IN LIKE A....and Master Gardener TIP #1

SIGH...when will SPRING begin? Wake me up when it's here, please. Enough of the cold, wind, ice and sleet already! We have TINY TOMATOES that are defying Old Man Winter, though, and many more seedlings just breaking through and spreading their hopeful little leaves. I promised to post LOTS of gardening tips this spring ~ I've trained Master Gardeners and worked in greenhouses for many years, which means I can help you even if you have a BLACK THUMB! SO, here's my very first blog-posted MASTER GARDENER tip for you when planting seeds...

***WATER THEM IN WELL AT FIRST, AND KEEP THEM WARM!***

I place plastic wrap over the newly planted and watered pot tops to hold in moisture and keep them toasty. Just make sure the wrap doesn't touch the seedlings, and remove it after the seedlings have sprouted up, otherwise the plants could rot from TOO much moisture. After removing the wrap, water the pots from BELOW by adding water to a tray underneath the pot. It encourages the roots to grow downward and faster. You can also mist the seedlings with a spray bottle of water if the soil surface looks dry. This will keep them HYDRATED and HAPPY! I place trays of planted seeds on top of my refrigerator to germinate, it's warm up there, and once they sprout, I move them to sunny windowsills.

And if you have any gardening questions, JUST EMAIL and ASK! I've answered garden questions on allexperts.com, and at info booths at local farm markets. Here's my email: www.stackedstonefarm@yahoo.com

May your plantings be prosperous!

"Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed." ~ Robert H. Schuller