The Rusted Garden Blog

Stop Pea Seeds From Rotting in Cold Ground by Pre-sprouting Them: Best Pea Planting Tip Ever!

Publié par Gary Pilarchik le

Stop Pea Seeds From Rotting in Cold Ground by Pre-sprouting Them: Best Pea Planting Tip Ever!

As spring approaches, pea seeds are some of the first seeds that go into our gardens. Seeds germinate based on soil temperature and soil temperature can stay quite cold even when the days get into the 50's and 60's here or there. The cold soil can greatly delay germination and that is a problem for peas seeds.

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Winter Sowing Garden Seeds with Clear Shoe Boxes: An Alternative to Milk Jugs

Publié par Gary Pilarchik le

Winter Sowing Garden Seeds with Clear Shoe Boxes: An Alternative to Milk Jugs

Winter sowing is a modified way to direct seed outdoors when it is too cold out for seeds to germinate. Milk jugs and other containers, you fill with soil, are best used when the ground is frozen or when there is snow on the ground. An alternative method, once the ground can be worked, is a simple shoe box method. It is like using a cloche.  This method is used for cool weather crops, crops that can take a frost or a freeze. Seeds planted directly in soil, without a cover, can sit for weeks or months before germinating when soil...

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Can You Grow Seed Starts with Basic White LED Shop Lights?: Lumens, Kelvin, and Par Value Ratings Explained

Publié par Gary Pilarchik le

Can You Grow Seed Starts with Basic White LED Shop Lights?: Lumens, Kelvin, and Par Value Ratings Explained

Let's start with the basic question I get asked all the time which is, can basic white LED shop lights be used for starting seeds and growing garden transplants. The answer is 100% yes. I have been growing with basic fluorescent, and then LED shop lights for over 20 years. I am not recommending them for full flowering, fruiting, and complete growing indoors. They are outstanding for growing garden transplants. Though possible, as I have grown Dwarf 'Tiny Tim' Tomatoes Indoors, I don't recommend using them for large scale indoor harvest growing. You will hear people say 'lumens are for humans'...

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How to Grow Dwarf/Micro Tomatoes Indoors: Featuring the 'Tiny Tim' Tomato

Publié par Gary Pilarchik le

How to Grow Dwarf/Micro Tomatoes Indoors: Featuring the 'Tiny Tim' Tomato

You can grow tomatoes indoors. They are self pollinating and do not need a pollinating insect to help them out. Simply shake the tomato plant, when you see clusters of flowers and you will get plenty of tomatoes.

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How to Grow Herbs, Flowers, Vegetables and Fruit Garden Transplants: Seed Starting Indoors 101

Publié par Gary Pilarchik le

How to Grow Herbs, Flowers, Vegetables and Fruit Garden Transplants: Seed Starting Indoors 101

The Rusted Garden Seed and Garden Shop I will be doing at 2022 video series called Seed Starting 101. This series will teach you how to start seeds indoors, with the goal of having inexpensive transplants for your gardens. Transplants can easily cost $3-$5 a plant when purchased at stores.  Growing your own transplants, taking in all the start up costs, will cost you about .25 cents a plant or less. The lights, seed starting supplies, and seeds will last for years, further bringing down the cost of growing your own garden transplants. You can find seeds and seed starting...

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