Every day our understanding and awareness of the products and chemicals in our lives grows. From lotion to moisturize your skin, to chemicals to clean our homes, and to the fertilizers and pesticides applied to our lawns, chemicals are starting to be less and less invisible in our daily lives. There seem to be hidden chemicals and risks everywhere around us, and learning more about them can be important to living a healthy life and taking care of our vulnerable pets. Collectively, we’re starting to want to really understand the products we use and just how risky they actually are.

Pesticides, Herbicides, and Fertilizers

If you’ve ever had your lawn treated for weeds or have fertilized in hopes of a golf-green carpet of grass, you know just how unpleasant some of the chemicals that we use in our garden can be. Some of them have foul smells, others require precautions to keep us safe from touching them… it’s no mystery that what we use in our gardens and yards can be potent. On the other hand, most of us don’t want to have a struggling and ragged lawn and garden while our neighbours’ flourish.

There’s a middle ground between taking care of your lawn and garden to help it thrive and using harsh and scary chemicals that might be questionably unsafe for your family. There are tons of organic solutions for a thriving lawn that simply take a little work and some patience, but you can rest easy knowing you’re keeping your home safe to enjoy. Here’s how to get started:

Dethatch

This is as simple as dragging a hard rake across your lawn to clear out some of the dead old growth. These accumulated old layers can stifle your lawn and get in the way of new spring sprouts. A little elbow grease to rake the lawn will show you just how much old growth is in the way and will be the perfect way to get your lawn ready for spring.

Aerate

Your grass is a living thing and has basic needs for survival! Aerating is a great way to boost how much air, space, water, and nutrients can make their way through compacted soil to their roots.

Dethatching and aerating go hand in hand as a once-a-year chore to rejuvenate your lawn in the late fall or early spring. Your lawn might look rough after you dethatch and aerate, but it’s all a necessary to have a natural, thriving lawn when it fills in.

Seed With Good Seed

If you try to start your lawn off with poor seed, you’re setting a poor foundation for your lawn. Choose something that meets your needs, like something that is drought-resistant or perfectly suited for the conditions of your lawn. Even if your lawn was originally seeded with grass seed that is a poor match to your lawn needs, you can always interseed or overseed after you’ve thatched and aerated to re-establish your turf.

Watch Your Watering

Many lawns these days are totally dependent on regular watering to look lush. For many people, their fresh sod needs some extra pampering, and then it’s never weaned off. Ultimately, if you can try to wean your lawn off of constant watering it’ll be encouraged to develop deeper roots that will make it hardier and better able to tolerate dry conditions. A bit of thought into your watering schedule can make the difference between a nice lawn, and a gorgeous one that has the depth to be tough, too.

Working By Hand to Treat Weeds

The dream of a beautiful lawn that is thriving is always compromised by weeds. Thankfully, the healthier your turf is, the more it’ll take up room that opportunistic weeds might have sprouted in the past. All of this work to make a gorgeous lawn isn’t just about getting your greens greener, but about getting rid of opportunities for weeds to take over.

Of course, weeds are stubborn enough that even the healthiest lawns are bound to have a few. If you’re trying to stay away from chemical solutions so your space is always safe for everyone to use, a bit of elbow grease is the solution. Grab a trowel and some gloves and pick away at whatever weeds make it through your defences. It’s actually therapeutic once you aren’t fighting overwhelming numbers of them. The more consistent you are with your weeding, the easier it gets.

Saying goodbye to chemicals in your yard doesn’t mean that you have to say goodbye to a beautiful lawn! A little bit of strategically timed work is exactly what you need to encourage your grass to thrive while keeping your landscape accessible to everyone — you, your kids, your pets, your guests, and your local beneficial critters — to enjoy.

Starting an edible garden is like building your own private produce aisle right there in your yard. You’ll reap all of the benefits of healthier and fresher food just outside your door, and you’ll be able to grow the best of your favourite garden flavours; nothing beats fresh-picked taste.

The key to a great edible garden is having some variety. The mix of lots of fruits and vegetables gives you lots of options to experiment with in the kitchen so you’ll never get bored with the same flavours. We have lots of tips to make growing your own food easy and fun.

Our Tips for How To Grow Fruits and Vegetables

These simple tips are a huge help in making your fruit & veggie garden hassle-free:

Try using a raised garden bed. They’re easy to make and they help with better soil quality, better temperature control, with far fewer weeds to pull due to their controlled environment. If you’re growing straight from the ground, you’ll be at the mercy of your property’s soil quality—but in a raised bed, you’re in control! Fill the raised planter with bags of sterile soil and add in lots of organic matter to give your veggies a great start. The elevated container also makes the garden easier to work in, as you don’t have to bend over as much while tending your plants.

If space is a concern or you simply want to start small before you take the plunge, try container gardening. Most edible plants—except the biggest and most unruly specimens—grow well in containers, so you can make the most of a small space with as many containers as you like. Choose a location with a lot of sun and watch your miniature garden grow.

Try out companion planting and let your plants do some of the work for you. Some fruits and vegetables do so well together that we’d recommend planting them as buddies so they can give each other a boost. For example, green beans and corn work great together as the beans nurture the soil and the corn support the bean vines while they’re growing. We also love growing tomatoes and basil together. Not only do they often end up in dishes next to each other, but the basil improves tomato flavour and wards off pests.

Use natural weed and pest control methods. If you’re growing food with the intention to eat it, there’s a strong case for keeping chemicals off of them while they grow. There are lots of natural pest control methods to try for almost any type of pest while keeping your food safe.

The Best Fruits and Vegetables for Home Growing

Some garden edibles have reputations for being more picky and difficult to grow than others, while others give you impressive yields for much less effort! This is our list of foolproof garden options to start fuelling your kitchen from your yard:

• Raspberries: These fall-bearing fruit bushes are as low-maintenance as they come, only requiring a bit of pruning in the winter to make room for more fruit-bearing shoots. Starting in the late summer you’ll always have lots of raspberries to bring inside, even if half of your picking time is actually spent munching on them right off the branch. Enjoy these sweet treats all the way until the first frosts!
• Strawberries: There are lots of varieties to choose from that produce fruit in different quantities at different times of the year, so you can tailor your strawberry growth to what you want - whether that’s a steady harvest of some fruit all year, or a big bounty perfect for jams and pies all at once. You get to pick if you want spring, summer, or fall berries, and how many. We love how well these do in containers as well as in a garden bed.
• Tomatoes: We might think about them like vegetables but these plants are actually fruits! Savoury and versatile, this fruit is perfect for beginners. You might choose to grow little cherry tomatoes for the perfect summer salads or maybe beefier slicing tomatoes for burgers and sandwiches. With impressive yields, you’re likely to end up with enough tomatoes at the height of the season that you’ll be giving them away! Luckily they freeze well to be put into sauces later in the year.
• Currants: These bushes produce oodles of their tiny sweet fruits in shades of red, pink, white, and black. While white currants are certainly the sweetest, black ones are the easiest to take care of and require almost no care.
• Radishes: These root vegetables have a little spicy kick that is welcome in so many summer dishes. Low-maintenance and quick-growing, you can start them in the spring but even do a second crop in the late summer, too.
• Lettuce and Leafy Greens: These are the perfect vegetables for growing in containers or a bed! The greens sprout and grow at lightning speed, so you’ll enjoy harvests more often. Their shallow roots also make them the perfect versatile candidate for growing anywhere.
• Cucumbers: The trick to crisp and tasty cucumbers is to keep them well-watered. Generous helpings of moisture on a regular basis (as long as your soil has good drainage) will set your cukes apart from the rest.
• Carrots: This root vegetable is a classic for good reason. All they need is some loose and loamy soil to grow perfectly straight. Other than starting off with the right foundation, they mostly take care of themselves! You can plant them densely and munch on baby carrots as your thin them out through the growing season.

Your garden is all about you and which fresh flavours you want to eat more of during the summer. This is just a starting point, but your garden is yours to customize and perfect. Plant what you love to eat and you’ll get tastier food at a better price all summer.

Mulching is a common gardening technique that protects your plant and gives your garden a little more vibrancy with less work! Sprinkling a simple insulating layer of mulch material around your plants will help to maintain moisture levels, prevent weeds, insulate your plants, and clean up the appearance of your garden. The benefits are clear and there are lots of materials to choose from to meet your needs. Here’s how mulching can help your garden’s aesthetic and more:

The Importance of Mulching

Summers can get hot, leaving us with thirsty plants that need water seemingly constantly. Using hundreds of litres to keep our plants hydrated is not only a waste of resources and money, but of our time, too. Mulching will help to lock moisture in by cracking down on evaporation so that the water that you do give to your plants actually gets used at the roots rather than (literally) disappearing into thin air.

Mulching is also super effective in our wild temperature swings from summer to winter and back. For those perennials in your garden that are left out shivering through the coldest of our winter days, mulch can provide a much-needed insulative layer that blocks out the worst of the cold and freeze-thaw cycle, keeping our plants safe until temperatures are mild again. Mulching will give your plants a better success rate with surviving the winter, and you’ll have happier plants in the spring that are ready to thrive, instead of battling winter damage.

Finally, mulch does wonders to clean up the look of your garden. Mulch is a great buffer layer between our soil - where weed seeds lie in wait - and the sun that they need to thrive, effectively stifling most weed growth. You’ll save time and appreciate a cleaner looking garden where all of your soil’s resources can be spent on the plants that you want. Not only does mulch prevent unwanted weed growth, but it simply cleans up the aesthetic of your garden, providing an upgrade from the look of normally exposed dirt. There are lots of styles and materials to choose from so you can choose an effective mulch material for your home that also adds to the style and look of your landscape.

Mulching or Stone?

While some people might like the look of decorative stone to shade their soil, it simply doesn’t provide all of the benefits that most natural options offer. In addition to their lacklustre performance in all areas other than style, they can also end up being quite an expensive addition to your landscape. While stone might offer a clean look that provides a slight barrier to evaporation, biodegradable options do a better job of the health of your soil and plants while offering a similar look at a better price point.

Options for Mulching Your Garden

There are tons of materials and methods for mulching your garden, so the main questions that you should ask yourself are: What do I want to get out of my mulch? What kind of look am I going for in my garden? Do I want to use synthetic materials or natural materials?

Once you have an idea of what you want, consider these great mulch options:

Bark Mulch consists of shredded bark, creating a fantastic all-natural mulch material that will provide all of the moisture-locking and weed-blocking benefits of mulch, while also slowly boosting the health of your garden as the organic material decomposes. Bark mulches come in a variety of colours depending on the type of tree they are sourced from.

Wood Chips provide a look that is similar to bark chips, but a little more robust. Again, colours depend on the type of wood they are sourced from, but there is the additional option of treated chips that have a more uniform colour. These chips will also break down slowly to supplement your soil, so opting for an all-natural dye on the treated chips is a good idea to prevent chemicals leaching into the soil.

Straw is a good option for those that want cost-effective and all-natural mulch solutions, but are also okay with a more rustic look in the garden. We love the country aesthetic that it gives our flower beds! Keep in mind that some straw varieties might have weeds and seeds of their own that pop up when applied, so they may not be the ideal choice for those looking to cut down on weed pressure.

Compost or Manure, when applied in a thick layer will deliver a massive nutritional boost to your soil and plants, resulting in lush and beautiful growth that can’t be matched with synthetic fertilizers. If you’re looking to mulch with compost or manure, you’ll need to provide a generous coat of 2-4 inches of material to effectively insulate the soil.

Leaves and Grass Clippings are another great natural option that is very easy to source from your own yard! The clippings straight from your lawn mower bag and the leaves you collect in the fall are more welcome in your garden than the garbage. While this might not be the cleanest look in your mulching options, it’s incredibly effective and very straightforward - and the freshly clipped grass smells great.

Rubber Mulch is another option, though it is not natural and won’t contribute to the nutritional health of your soil as the other mulches do. However, it is still very effective at locking in moisture, choking out weeds, and keeping the soil insulated, all while looking clean and uniform. As it doesn’t break down like the other options, this is certainly a mulch choice that is more permanent - you won’t have to replace it, but moving it might become difficult.

Mulch is the secret weapon that goes unappreciated in many gardens, stepping up the performance and look of your landscape in one simple application. With so many options, there’s bound to be something that is the perfect fit for you and your garden’s goals.

After a winter like the one we had, we’re all ready and eagerly anticipating the spring, when our favorite blooms and a little greenery will finally take over from the dreary and dark winter days. There’s something special about the optimism of spring and all of the bright and clean colours that it brings with it - we can’t help but smile when we see the first buds and blooms poking their heads out to brave the spring weather. Here are some of our favourite seasonal blooms and how you can get them in your own yard:

Spring Flowers

These flowers, either planted as starters or grown from seed, are some of the traditional classics that we can’t get enough of. There’s a reason that these flowers have been endlessly popular and iconic for decades, and we’re not ones to knock a formula that’s working. Try one of these in a traditional look, or pick up a new variety that offers a fun and stylish spin on and old favourite:

Carnations are a frilly and delicate-looking flower that are simple to grow and offer endless choices with hundreds of varieties to choose from. Long lasting in vases, growing them outside and taking a little bit indoors to be appreciated is recommended in the spring when we are ready to absorb as much colour as we can! If protected against hard weather, you can enjoy your carnations well into the fall. They can be grown from seed, sown into well-draining soil, but also can be started from cuttings or propagated from mature plants. Tough, yet pretty, you can start growing these as soon as your last frost date is passed as they do best in the milder temperatures of spring.

Hydrangeas are best started from a starter plant or a cutting, but once they are established their old-fashioned charm is enough to keep you wanting more - thankfully, these perennials will be back to bloom again in the spring as long as you protect them during the cold winter months! These are the perfect bloom for gardeners that want a lot of style and punch for their effort because they are easy to grow and manage, while producing delightful bunches of blooms. While traditional colours focus on shades of pink and blue, there are now lots of options that include white, lavender, and purple. For the garden chemists out there, you can even experiment to change the colour of some types of hydrangeas from pink to blue with some soil pH tinkering. Tolerant of many conditions and often thriving the more you ignore them these flowers are a pretty statement in your garden, in a vase inside, or even dried. You’ll be excited for spring every year with these pretty blooms in your yard.

Snapdragons are a bold statement flower with towering spikes of blooms that add interest and sweet fragrance to your yard. These blooms are a late spring and early summer treat that are worth the anticipation all spring. These flowers offer a unique look to your garden, but with endless choices when it comes to colour and height they are a fully customizable look. We love them as accents or in borders, but we also love taking cuttings and bringing them inside to enjoy, too. Although your snapdragons will stop blooming during the hottest days of the summer, you’ll be thrilled to find them blooming again in the fall before they freeze. Start these pretty blooms from seed indoors now to have seedlings that are ready to move outside in the spring. Plant the hardened-off seedlings outdoors with lots of room (6 to 12 inches between plants) to grow, in an area with full sun and rich, well draining soil. Remove the flower spikes - we recommend cutting them for bouquets - to encourage your snapdragons to keep blooming as long as possible, giving your the benefit of a long-lasting and impressive show.

Spring Bulbs

Many of our classic garden favourites are actually bulbs! These are the ultimate plant-it-then-forget it blooms that you can plant in the fall, chill in the ground over the winter, and they will be ready to shine before the rest of your garden is even ready to plant. A lot of spring traditional favourites, these bulbs can be planted in the fall for an easy and simple show in the following spring. If you didn’t get to planting bulbs this past fall? You can always try again this year, or try planting bulbs that have been pre-chilled at the perfect temperature to mimic winter, ready to be planted in your thawed garden for a display of colour this season.

Tulips are arguably one of the most classic signs of spring, perhaps tied with the other classic bulb - the daffodil. Tulips have been a popular sensation for centuries and we have all of those years of growing to thank for their wide variety of colours and styles. Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil for the best and brightest tulips. These bulbs are like a painting in your backyard and make excellent cut flowers for a spring bouquet. Many tulip varieties will only give you triumphant cups of joy for a few years, so replant some fresh bulbs every fall to avoid disappointment in the spring.

Daffodils are like droplets of sunshine in your garden, just in time for when the weather is warm enough to actually get out and enjoy their cheerful yellow colour. That said, new innovations in daffodils have a whole roster of other non-yellow shades and unique shapes to choose from so that your daffodil garden is truly customizable to your tastes. These flowers are always sure to put us in a mood for spring. Plant them in partial to full sun to have them reach their full potential. These plants are tough and long lasting, so your investment in a single fall planting could last for up to multiple decades! That’s a lot of springtimes full of joy and colour.

Hyacinths are a great opportunity for a little bit of cooler-tone colour in your springtime garden, especially next to the bold and daring shades of daffodils and many tulips. These flowers offer clusters of blooms that smell just as fabulous as they look. We love to plant these in full-sun spots that have high traffic so that we get to enjoy the full sensory experience of them, not just their look. Just be sure to wear gloves when working with them as their sap can be an irritant.

Spring weather just makes us want to get outside and enjoy the milder temperatures and sunshine, but what better way to make our gardens incredibly enticing than a batch of fresh spring colour? Whether you want to plant something now to enjoy it for a season or plant something long lasting for years of seasonal blooms, spring is the perfect time to embrace life and colour right in our own homes.

After a tough winter like this one, there’s nothing that lifts the spirits and brings a smile to your face like bright spring blooms poking out of your newly thawed landscape.

Spring bulbs are some of the first flowers to appear in the spring, making them great additions to your landscape and flower beds to bring you a bit of colour and cheer as soon as possible in the year. Straying from seeds might seem a little intimidating for some people, but planting actually doesn’t get much simpler than “plant-it-then-forget-it” bulbs.

Spring Bulbs

Spring bulbs bring us some of our favorite seasonal looks that simply can’t be replicated with any other flowers, and their head start in the soil at the beginning of the season gives them an early jump on spring and other blooms. When the weather just begins to warm up, we’re ready to get out in our gardens and enjoy our landscapes again, and bulbs are the perfect way to take advantage of that spring excitement.

When to Plant Bulbs

Getting to know the basics about your bulbs is the difference between a successful garden and a disappointing beginning to the season. When it comes to bulb types, it’s all about timing.

Spring Blooming Bulbs

Classics like tulips and daffodils actually need some planning ahead for best results, as they need to be planted in the fall. These blooms should be in the ground approximately six weeks before the first frost (planting in late August) so that they can get settled in nicely before the winter chill. They actually need the deep freeze in order to get their beauty sleep and emerge in the spring just as soon as the weather is warm again. Already planted and ready to go, these blooms are great in the spring as they are ready to spring into action before you can get out into the garden to work on planting anything else.

If you didn’t get to planting last fall, though, all hope for spring bulb colour isn’t gone - you can get pre-chilled blooms that were kept the right temperature for hibernation all winter and are ready to be planted in your garden. Don’t worry about the last frost; if you can move the soil you can plant these bulbs outside, and they’ll bloom when weather permits. If the ground is still frozen solid, you can even plant them in a container until the soil is warm enough to start planting.

If you’ve totally missed out on spring bulbs, you don’t have to be sad about missing all of the colour and convenience of these blooms that you plant and forget until later - there’s tons of time to plant summer blooming bulbs in your garden. Beautiful flowers like dahlias, allium, and begonias are perfect for brightening your yard later in the season. Wait for warm soil before you plant these heat lovers, as they aren’t fans of frost and are a bit more delicate.

The Best Bulbs to Choose for a Flower Garden

Not every bulb was created equal, and there are so many options that it can be overwhelming to choose. You’ll be focusing on when to plant and how to plant, but also looking for flowers that compliment each other and give you lasting colour all season. Here are some of our favourite bulbs to see in our own yards in the spring:

• Tulips: These bulbs are beauty in a cup and are beloved classics for a reason. A symbol of spring, they triumphantly announce the arrival of warmer weather with vibrant colours and their iconic shape. Tulips can be picky and have a reputation for being finicky, but if you provide soil with lots of drainage and only water sparingly, you’re likely to have success. Many varieties only last a few years, so you’ll have the chance to refresh your look often! Plant new tulips every fall to make sure that you always have something to enjoy in the spring.
• Hyacinths: For a little bit of a cooler tone in your garden in the spring when the days are still chilly, hyacinths are a perfect addition. These flowers grow in stunning clusters that look and smell fabulous. You’ll love their intoxicating fragrance, which will bring a smile to your face every day. Plant them near high-traffic areas of your garden, like a walkway or a patio, so you can enjoy their scent whenever you step outside. Plant them in full sun to partial sun, and give them well-draining soil for a successful spring bloom.
• Daffodils: With pointed petals and a trumpet shape, these are the stars of spring blooming in many gardens. Like sunshine encapsulated right in your garden, they’re sure to put you in a spring mood. Give them lots of sunlight (only partial shade or full sun) to help them reach their maximum brightness. These tough plants are easy to care for and can last for decades without any maintenance so you can truly plant them and forget about them!

Eising’s Tips for Planting Spring Bulbs

If you’ve only ever planted from seeds or starters, something new can be a little intimidating. There’s no need to worry, though - there are lots of ways to make planting spring bulbs easy!

Pick high-quality bulbs. Check your bulbs before you buy (and plant!) to make sure they’re in good condition to grow. Pick healthy bulbs that are firm and plump, with no visible discolouration or mould spots. Larger bulbs will give you bigger and/or more blooms than smaller ones.

Location, location, location: Choose a good spot for your bulbs to give them the leg up on growing healthy and vibrant. Most flowers like full or partial sun conditions with good drainage, but read their label to be sure you give your bulbs what they need to reach their full potential.

Start with a good foundation. Good soil makes a big difference. Bulbs don’t like wet or damp conditions and will want something that drains well. They’ll also love the boost of fertilization to give them that extra push in the spring. Without a little fuel, the flowers will suffer and not be as bold of a display when it comes time to bloom.

Plant them right. Starting with healthy bulbs and good conditions is a great start, but planting bulbs takes some new skills that gardeners used to seeds and transplants might not have. Plant these bulbs deep enough - typically a hole 3 times as tall as the bulb is - and plant with the pointed side pointing downward.

Caring For Your Spring Bulbs

Many bulbs are simply perennial plants with a slight twist, so they will return with beautiful blooms year after year! While this saves you from getting new plants to replace the ones you love, it does mean that the work isn’t done when the blooms fade. Maintaining your blooms will bring flowers for next year:

• After your spring bulbs are done flowering for the season, cut their stalks down to the ground, but leave the foliage up for a few months. The leaves will still be busy collecting energy and nutrients to fuel the blooms for next year, and you don’t want to create a disappointing spring next year by trimming them back prematurely. As a rule of thumb, wait about 2 months before you trim the leaves back.
• Many perennials need to be divided every three to five years to manage their successful growth. If your plant is producing fewer blooms than usual it’s time to divide. Wait until your plant is dormant and the foliage has dried and died before you divide.

Cold winter days are a little less awful when you know that spring colour is waiting for you on the other side of the season. All your bulbs need is a little bit of planning ahead, and in return, they will fill your garden with cheer all season.

There’s nothing better than garden-fresh vegetables on your plate. But as a working generation with families to take care of, we don’t always have time to shop around the farmer’s markets on Saturday afternoons. Usually, a one-stop shop at the local grocery store is all we have time for.

While growing your own vegetables does require a time investment, it’ll save you plenty of time (and money!) in the long run! Plus, vegetable gardens add just as much beauty and value to your property as any other garden element. A thriving vegetable garden starts from the seed, and the first step to healthy seeds is indoor seeding.

What to Seed Indoors

The first step to seeding indoors is knowing what you’ll be seeding so you can plan in advance. Here in Ontario, we have a shorter growing season than our friends to the south. Our last frost dates can sometimes extend into mid-May, which is often too late to seed many vegetables. Seeding indoors gives us a head start on the growing season, ensuring we have a successful harvest that we can enjoy sooner. Another advantage of an early start is that it negates the need for chemical fertilizers to speed things along.

Heat-loving plants, like tomatoes and peppers, should definitely be started indoors. While many other vegetables can benefit from a head start on the growing season, others are quite content being sown right into the ground. Root vegetables, like potatoes, carrots, and turnip can withstand a light freeze. Beans, peas, and salad greens also don’t mind a little chill and can be sown into the ground or started indoors a few weeks early.

When to Start Seeds Indoors in Ontario

One of the biggest challenges of starting seeds indoors is knowing when to start them. This is due to the many factors that influence timing. The recommended dates you might find on a seeding calendar take into account the different growing timelines of different vegetables, as well as the last expected frost date of your region. But it’s not an exact science. Keep in mind that, depending on the conditions you provide and the climate patterns of the year, the ‘perfect’ date is pretty unpredictable.

Here in Southern Ontario, our last expected frost date for the year is sometime during the first week of May. Tomatoes and peppers need the longest time to be cozied up indoors at 6-8 weeks. Now that we’re in early March, we suggest you get peppers started ASAP if you haven’t already, and give them lots of light. Start your tomatoes in another week or two, depending on the variety, sticking them near a bright window once they begin to sprout. Broccoli and cauliflower can be started as soon as March rolls over to April, while cucumber, zucchini, and salad greens can wait until the middle of the month. When April showers bring May flowers, you can direct seed other vegetables into the ground!

How to Seed Indoors and the Materials You Need

Now that we’ve got the timing all straightened out, the process of seeding indoors is actually pretty simple! But before you start sowing your peppers and tomatoes, there are some materials you’ll need first:

Containers: The most important aspect of picking out containers is making sure they have enough drainage - you don’t want to drown your seeds before they even get a chance at life! Seeding trays with many individual cells are great choices since they can hold plenty of seedlings at once and don’t take up much space. Wash them well with soapy water first, to make sure they’re sterile and safe for your young plants.

Soil: Soil requirements will vary between different vegetables, but generally most plants will flourish in a mix of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. Never use dirt from your backyard for planting seeds indoors, you’ll likely be bringing unwanted pests into your home.

Lights: Light requirements will depend on what your particular seed needs for germination. While some need bright and direct sunlight right away, others don’t want to see the sun until they poke through the soil in search of light. While light from the window is great, bright, artificial light is often used as a supplement.

Once you have these three materials (and your seeds, of course), you’re ready to start planting! Follow the instructions on the packaging carefully to provide your seeds with the proper conditions they need to germinate. Use a sterile potting mix to cover seeds that need complete darkness to grow. Cover the container with a clear plastic dome to trap moisture, creating the humid environment required for germination.

Once the seedlings begin to poke through, you can remove the cover and let the oxygen flow. Remove any weak plants, allowing the strong ones to grow even stronger. It’s better to have a few great plants than plenty of unproductive ones. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. We recommend misting instead of watering, to prevent disturbing the soil.

Starting Seeds Indoors Without Grow Lights

While grow lights are super effective and allow you to start seeds anywhere in your home, they aren’t always the first thing new gardeners want to invest in. Plus, keeping these lights on for hours on end every day can definitely drive up your light bill, and isn’t a necessary use of energy. The good news is that you don’t need fancy grow lights to germinate seeds indoors, especially if you have plenty of windows.

The trick to maximizing sunlight is to place your growing trays in front of large, south- or west-facing windows. Be mindful of hills or trees that might block the sun in these parts of your home. Usually, the upper level of your home is your best bet!

Moving Your Plants Outdoors

While it’s important to get the timing right when it comes to starting seeds indoors, it’s also important when moving them outdoors. The beauty of indoor seeding is that you don’t have to be in such a rush to bring them outdoors, you’ve already given yourself the time to wait until the risk of frost has passed.

That being said, you don’t want to wait too long, or else your veggies’ growth might taper. You’ll know when your seedlings are ready to graduate from their containers to the ground when they begin to grow leaves. Don’t be fooled by the first leaves of your baby sprouts, as these are nourished by the seed. The true leaves develop afterward, indicating that the plant’s roots are now established enough to sustain the plant itself. Once you reach this stage, congratulations! Your seedlings are now ready for your beautiful vegetable garden.

No one likes to be thrown into an unfamiliar environment or situation, and the same goes for our tender new plants. They’ve been safe and cozy inside our warm homes for weeks, and now they’re being introduced to the great outdoors. Just like we sometimes get a ‘base tan’ before we head down South to prevent burning to a crisp, our seedlings need to be introduced to the sunlight gradually. Bring them outside on a cloudy day for a few hours first, and increase by an hour each day for a week or so to ‘harden them off’ before planting them outside for good.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or you’re just beginning your gardening journey, these simple steps to indoor seeding are all you need to get started. Soon enough, your flourishing veggie garden will be the cornerstone of your recipes and the envy of your neighbours!