Sunday, March 29, 2020

When fiction becomes reality



Boy have things gotten weird.

My uncle told me a few weeks ago that the live action version of my book isn't nearly as fun, and I had to chuckle. Someone once gave me a negative review for Braving the Storm because they said people wouldn't panic as quickly as I depicted. I will gladly accept their apology.

ANYWHO...

I hadn't planned on gardening this year. I didn't have the opportunity to garden last year, so nature has completely taken over my garden space. Now that things are how they are, though, I figured growing my own food is a safe bet, just in case. Finding produce in stores is still a crap shoot, and then you have to worry about contamination. I'd rather just skip it altogether. Hopefully this will help me do so; I've had pretty good luck in the past, so I'm hoping I can get back to these results again:

As you can probably tell from my expression, I REALLY want to make a joke about this.
These too :)



We borrowed a friend's tiller to get the garden back up and running, which we'll be doing soon. In the meantime, though, I wanted to get seeds started. I was fortunate enough to find a few bags of potting soil and the seeds I still needed from my local Rite Aid, but they didn't have any seed starters. I was thankful to find one tray of pots in my basement (along with older seeds which I would've used if I wasn't able to get my hands on fresh ones), but those trays were only enough to cover the tomatoes I want to plant. I plan on starting my Three Sisters Garden in a few weeks, so I'll need a lot more than 7 pots.

I ended up seeing a picture online on how to use TP rolls to make seeds starters, so I figured I'd give it a shot. It's super easy, and they're biodegradable so you can plant them directly in the ground when they're ready!

1) Gather your TP rolls and get a pair of scissors.
Step 1: TP Rolls and Scissors
2) Cut your TP Rolls in half.
Step 2: Cut them in half
3) Cut clits 1/3rd of the way up on 4 sides and fold them like a box
Tip: If you fold them into a square, it'll be easier to judge where to cut.

4) Fill them with soil, add your seeds, and place them in a waterproof container to collect excess water.
Tip: if you're using them for more than one type of seed, write on the roll so you know which is which.
Another type of seed starter you can use in a pinch are K-Cups. Obviously you won't be able to plant them directly in the ground, but the hole in the bottom makes it ready for filling with soil and adding your seeds.

Also easy steps:

1) Remove and discard the foil on top. Scoop out the coffee, remove the basket, and set aside.
K-Cup ready for planting!
2) Fill your K-Cups with soil, add your seeds, then place them in a waterproof container to catch excess water.
Like the TP roll, you can also write what you're growing on the K-Cup to keep everything situated.
 3) Put the coffee and filters in your compost pile!
Old coffee ready for the compost
I currently have all of my seeds together, soaking up sun in the window. My tomatoes have already started coming up, so I'm super excited.
Hopefully these starters will be much greener in a few weeks!
There are lots of resources on when to get seeds started, depending on where you live. Since I'm in Zone 6 (near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), I would suggest going here (all of Zone 6) and here (PA specifically) for more information on what you can grow and when in Zone 6.

If you would like to see 20 DIY ways to make seed starters (including the ones above), you can go here.

For more information on starting seeds indoors, go here.

Good luck out there, everyone! I hope you and your families all stay safe and healthy during this difficult time.