Talking Green: Starting at the beginning. Part 1

Hello all!

Last year I finally convinced my sister to attempt to let me teach her to grow plants. I thought that I could maybe help her turn her brown thumb into a green thumb and in the process I learned a lot myself on what may or may not be common knowledge to other people. I am happy to say that my sister did really well and I would say she now has a green thumb! So I would like to try to share some of what I know in an attempt to help others grow better plants. I have a passion for growing plants and I would like to share it with others. For anyone who loves flowers but hates the cost of buying plants already grown, growing your own can save money if you know a few tricks. J So I would like to start at the beginning and share what I know and hopefully help some people along the way.

First I would like to start with the materials you need to grow your own plants. Then I would like to explain a bit about each item. This may be something most people know but for some it may be something new so I will just share everything. To grow your own plants you need seeds, a growing medium (such as soil), trays, water and light whether it is sunlight or a grow light.

For today's post, I will start with the first element needed to grow plants. This is the containers that you grow your plants into. If you are new at this, it may be good to start with something designed to grow seeds but you can also use anything around the house that can hold soil. I have used anything from yogurt containers, to old mugs. As long as it holds dirt you can probably use it. The only thing to remember is that if the container does not have drainage holes, then you should either poke holes in it (if possible) or put something in the bottom of the container to allow drainage. I usually like to use a bit of gravel in the bottom of containers that can not get holes poked in the bottom like mugs. For myself when I start seeds, I do prefer to use the greenhouse kits with the plastic domes because it contains the tray and lid and the cells (what you put the dirt and seeds into). It just makes everything simpler and easier. So this is the first element needed to grow your own plants. Tomorrow I will discuss the soil and how to pick out soil to use. Stay tuned!