March is planting time for much of Utah in the south garden seating and maybe even some transplanting is going on right now. Here in northern Utah, we're going to have to wait a little bit to get into the garden before things get started.
This may be the time of the year where you're thinking about starting some of those transplants you're going
to need in a few weeks. First, start with some good seed, you want ones that sprout uniformly. Second, use the right soil mix. Third, provide the right temperature to sprout the seeds and get them growing. four, get the light right. Five, don't overwater and sixth feed regularly. One of the main things that I see when I talk to gardeners is that they don't really have a good concept of what it takes to have the right temperature and right light conditions for those transplants. I suggest use a heating pad if you have one available. cool weather crops like lettuce needs temperatures around 70 to 80 for best germination, whereas our warm season crops need temperatures that are in that 80 to 90 degree range. And as soon as you see that first little seedling sprouting, you need to take them off the heat. Second, grow at the right temperatures, it's a little bit cooler when you're growing them out. cool weather crops 60 to 70 warm weather crops 70 to 80. Finally, light. You need to be equivalent to full sunlight for eight to 10 hours a day. Windows don't do that. So stay away from that, build a light stand, and then keep the lights three to four inches above the plan. Then finally, water carefully feed regularly. And generally in four to six weeks you'll have cool weather crops and the warm weather crops should be ready in six to 10 weeks. So let's get started and have some fun.
