March 24, 2025
It is late March and the natural world here in Massachusetts is slowly awakening from dormancy. I say slowly because March is generally a two-step forward, one step back kind of month. We might say that today is two steps back from the warming sunshine of yesterday.
The temperature is in the 30’s with heavy rain. The sky is grey, the rain is falling, and it is a perfect day to sit by the woodstove and do some garden planning. It seems like it has been a cold and windy spring so far. I always think that I will keep better track of the temperatures so I will be armed with more data, but I somehow seem to forget after a few days. I guess there is an app for that, but it feels better to collect it on one’s own.
The kale seedlings are ready to go to the garden shed for hardening off as soon as the evening temps warm up a bit. It is the first year that I used a heating pad and grow lights to start seedlings. I have the planting table set up in the cellar where there is more room. The heating pad is only used until the first seedlings appear. Too much heat will cook them as kale likes cold temps. I found that they germinated in about 2-3 days which is much quicker than without heat.
In our area, mid-March is usually the best time to start seeds indoors. If you start too early, you risk that the seedlings will get too long and leggy before it is safe to put them out. From my experience, once the weather outside warms up, a seedling can double in size in a day or two. The UMass Amherst Center for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment has lots of good information on starting seeds. Their general advice for sowing seeds indoors is to count back the number of weeks from the outdoor planting date. They state that generally the last frost date in Massachusetts is around May 15th.
I feel that you have more control over your seedlings if you start them indoors, and there is still lots of time to get them started. If you have a sunny window location, you do not need grow lights or a heating pad. Don’t let the minor details get in the way of growing your own plants. Even one six pack of kale seedlings can supply you with enough kale for soups and salads for the season. When possible, buy from New England seed suppliers. I like Johnny’s Selected Seeds from Albion, Maine because the seeds are tested for cold weather growing conditions. Look for heirloom seeds so that you can save the seed and pass them on next year. Join a seed swap or local plant barter group. Let some weeds grow for the bees and other pollinators. My only dilemma today is which seeds to start next. I wish you well on your gardening venture.
https://ag.umass.edu/home-lawn-garden/fact-sheets/starting-seeds-indoors
