually heard of! Links to the men's, women's, and children's versions are below. 

Here's how we do it:

- 2 scoops of powder
- 8 oz. unsweetened almond milk
- 4 oz. water
- Flax seed, chia seeds, and hemp seeds for even more protein. We keep these in recycled Parmesan cheese containers and just shake a little of each in
- 1 small banana (or half of a large one)

This is a perfect snack between meals or in some cases can be the meal itself. After trying to go vegan we were left feeling low on energy but one of these shakes every day has done the trick. 

Did you miss us? More than likely you didn't know we were gone, but for the past week or so we have been MIA. For 8 days we were on a cruise with no access to internet or sanity. If anyone ever convinces you a cruise is a good idea, just imagine living in a room the size of your childhood bedroom with your entire family while continuously getting lost and being lied to about how much everything costs. Oh and did I mention you'll be nauseous most of the time? No better way to spend hard earned time off. 

One nice thing about being gone that long was coming home to spring! Real spring - not that false hope we cling on to in March. We left a brown and gray yard to come home to life all over. Check out some signs from around our house that tells us Spring is finally here. 

Truth be told we are probably a week late on this post. Most recommendations say to start pepper plants 8 weeks prior to the transplant date. Many of us in the north use the Memorial Day Weekend rule for when to plant our warm weather crops, which believe it or not is only 7 weeks away! Don't worry though, you still have plenty of time. 8 weeks from today is still only May 31st and you'll see a lot of places that recommend you don't transplant peppers until early June anyway. 

The instructions on how to start pepper plants from seed are exactly the same as starting tomato plants, so read this article for all those details. Just like tomatoes, starting peppers from seed will save you a lot of money and give you many more options to try vs. buying started plants at a greenhouse. For the price of a single pepper plant you can buy 2 packets of seeds that would give you about 60. In fact, we had so many seeds left over from last year that we didn't even need to buy any this year (we did anyway because we can't help ourselves). Just keep in mind that even the smallest packet available is likely to be more than you need, so don't overdo it. 

I wouldn't risk it on shipping at this point but you still have plenty of time to run out to the stores and grab some seed packets this weekend. If you're looking for some ideas on what varieties to plant, here is what we are going with this year: 

Organic King Of The North - One of the 2 new varieties we bought this year, we wanted to try this variety because it supposedly is specifically bred to ripen earlier in the north. Typically we don't get colored sweet peppers until late September so we're looking forward to these hopefully coming sooner. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.10. 

Organic Amish Pimiento - The other new addition, we're trying pimientos for the first time which are supposed to be the sweetest of all pepper types. These are little and we're thinking they will become a favorite for the kids. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.20. 

Organic Gilboa Orange - Another variety reputed to do well up north, these are big orange bell peppers. $2.30 will get you 20 seeds.

Organic Chocolate - Obviously we had to get the one called chocolate, but unfortunately it gets its name for the color and not the taste. Despite not tasting like a candy bar, we did really love the flavor of these last year. They were not too bitter or too sweet like some peppers can be and we got a ton from just 4 plants. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.30. 

Organic Peacework - A red bell pepper that was bred with King of the North to ripen early. We definitely got more red bell peppers than we ever have from these plants last year.  0.2 gram package goes for $2.20. 

Organic Carmen - Elongated red Italian peppers. These are a great choice for stuffed peppers. $3.40 will get you 20 seeds.

Quick disclaimer on hot peppers - when choosing a variety be sure to check the Scoville units listed in the description. This is the measure of how hot the pepper is, and there are plenty of peppers that look really cool in pictures but would melt your face off if you actually tried to eat them (Hello habaneros!). Most people are familiar with the heat of a jalapeno which comes in around 2,500 - 4,500 on the Scoville scale, so use that to judge how much heat you can handle. 

Organic Jaluv An Attitude - Similar to a jalapeno but cross-bred with a few other peppers for a unique flavor and a little more heat. 2,500-8,000 Scoville. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.20.  

Organic Hot Portugal - Beautiful 8" cow horn shaped red peppers. If you like cayenne peppers but don't want to deal with a million tiny peppers full of seeds, try these giant versions. 5,000 - 30,000 Scoville. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.40.  

Organic Czech Black - These look just like jalapenos but ripen to a deep purple/black color. These are a good choice for mild heat as they come in at only 2,000-5,000 on the Scoville scale. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.40. 

​Organic Thai Hot - These are like cayenne peppers but even smaller. They actually use this one as an ornamental at Christmas time. You can let them all ripen on the bush and then before the first frost rip the entire plant out. Hang it somewhere inside to dry and you have organic crushed red pepper flakes to use all winter long. Careful though - these little guys pack a punch, at 25,000 - 40,000 Scoville they are the hottest variety we grow. 0.2 gram package goes for $2.00.  

Follow our instructions for how to plant tomatoes from seed. It's the exact same process. 

Click here for full details on growing peppers including instructions on how to support them and what to do when you're swimming in them. 

When most people think of starting their own garden, tomatoes are probably the first thing that comes to mind. While anything you can grow yourself will be a better option than buying it at the grocery store for a number of reasons, you most likely won't be able to tell any big difference in taste. One major exception to that is tomatoes. There is no comparison between a home grown tomato and one purchased at a store. If you are like us you want a lot of tomato plants in the garden this year. We typically plant around 20 depending on how much space we have. Only problem is that can get pretty expensive. At Home Depot for example a tomato plant that comes already started in a 4.5" pot goes for $5, so for 20 plants we'd be dropping $100 on just tomatoes.  That might be the best or only option for some, but for the rest of us that would probably be a little more than we were looking to spend on just tomatoes. So how can we have our tomato flavored cake and eat it too? Start from seeds. That means you would have to start them within the next week or so, but if you're willing to put in a little time and effort now you can have those same 20 tomato plants for $5. Here's how...

'You won't have much trouble finding packets of tomato seeds. I think I saw a rack at the gas station near my house. So if you see something out and want to grab that and give it a try, great. But one huge advantage you have when starting from seeds is the variety you have to choose from. A typical greenhouse or garden center will have a handful of options but seed companies like Fedco will have dozens of different varieties you can try. Tomatoes come in many different shapes and colors you won't find in any stores or even farmers markets since most consumers just want the classic red tomato. Growing your own, especially from seed, opens your world up to all kinds of possibilities. 

We like to have a lot of variety so we definitely got more seeds than we needed. Good news is we pretty much have all the seeds we need for next year because in most cases we used less than half of what was in the packet. So if you're looking to go as cheap as possible, only 1 or 2 packets are necessary to get you 20 plants. Here is what we are planting this year:

Slicing Tomatoes (Primarily to be used fresh in salads and sandwiches)

Organic Cherokee Purple - Heirloom tomato said to have been passed down by the Cherokee Indians. This variety has gained popularity in recent years and you might find this one in stores. 0.2 gram package was $1.70.

Organic Mark Twain - Another heirloom but you won't see this one anywhere. According to Fedco the seeds are saved by a single farmer in Wisconsin and not available commercially anywhere else. 0.2 gram package was $1.90.

​Organic Weisnicht's Ukrainian - One more organic heirloom but this one is about half the size of the first 2 monsters. In 2015 this variety was voted #1 by a panel of food writers, chefs, and produce experts at the Massachusetts Tomato Contest (ummm who knew this was a thing and can we be invited next time please?). 0.2 gram package was $1.90.

Organic Luci 2103 - These are just little guys. Too big to be considered cherries but at full size they are still smaller than a tennis ball. (They sell a similar variety at the grocery stores called Campari you may have seen before). Perfect salad tomatoes because they are small but easy to slice. 0.1 gram package was $2.70.

 
Paste Tomatoes (Primarily to be used for sauces and canning)

Organic Opalka - Elongated, nearly seedless tomato great for making sauces and salsa. Since it doesn't produce many seeds you won't find this one anywhere else, but thanks to Fedco and it's individual seed savers we are able to plant it in our garden this year.  0.2 gram package was $1.90.

Organic Hogheart - Appears to be similar to the Opalka but since we haven't grown either variety before we wanted to hedge our bets a little bit. Imported from Italy and gets its name from the fact that sometimes it produces double fruits that look like a heart. You can bet your ass you'll see one of those on our Instagram if and when that happens. 0.2 gram package was $1.90.

Cherry Tomatoes 

Organic Cherry Bomb - We typically plant at least 2-3 varieties of cherry tomatoes but decided to go with just one this year. We love them in salads and fresh salsas but at some point it gets overwhelming with the amount you get and we end up letting a lot of them just die on the vine toward the end of the season. Since we did cut back we decided to splurge on a specialty type that was way more expensive than the rest. Must mean they are the best ones, right? We shall see... but we're hoping so because we paid a Jack-in-the-beanstalk-like price of $6.00 for just 10 seeds. We'll keep you posted on how that works out. 

So, even with our over-zealousness, we still only spent $18 and have plenty of leftover seeds for next year.  

OK, I lied. Seeds are most likely not the only expense. If you want to get creative they could be, but that would require you digging up some dirt from your garden to start them in, using all recycled materials to grow them in, and generating some kind of light/heat source with materials you already have - all of which are definitely possible. If you want to have the best chance for success, you'll want to pick up the supplies listed below: 

1.  Organic Seed Starter Mix - we recommend Coast of Maine Organic Sprout Island Blend Seed Starter.  It's important to use a loose, well drained mix for indoor seed starting.  Sprout Island Blend is a rich mixture of blended Sphagnum peat moss, perlite, kelp meal, worm castings and well aged compost.  It was designed specifically for germinating seeds into healthy plants.  Sprout Island Blend meets the organic production standard of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association.  It is also listed for OMRI listed for organic use by the Organic Materials Review Institute.  Follow the instructions on the package for best results. The bag in the link above will run you $23 on Amazon.

2.  Something to grow your seeds in - You need 2 to 3 inch deep containers with drainage holes to hold your seed starting mix.  Many people use recycled yogurt cups, or you can buy a simple seed starting tray with cell pack inserts.  Some come with a plastic dome that holds in moisture, but covering trays with a sheet of plastic wrap will also work. We use the Jiffy Seed Starter Kit. You can get one for just $6 at Home Depot. We really like this one because the cells you plant in are made of peat and not plastic, so instead of having to wiggle a fragile plant out of the little cell you can plant the seedling with the pot it grew in and not disturb the roots. The cells are also larger than the traditional plastic ones. It has space for 50 seeds and next year all you'll need to buy is a new tray for $3 since the plastic greenhouse part can be reused. 

3.  Growers Light and Growers Heating Pad- Your seedlings will probably need more light and heat than your home can provide.  Most plants need temperatures between 70-90 degrees Fahrenheit for germination and optimal growing.  A growers heating mat placed under your seedlings will provide the perfect heat source for them to grow.  A light source placed an inch above your seedlings for 12-14 hours a day will provide the perfect lighting conditions needed for growing.  Even florescent lights placed at that height would do the trick.  Growers lights can be found at your local greenhouse, growers store, or local hardware store. Or click here for a cool one you can buy from Amazon. The heating pad listed goes for $25 and the grow light for $65. If you have a window that gets plenty of sunlight in a really warm spot near a heater or something like that you may not need these items. If you do the good news is this is a one-time investment, so next year your total cost will be limited to the seeds, starter soil, and a new tray or peat cells ($3). 

Pretty self-explanatory on this one. Fill your cells with dirt and drop a seed in each one. You want to put enough dirt in each cell so that it fills it completely but don't pack in as much as you can. Those young, delicate plants need enough soil to hold them upright but not so much that their roots can't easily grow. 

Tomato seeds are tiny and difficult to handle but one way to make that a lot easier is by using tweezers. Kind of like playing Operation in reverse, but you won't get electrocuted if you touch one of the sides. 

Start more of each variety than you plan to plant in your garden. That way when it's time to transplant you can pick the strongest seedlings and leave any weaker ones behind. 

Not too much, not too little. You want to add just enough to make the soil moist but not drenched. If you give your seed tray the proper amount of heat and cover it, it creates a mini greenhouse trapping in any water that tries to escape. 

Whether using a growers light, your windowsill, or some combination, do your best to give your seedlings 12-14 hours of direct light per day. 

Repeat water and light instructions until your seedlings are too tall to fit under the cover. Should take a few weeks. We'll check back in when ours hit that point and let you know what to do next  

Click here for full details on growing tomatoes including instructions on how to support them and what to do when you're swimming in them. 

​If it were up to our kids, they would eat peanut butter and jelly, McDonald's, and candy every second of every day.  Actually, they probably wouldn't even eat meals, they would just snack on junk all day long.  They want chips and cookies and sugary drinks and ice cream.  Part of me gets it, but most of me knows I have to teach them to eat healthy every day.    

Every night during the week we eat plant based meals in our house and our kids eat them too.  I refuse to make separate meals for everyone.  So how do we get our kids to eat LOTS of vegetables every night you ask?  Possibly with torture tactics?  Hahahaha!  You'd think we'd have to but no!  We finally decided to start thinking like kids (it wasn't too difficult for us)  and we get them to eat healthy dinners every night.  Let's be real, some nights are easier than others.  Here are our tricks that the kids fall for most nights.  We're going to save the best for last.  

We have a backyard garden every year and we involve our kids in the entire process.  That usually means that they spend only a few minutes on any given garden task, but that's OK because we want to keep their excitement alive.  When they say they want to "help", we always say yes and we know that their "help" will only be short lived.  But nevertheless, they help with everything from planning and selecting seed varieties, to digging and worm hunting, to planting seeds, picking weeds, killing bugs and harvesting.  

Because they help us throughout the whole process, they feel like they have contributed to the garden and are willing to try something that we grew.  So when I'm serving dinner I always mention each vegetable that came from our garden because that makes them excited to try it.  And because they are willing to try new things that we've grown, they actually eat a large variety of things.  For example one of our 4 year old's favorite vegetables is steamed Swiss chard.  She loves any steamed leaves, so she even loves spinach and kale.  I sprinkle a little salt on it to enhance the flavor and she keeps asking for more. 

Our kids don't like every meal I make but like I said, I will NOT make separate meals for everyone.  However...I do make accommodations.  I make veggie stir fry with noodles often but my oldest daughter doesn't like that meal.  I do know that she would rather eat crunchy vegetables over cooked vegetables though.  So when I'm chopping vegetables I keep some non cooked veggies aside for her and put them on her plate like that with the noodles on the side.  I think that is a reasonable accommodation since she's still eating exactly what we're eating, it's just not cooked and mixed together.  ​

Let's be real, it's all about the dip!  I try to mix up the things I give to the kids to dip their veggies in.  We use healthy salad dressing options, or just olive oil and a little salt.  Sometimes we dip our veggies in some sort of hummus and that comes in all different flavor varieties.  I also give peanut butter as a dipper for apples and celery, or chocolate hummus to dip strawberries, grapes or pretzels in.  ​

Because our kids think the dip is the best part, I try to make the dip the healthy part of the snack.  I'll give them whole wheat chips or crackers served with tabbouleh, guacamole, hummus or even homemade pesto.  Variety is the spice of life and that's what gets my kids to eat (or at least try) what's in front of them.

Yup, there I said it.  You know you do it too.  If they don't eat their meal (or at least most of it) then they won't get a special treat like a cookie for dessert.  The trick is to make the "treat" something healthy as often as possible. Try something like fruit with chocolate hummus or frozen berries with almond milk and honey on top. Another good one is a smoothie with blended frozen bananas, peanut butter, spinach, unsweetened cocoa, and almond milk.  They all taste great so it's not a hard sell. 

I SAVED THE BEST FOR LAST!!!!!!  I don't know about your kids, but our kids laugh the most if anyone mentions the words butt or poop.  It makes us laugh too.  Although I admit that some vegetables are easier to get my kids to eat than others, there are some vegetables that need some serious mom tricks to get them to eat (Hello beets!).  What if I told you that I can get my kids to crush a pile of steamed red beets in a matter of seconds?  And no I didn't cover them in chocolate.  That sounds disgusting anyways.  Here is what I said to them… "Did you know that if you eat red beets that your poop will turn red?!"  It's actually not even a lie, it's disgustingly true!  My kids looked at me with wide open eyes and both of them ate every last one of them off their plate!  Don't forget to remind them to check their poop for red!  Hahahahaha!  This will also work when you tell them about corn.  I know I don't have to explain that one to you.  How about asparagus?  Hey kids, asparagus makes your pee smell REALLY weird!!!  And magically the asparagus disappears off their plates with no complaints.  

These are our 6 tricks that gets our kids eating lots of vegetables every day and we think your kids will fall for it too.  Try it out and let us know which ones work best!   

It is early Spring, the ground can finally be worked, and all across the northern hemisphere people are getting ready to rototill their gardens. What they don't know is they are actually decreasing the quality of the soil with all that hard work. Rototilling might be the best option when trying to break ground on a new garden plot, but if you're continuing to rototill the same dirt over and over again you are actually doing more harm than good. Here's why:

We used to rototill all the time. When you are done it really looks great seeing all that aerated loose soil looking like a black fluffy pillow waiting for your plant's roots to stretch out in. The problem is it doesn't stay that way. That fluffy soil is being propped up by air pockets created when you blasted the ground with your rotating blades, and as the season goes on it will compact back down to the point it was before or worse. So it's almost like the more you till the soil, the more you have to. 

By not rototilling the worms and other soil dwelling organisms are able to aerate the soil naturally. These nooks and crannies were dug out over time and are much more stable and less likely to compact as the season goes on. This gives your roots spaces to spread out and channels for water to flow down to them. When rototilled soil settles, those channels are closed off. 

The blades of the rototiller can only reach down do far, so as you are tearing through the top layer of the soil you are just compacting the bottom layer of the soil at the point where the blades hit their maximum depth.  This creates a barrier where roots and water find it difficult to penetrate. By leaving things alone the top and bottom layers of the soil remain connected giving the worms and roots plenty of room to go as deep as possible. 

Worms are torn to shreds and contrary to popular belief they do not grow into multiple new worms - they die. The ones who escape that gruesome scene are likely to get the hell out of dodge. Bacteria and micro-organisms who were perfectly happy at a particular soil depth are tossed around and flipped up into the light of day. And the irony here is all of these things would have tilled the soil for you if you just left it alone. Having a healthy earthworm population is one of the most important factors in maintaining a successful garden, so doing something once or twice a year that kills half of them and scares the others away is not the best way to go about it. 

Don't! Like I said before, we used to do it too. We're all just doing the best we can with the information we have been given, and anyone who knows anything about gardening tells you to rototill the soil in the spring and/or fall. They rent them out at garden centers and landscaping companies advertise services to come out and do it for you. But one day we came across the information above and it all juts made so much sense. The rototiller now lives in the corner of the garage with the skis we once took out of someone's trash and we're not likely to get much use out of either of those items anytime soon. 

And let's just say you don't buy any of what we're saying here. Well, we can tell you that we haven't used a rototiller in over 5 years and our garden has gotten better and better every year since. So at the very least, not rototilling hasn't hurt us. If not for any of the other reasons above, stop rototilling out of pure laziness. Save yourself some money and the trouble of lugging a heavy machine out to your yard on a hot Saturday. Have a few drinks by the pool instead and let the worms do the heavy lifting for you.