So there ya are, all elbow deep in soil, little pots and trays scattered about, labels lovingly written on, and packets filled with promise ready to be buried, while visions of cover photos on Garden R Us float through your head.
Seeds in, soils watered, you stick those babies in a windowsill and wait... and wait. annnnd wait some more.
DEAR GOD IS THAT GREEN??? Wait.. no, just some lint.
NOW! Now it's green! Angels sing, babies cry out in joy, puppies and kittens have ungodly cute memes on the internet, life CAN go on.
BUT.. what is happening? They sure don't LOOK like all those perfect pictures of seedlings you saw online, or in those magazines that SWEAR if you just eat their cookies, you too can look like a supermodel.
They are kinda.. stringy.. "leggy" so the garden folk say. But you did everything right. You loved that soil like a new Mother loves their infant. You filtered that water, you agonized over EVERY little drop of nutrient. They should be fat, happy, dark and healthy looking. Like a overfed Chihuahua!
Here is the deal folks. While yes,. things CAN and WILL grow in the window, without added light sources? It makes it hard on them. "But my Granny did it this way!" you say? Yes, in fact she did :) and with great success. "Then how COULD you say my Granny is WRONG?!!!!" She wasn't, my little green thumbed darlings. BUT with progress comes change. with fear of UV rays on our skin? Those windows you grow things in? Are no longer the SAME windows your Granny grew in. They are filtered, they are double pane, they are sun resistant, light resistant, UV resistant. Get what I am saying? The VERY things those little plants NEED? Are now harder to get to, they have to stretch, and stretch, and become exhausted, weak little things.
So, while windows (even new ones) work amazing as cold frames (when you actually WANT those double pane, heat holding in beauties)? They do not work so well for starting little newborn green growing things. Now, that however does NOT mean you must go out and purchase that $1800.00 LED light. Please don't do that. Please, please, please, for the love of Peonies in the Summer, don't do that.
You can easily have fat chubby babies with a simple daylight bulb and a light fixture. The key?? Drop that light allll the waaay down, so that it almost smashes their wee heads (no higher than 4 inches above, to start) When the seedlings grow? adjust the lights height with them.
During germination? Keep that light on 24/7. Keep hard seeds wet( Beans, Peas, Corn etc), and light seeds (Tomatoes, Peppers, etc) damp only. You will see from the pictures below (this years example is a Buttercup Squash) not only is the plant itself fat, dark green, and happy? But its roots are also hardy, strong, and perfect for transplant time. Look at those fat toes!! Oh my Gods, I wanna eat them up!
So.. there you have it folks.
Keep sane, plant things.
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