In this Sunday Gardener, Ava Marie is joined by Carrie Engel from Valley View Farms as she shows us tips on planting seeds to get ready for the spring. She shows us what it takes to start your plants from a seed and what items could help the process.
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‘S TIME FOR SUNDAY. GARDNER I’M AVA MARIE HERE WITH CARRIE ENGLE OF VALLEY VIEW FARMS. HEY, YOU KNOW, WE’RE WE’RE ANXIOUSLY GETTING READY FOR THOSE WARM SEASON PLANTS. MY FAVORITE TOMATOES. BUT WE CAN START THEM INDOORS. EVEN WHEN THEY’RE STILL A RISK OF FRAUD. OH, ABSOLUTELY. SO THE BEST TIME TO PLANT TOMATOES IN MOST OF OUR AREA IS GOING TO BE RIGHT AROUND MOTHER’S DAY. BUT WHAT WE’VE DONE IS WE’VE TAKEN OUR VEGETABLE PLANNING GUIDE AND AND AS I OPEN IT UP, WE’VE TAKEN AND WE’VE GIVEN BALTIMORE AREA DIFFERENT ZONES. SO YOU’RE DOWN IN THE INNER CITY OF BALTIMORE, YOU’RE GOING TO BE ZONE ONE HERE IN MARYLAND. IF YOU’RE OUT TO ABOUT TOWSON, YOU’RE GOING TO BE ZONE TWO. IF YOU’RE FROM TOWSON TO SAY, PADONIA ROAD HERE, WE’RE GOING TO HAVE YOU IN ZONE THREE AND THEN HARFORD ZONE US. MOST OF WESTERN MARYLAND IS GOING TO BE ZONED FOR, AND THAT’S GOING TO BE THE MOTHER’S DAY. SO YOU CAN CHEAT THIS A LITTLE BIT AND PLANT IN A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IF YOU WANT TO. BUT DO PAY ATTENTION TO THE WEATHER FORECAST. THIS IS WHERE YOU’RE IMPORTANT EVEN MID-MAY. SO REALLY ANY TIME THROUGH MAY WE HAVE TO WATCH THE TEMPERATURE. BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS WHEN YOU’RE DOING IT INDOORS, YOU’RE GETTING THOSE PLANTS, YOU KNOW, BIG AND HEALTHY BEFORE THEY EVEN GO OUTSIDE. SO WE’RE STARTING HERE WITH SOME SEED STARTING SOIL. AND IF YOU WOULD DO THE HONORS OF PUTTING IN SOME SEED FAVORITE CHERRY TOMATOES BECAUSE THEY JUST RIPEN SO FAST AND THESE SEEDS ARE TINY. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT ONE BARELY. YEAH. JUST MAKE SURE THEY COME IN GOOD CONTACT WITH THE SOIL OKAY. AND YOU KNOW GET A FEW STARTED THERE. I’M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SPRAY THEM IN AND MAYBE PUSH THEM IN A LITTLE BIT. YEAH OKAY. AND THEN WE’RE MAKING IT NICE AND MOIST. AND THEN WE WANT TO KEEP IT HUMID FOR A WHILE. SO WE WANT TO KEEP IT HUMID. AND WE’RE ALSO GOING TO PUT A HEATING MAT UNDER IT. SO THIS IS GOING TO RAISE YOUR TEMPERATURE 10 TO 20 DEGREES. AND FOR THINGS LIKE PEPPERS TOMATOES EGGPLANT THINGS THAT REALLY LIKE THAT HEAT TO GET STARTED, I KNOW WE USE THIS AT OUR FARM TO GET PEPPERS STARTED. JUST TO GIVE A JUMP START. AND THEN AFTER ABOUT I DON’T KNOW, IT’S PROBABLY JUST A FEW DAYS YOU’RE GOING TO SEE WHAT WE CALL THE SEED LEAVES. THE FIRST LITTLE GUYS COME UP AND THEN ONCE YOU SEE A TRUE LEAF, YOU WANT TO GET THIS OFF. SO BE PATIENT. THERE’S THE FIRST SET AND THERE’S THE REAL SET. THAT’S RIGHT OKAY. AND YOU CAN KEEP THE HEAT ON THERE. IT JUST, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP IT GOING IF YOU WANT TO. BUT YOU CAN ALSO TAKE THE HEAT OFF. BUT NOW’S WHEN LIGHT IS IMPORTANT OKAY. SO WOW THIS IS THESE PLANTS ARE QUITE DIVAS SO THEY NEED THEIR WHOLE LIGHTING SYSTEM. WHAT’S IT LIKE GOING TO DO FOR THEM? THE LIGHTS REALLY JUST GOING TO GET THEM GOING. IT’S PRETENDING IT’S THE SUN. IT’S KIND OF MIMICKING THAT. BUT THE COLORS ARE INTERESTING. I WOULDN’T HAVE EXPECTED BLUE AND RED. THAT’S GOING TO GIVE YOU. IT’S SORT OF WHAT THE SUN IS GIVING THEM. SO IT’S GOING FOR THE SAME KIND OF THING. SO THAT’S IT. WE’RE GOING TO WAIT FOR THOSE TO GROW. THEN WE’RE GOING TO HARDEN THEM OFF. BUT WE’LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TOMATOES AND PEPPERS. AGAIN OKAY. AGAIN WAIT TILL THE RISK OF FROST IS OVER WHICH DEPENDS ON THE AREA YOU’RE IN. MIDWAY IS USUALLY THE LAST TIME THAT WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FROST HERE, BUT EVEN IF YOU PLANT EARLY, YOU JUST GOT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT COVERING THEM UP. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US GET OUR TOMATOES STARTED EARLY BECAUSE I CANNOT WAIT TO EAT THESE THIS SUMMER. THANK