Bentley Seed Co. Blog

Victory Gardens of Today - Once a staple of American resilience & sustainability during wartime, the Victory Garden of the early & mid-20th century has evolved to meet a very current approach toward self-sufficiency & a healthier way of life. Learn more in our most recent blog about how you can grow good food in any whatever space you may have available.

When it comes to gardening, one of the critical factors for success is to consider your climate. Different plants have different temperature and weather preferences, and what will thrive in one region will struggle or die in another. To help gardeners understand the unique characteristics of their local climate, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has developed a system of gardening zones to differentiate the growing seasons in various regions across the country.

Three Sisters garden with corn, squash and beans The history around our small community of Cambridge in northern New York is rich with agricultural lore and legend dating back centuries. The area was originally home to the Iroquois Five Nations, who were a mix of farmers, gatherers, fishers and hunters.  The earliest and most important of Native American agricultural traditions was the custom of The Three Sisters. The Iroquois of the northeast, along with the southern Cherokee tribes, practiced companion planting of corn, beans and squash together in a sustainable and resourceful system that not only provided a healthy diet but also kept the soil rich and bountiful.  Called “The Three Sisters” because the three plants nurture each other symbiotically, this tradition played a critical role in the Native American garden. This trio of plants thrived especially well together and provided high-yield, highly nutritious staples of their diet, and most efficiently utilized the land. These early farmers saved the best seeds from each harvest for the following season, resulting in the development of strong seeds ideally suited for the environment in which they had adapted. By the time European settlers reached the area, the indigenous people had developed the growing of these three crops into a central food system that the new settlers quickly adopted.  Iroquois women traditionally tended the fields. In the late spring, they tilled the earth, planting corn in small, mounded hills first. A few weeks later, they planted beans in the same hills with squash circling the border of the mound. The cornstalks served as poles for the beans to grow upon, the beans stabilized the corn and supplied much-needed nitrogen to fertilize the soil for the corn and squash. The squash leaves provided ground cover for the corn and beans delivering shade and weed control. These three plants thrive better together than when planted alone.  Planting a Three Sisters plot is a delightful way to honor American history and create a healthy garden. You will need a fairly large garden plot as these plants need to spread out a bit to flourish. Mound the soil about a foot high at the center and 3-4 feet wide, flattening the top of each mound at the center. Space your mounds at least four feet apart. Pearls and Gold Corn Start with hearty sweet corn with robust stalks for the beans to twine around. Plant the corn after the last frost of the season. Dig a small hole in the center of your mound and add a couple of corn seeds to each mound.  Bean – Kentucky Wonder Pole Bean Seed When the corn seedlings are about 3-4” tall, plant your beans in the same mound. Select a pole bean, not a bush bean. Our heirloom variety Kentucky Wonder is a great choice—its tall, vigorous vines produce delicious beans that have been enjoyed for generations! Plant three or four bean seeds around each corn seedling. Early Summer Crookneck Squash A week later, plant your squash circling the outer edges of the mound. Choose a small-leaf variety such as our Black Zucchini or our Early Summer Crookneck. Space squash seeds evenly around the perimeter, creating six plantings (you might want to add a couple of squash seeds to each planting to ensure germination).  Adding sunflowers alongside your mounds will attract pollinators and distract birds from the Three Sisters seeds while making your garden especially pretty. Plant the sunflowers at cross-sections between your mound hills. Pick from our bright yellow Lemon Queen, our staff-favorite Mammoth Seed, colorful Autumn Beauty, or better yet, choose our Sunflower All Sorts Mix to fill your garden with a gorgeous mix of sunflowers of all sizes! Planting a classic Three Sisters Garden is a wonderful family project, rich in storytelling, American history and gardening lore, along with important environmental teachings on sustainability, biodiversity and lessons in keeping your garden soil healthy.

Great gifts for Mom- 5 great ideas for gardening gifts.

Most of us look forward to spring with good reason: longer days and warm temperatures mean finally being able to ditch onerous winter outerwear and enjoy the outdoors again. Year in year out, we get through winter patiently (some of us more than others), cheered by the fact that we know it will end. We know our patience will be rewarded by brighter days ahead. Unfortunately and tragically, spring 2020 has not unfolded as expected. When we were looking forward to spring just a few short months ago, who could have imagined that it would arrive concomitant with a global pandemic that would shut down much of the world as we know it? Social distancing mandates, supply chain disruptions, and justified germophobia have suddenly changed the way we live. An obvious example of this is how we approach ‘hunting and gathering’ food to feed our family. Running to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities is suddenly not so simple. As a result, many of us are turning to an alternate food supply: one we produce ourselves. Given the time of year, growing vegetables from seed, in particular, is an obvious way to begin. In fact, we have it on good authority that the crisis has generated legions of newly minted home vegetable gardeners. Armed with a little knowledge and a few tools, it’s not hard to grow your own family vegetable garden. Here’s what you need to know on how to grow vegetables. Garden Design & Location Sunlight You don’t need a huge amount of real estate in order to grow your own veggies but you do need to have a sunny spot. With few exceptions, vegetable plants require six to eight hours of sunlight each day. Without enough sunlight each day, your plants will struggle to grow and won’t yield fruit. Water Your garden must be proximate to a source of water if you live in a hot summer climate with periodic dry spells. For many people, that means a nearby spigot hooked up to a hose. But there are other ways to collect and deliver water to your plants, such as a rain barrel; details can be found online. Well Drained Soil Such as all plants, when growing veggies, you need to make sure they are watered correctly, as they won’t tolerate too much water. Plant roots need well-drained soil to grow and thrive; standing water will cause them to rot. That means you shouldn’t plant in low lying areas or in non-porous clay soil that holds water. If you do happen to live in an area with heavy, clay soil, don’t fret, as there are ways to amend it to make it amenable to vegetable growing, as we explain in our related article, ‘How to Make Well-Drained Soil for Growing Vegetables’. Raised Garden Beds Alternatively, you can create raised garden beds in which to grow your crops, and in this section, we’ll give you some tips on how to grow vegetables. Though this may sound like extra work up front, in the end you’ll likely find that the benefits are well worth it: Enables good soil drainage Facilitates a longer growing season: Garden soil heats up faster in the spring and stays warm longer in the fall More efficient weed control Deters pests Container Gardening If you don’t have a lot of space and/or don’t want to bother creating raised garden beds, you can simply grow your plants in containers. The larger the container, the better, and they must have drain holes in the bottom. But, how do you grow vegetables in containers? The same guidelines outlined above apply to container gardening: fill them with soil that drains well, place them in a sunny location, and make sure your plants get enough—but not too much—water. It’s especially important to enrich container soil with nutrients via compost and apply fertilizer throughout the growing season. Gardening Supplies Seeds To get started on how to grow vegetables that are high quality, high-yield plants, you need to start with high quality seeds. And not all seeds are created equal. For best results in growing veggies—and, yes, we are partial to the Bentley Seeds brand—we recommend our non-GMO, open pollinated seeds. We source our seeds from reliable, regional American farms. They’re fresh crop seeds which boast a higher-than-average germination rate, increasing your chance of success. What & How to Grow Guide We know from experience that many novice gardeners are like the proverbial ‘kid in the candy store’: they want to grow everything they can possibly think of, without really knowing what they’re getting into. We get it. We’ve been there. Also, we understand, during this trying time, the impetus to grow as much as possible. But we do advise a tiny bit of caution. Before you buy your vegetable seeds, we recommend doing a little homework to learn how to grow vegetables and what is likely to grow best in your area, what plants grow best together, and other important information. You start by consulting our Growing Guides Leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, and kale. Herbs, such as chives and basil, are easy, nutritious and pleasing to the palate. Root vegetables such as carrots, radishes, and beets. Or, if your kids like something simple, you can’t go wrong with fresh green beans. Don’t forget to plant some crowd pleasing fruit such as watermelon and tomatoes (yes, they’re a fruit.) Some flowers, such as french marigolds, make particularly good companions because they ward off pests. Or consider nasturtium which is both beautiful and edible. Enriched Soil and Compost Normally, it’s easiest for new gardeners to buy enriched garden or potting soil at your local nursery or garden supply store to mix into your garden bed or containers. Otherwise, you can use soil from your yard and homemade compost, though if you’re starting from scratch it will take some time to produce. If you don’t already have a compost pile, now is a good time to start one; it’s not difficult. Good, simple compost consists of a combination of green & brown food and yard waste that breaks down into rich organic material over time. You can find plenty of tips and instructions online. Fertilizer Once established, most vegetable plants need supplemental nutrients to help them grow. Under normal circumstances, we recommend buying timed-release organic fertilizer at your local store. However, if you are able to add enough rich compost to your soil, that may work as well. Mulch Mulch is an effective way to retain moisture as well as minimize seeds in your garden beds. Just about any kind of organic material, such as wood chips, straw or leaves will do the trick as will cardboard or newspaper which will break down over time. You can find additional information in our article, What is Mulch? Gardening Tools Veteran gardeners tend to collect a lot of gardening tools over time. If you’re just starting out, you’ll just need a few essential gardening tools: Shovel Trowel Gardening Gloves Pruners Ultimately, you’ll want to pick up additional tools—when shopping is not such a challenge—including a rake, a wheelbarrow and more. We also recommend finding a dedicated spot in your garage, shed or house to store the tools so you always know where to find them. Some Historical Context This moment in time, as it relates to people’s desire to be more self-sufficient by growing their own food, is not without precedent. It’s reminiscent of the Victory Garden initiative launched during World Wars I and II. The U.S. and allied governments encouraged citizens to plant vegetable gardens to supplement their food rations as well as to help their morale by staying busy during a very tumultuous and disturbing period. Veteran gardeners will tell you that gardening is a salve for troubling times. Not only is it productive and rewarding, spending time outdoors with your hands in the dirt, communing with nature just seems to make sense—even when nothing else does.

Newly minted (ha! Get it?) vegetable gardeners can be taken by surprise when their beautiful lettuce plants they’ve been enjoying since the beginning of the season start sending up flower stalks all of the sudden, and go to seed. When this happens, the heretofore sweet, tender lettuce leaves become tough and bitter, rendering them unpalatable. This is called bolting, which is very common for cool season leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula, cabbage, collard greens, kale, and spinach. Other plants prone to bolting include herbs such as basil, dill and cilantro, as well as broccoli and beets. Why do Plants Bolt? Normally, we regard plants’ flowering as a good thing, but not in the case of plants we enjoy for their nutritious green leaves. These plants flourish in the cool temperatures of late spring/early summer. But, the extended daylight hours and hot temperatures of mid-summer signal they’ve reached maturity and are nearing the end of their life, prompting them to reproduce by setting seed. What to do about Bolting? Bolting is a natural, inevitable process which can’t be prevented. However, there are ways to manage it, depending on the plant. For starters, you can plant seed varieties that are characterized as heat resistant or ‘slow bolt’; this may buy you some extra time. You can also grow lettuce in a partially shady area where it will stay relatively cool and delay bolting. Other plants demand different tactics. Basil, for example, loves sunny, hot and relatively dry conditions, which, of course, cause it to bolt, but you can deal with this by simply snipping off the flower buds as they appear. Regardless of flowering, tall, leggy basil plants are not desirable; keep them pinched back to keep them healthy. This is easy to do in the course of pinching/cutting off leaves for regular consumption in kitchen. Succession Planting to the Rescue In spite of your best efforts, don’t despair if all of your leafy greens end up setting seed. Just dig them up and plant new seeds for fall harvest. Given the speed with which lettuce and other leafy green seeds germinate, depending on where you live, you will be able to harvest a successive crop before the frost hits. Remember, these plants welcome cool early fall temperatures. One of the great things about gardening many people don’t appreciate until they start doing it is it’s an ongoing opportunity to learn about nature and the cycle of life. Similar to many gardening terms, “bolting” sounds vaguely daunting. As it turns out, it’s actually an apt word that describes a natural, logical process. For many of us, gardening is an infinitely more interesting way to learn than sitting in a classroom listening to a Biology lecture.

Except perhaps for those who reside in the northernmost reaches of the country, gardeners welcome the New Year’s lengthening days in eager anticipation of the spring planting season. While spring doesn’t officially start until March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, if you’re a gardener, it’s never too early to starting thinking about and planning your summer garden. And, even if it’s typically too cold in your area to realistically plant outdoors until late spring, you can always get a jumpstart on the growing season by starting plants indoors from seed. When to Start Vegetable Seeds Indoors? The best time to start summer plants indoors from seed depends on where you live and what you want to grow. You can sow most vegetable seeds indoors for summer harvest 4-8 eight weeks before your last anticipated frost. Indeed, if you live in a northerly planting zone, it may be necessary to do this with those vegetables that take a long time to mature, such as brussel sprouts. Starting plants from seed indoors is an easy way to extend your growing season. Indoor Growing Supplies Here are the supplies you may need to start: Bentley Seeds non-GMO, open-pollinated, high quality seeds Growing medium (special soil) Containers Seedling Heat Mat Grow Lights While you can purchase your seeds from us, you’ll need to get the other supplies from your local nursery or online retailer. Choose Your Plant Seeds Carefully First, decide what you’re going to grow. Don’t be starstruck by the beautiful four-color photos of model plants in gardening catalogs. You need to do your research beforehand, choosing appropriate plants for your situation to increase your chances of success. If you’re new to gardening, you don’t want to start with plants that are fussy, prone to pests and otherwise difficult to grow. Start with something relatively easy that will have a big payoff. Leafy greens, such as lettuce, arugula and Swiss chard are easy to grow and harvest before it gets too hot; certain varieties of tomatoes—cherry tomatoes, for example—and most herbs are also good bets. If you want to start with flowers, it’s hard to go wrong with most of our selections. Just don’t plant too much at once when starting out! Preparing The Seed Containers And Potting Mixture The seeds can be planted in almost any kind of container that’s at least 2-3 inches deep and has drainage holes. You can find special multi-seedling trays for this purpose or peat pots that can be planted directly into the ground when the time is right. Choose a fresh potting mixture especially formulated for seedlings—which won’t actually be soil, since seedlings do best in a sterile growing medium—and pre-moisten it in a bucket before filling the potting containers. All seedlings demand moist (not soaking wet) soil, so it’s helpful to moisten it beforehand. Pack the soil down before adding the seeds. Planting the Seed All Bentley Seeds seed packets provide instructions for how deep to plant the seeds—usually ¼-1” deep. You can do this by gently pressing them into the soil. Large seeds should be planted a little deeper than small seeds. You can plant 2-3 seeds per container just to be safe. And, some seeds are just so small, it’s hard to plant just one. After planting, gently add a little more water. Watering seeds and newly-germinated seedlings can be tricky, by the way, as a strong stream of water will either wash them away or drown them! You will want to invest in a mister or small watering can for this purpose. Seedlings Need Heat and Light Depending on where you live and the natural light in your house, you might be able to get away with starting seedlings indoors without using grow lights and heat mats, but that would be the exception and not the rule. To get a healthy start in life, new plants need a lot of light and warm soil. We provide recommendations regarding optimal air and soil temperatures in our vegetable Growing Guides. While the ambient average air temperature in most houses is adequate for most plants, they will reliably germinate only when the soil temperature is between 65° and 75° Fahrenheit. And, for most plants, the warmer it is, the sooner they will germinate. If it’s too cold, the seeds won’t germinate and may end up rotting in their pots. The easiest and most efficient way to increase the soil temperature to adequate levels is by using a heat mat. How to Thin Seedlings Inevitably, given the over-planting practice recommended above, you’ll probably end up with some crowded clumps of seedlings. Plants grow best when they have plenty of space and air around them. So, to ensure your plants’ success, you must thin out these crowded seedlings when the time is right. You can thin out the seedlings any time after their true leaves appear. These are not the leaves that first emerge upon germination—those are called cotyledons which serve to nourish the nascent seedlings. Rather, true leaves emerge a few weeks after germination and look like mature plant leaves. Thinning seedlings involves discarding “excess” plants to ensure that others thrive. Many budding gardeners tend to feel trepidation faced with this task for the first time. For starters, it just seems wrong to discard promising new plants. Also, given the delicate nature of the tiny seedlings, it’s hard to figure out how to discard some without harming the designated survivors. But, trust us (and all the other experts out there), thinning the seedlings is what’s best for your plants. It will help the remaining plants develop healthy root systems and grow into sturdy mature plants. And, it’s not hard to do. Just take some small sharp scissors (better than garden shears) and gently snip the excess plants off—right at the soil line. By the way, for certain edible plants, like arugula or nasturtium, you can use the discarded seedlings as a delicious addition to a salad or sandwich. Transplanting Seedlings to the Outdoor Garden Before too long, the time will come to transplant your seedlings outdoors in the garden. For most plants, this will be after the threat of frost has passed and the plants have three to four true leaves. First, though, you need to harden off the young plants. This involves setting the plants outdoors in a protected location, away from wind and direct sun, at first, a few hours a day. Gradually, over the course of two weeks or so, you can increase their exposure, readying them for planting in the ground. Even after hardening off, the seedlings remain fairly delicate so take some care planting them in the ground. Prepare the garden bed in advance by enriching the soil as we recommend in our Growing Guides make sure it’s well-moistened. To avoid the possibility of the sun drying out the plants, we recommend planting in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day. Use a knife or other small implement to gently loosen the soil from the edge of the pots and gently tip the pot upside down to release the intact contents into your hand. Then gently place the root ball into pre-dug holes in the garden bed, to which you’ve added some time-release organic fertilizer. If you’re using peat pots, you can plant them as is. Be sure not to plant the seedlings too deep; all leaves should be above ground. Fill in the gaps with soil and tamp it down. Gently add water after planting and cover the soil with mulch, taking care not to disturb the plants’ roots. And, then wait. If all goes well, you will have some nice, healthy plants that will bear delicious fruit in due time. A Few Hard & Fast Planting Tips As daunting as it may seem at first, starting plants from seeds indoors is not hard as long as you follow a few cardinal rules. Keeping the seeds/seedlings consistently moist, but NOT soaked, is one of them. Light, air temperature and soil temperature also play a big role, so be sure to give the plants what they need, as outlined in our Growing Guides. And, make sure you don’t plant the seeds too deep: pay close attention to the seed packet planting instructions. Like most things in life, after you’ve done this a few times, you’ll look back and wonder why you thought it was so intimidating. It’s actually a piece of cake. Except perhaps for those who reside in the northernmost reaches of the country, gardeners welcome the New Year’s lengthening days in eager anticipation of the spring planting season. While spring doesn’t officially start until March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, if you’re a gardener, it’s never too early to starting thinking about and planning your summer garden. And, even if it’s typically too cold in your area to realistically plant outdoors until late spring, you can always get a jumpstart on the growing season by starting plants indoors from seed. When to Start Vegetable Seeds Indoors? The best time to start summer plants indoors from seed depends on where you live and what you want to grow. You can sow most vegetable seeds indoors for summer harvest 4-8 eight weeks before your last anticipated frost. Indeed, if you live in a northerly planting zone, it may be necessary to do this with those vegetables that take a long time to mature, such as brussel sprouts. Starting plants from seed indoors is an easy way to extend your growing season. Indoor Growing Supplies Here are the supplies you may need to start: Bentley Seeds non-GMO, open-pollinated, high quality seeds Growing medium (special soil) Containers Seedling Heat Mat Grow Lights While you can purchase your seeds from us, you’ll need to get the other supplies from your local nursery or online retailer. Choose Your Plant Seeds Carefully First, decide what you’re going to grow. Don’t be starstruck by the beautiful four-color photos of model plants in gardening catalogs. You need to do your research beforehand, choosing appropriate plants for your situation to increase your chances of success. If you’re new to gardening, you don’t want to start with plants that are fussy, prone to pests and otherwise difficult to grow. Start with something relatively easy that will have a big payoff. Leafy greens, such as lettuce, arugula and Swiss chard are easy to grow and harvest before it gets too hot; certain varieties of tomatoes—cherry tomatoes, for example—and most herbs are also good bets. If you want to start with flowers, it’s hard to go wrong with most of our selections. Just don’t plant too much at once when starting out! Preparing The Seed Containers And Potting Mixture The seeds can be planted in almost any kind of container that’s at least 2-3 inches deep and has drainage holes. You can find special multi-seedling trays for this purpose or peat pots that can be planted directly into the ground when the time is right. Choose a fresh potting mixture especially formulated for seedlings—which won’t actually be soil, since seedlings do best in a sterile growing medium—and pre-moisten it in a bucket before filling the potting containers. All seedlings demand moist (not soaking wet) soil, so it’s helpful to moisten it beforehand. Pack the soil down before adding the seeds. Planting the Seed All Bentley Seeds seed packets provide instructions for how deep to plant the seeds—usually ¼-1” deep. You can do this by gently pressing them into the soil. Large seeds should be planted a little deeper than small seeds. You can plant 2-3 seeds per container just to be safe. And, some seeds are just so small, it’s hard to plant just one. After planting, gently add a little more water. Watering seeds and newly-germinated seedlings can be tricky, by the way, as a strong stream of water will either wash them away or drown them! You will want to invest in a mister or small watering can for this purpose. Seedlings Need Heat and Light Depending on where you live and the natural light in your house, you might be able to get away with starting seedlings indoors without using grow lights and heat mats, but that would be the exception and not the rule. To get a healthy start in life, new plants need a lot of light and warm soil. We provide recommendations regarding optimal air and soil temperatures in our vegetable Growing Guides. While the ambient average air temperature in most houses is adequate for most plants, they will reliably germinate only when the soil temperature is between 65° and 75° Fahrenheit. And, for most plants, the warmer it is, the sooner they will germinate. If it’s too cold, the seeds won’t germinate and may end up rotting in their pots. The easiest and most efficient way to increase the soil temperature to adequate levels is by using a heat mat. How to Thin Seedlings Inevitably, given the over-planting practice recommended above, you’ll probably end up with some crowded clumps of seedlings. Plants grow best when they have plenty of space and air around them. So, to ensure your plants’ success, you must thin out these crowded seedlings when the time is right. You can thin out the seedlings any time after their true leaves appear. These are not the leaves that first emerge upon germination—those are called cotyledons which serve to nourish the nascent seedlings. Rather, true leaves emerge a few weeks after germination and look like mature plant leaves. Thinning seedlings involves discarding “excess” plants to ensure that others thrive. Many budding gardeners tend to feel trepidation faced with this task for the first time. For starters, it just seems wrong to discard promising new plants. Also, given the delicate nature of the tiny seedlings, it’s hard to figure out how to discard some without harming the designated survivors. But, trust us (and all the other experts out there), thinning the seedlings is what’s best for your plants. It will help the remaining plants develop healthy root systems and grow into sturdy mature plants. And, it’s not hard to do. Just take some small sharp scissors (better than garden shears) and gently snip the excess plants off—right at the soil line. By the way, for certain edible plants, like arugula or nasturtium, you can use the discarded seedlings as a delicious addition to a salad or sandwich. Transplanting Seedlings to the Outdoor Garden Before too long, the time will come to transplant your seedlings outdoors in the garden. For most plants, this will be after the threat of frost has passed and the plants have three to four true leaves. First, though, you need to harden off the young plants. This involves setting the plants outdoors in a protected location, away from wind and direct sun, at first, a few hours a day. Gradually, over the course of two weeks or so, you can increase their exposure, readying them for planting in the ground. Even after hardening off, the seedlings remain fairly delicate so take some care planting them in the ground. Prepare the garden bed in advance by enriching the soil as we recommend in our Growing Guides make sure it’s well-moistened. To avoid the possibility of the sun drying out the plants, we recommend planting in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day. Use a knife or other small implement to gently loosen the soil from the edge of the pots and gently tip the pot upside down to release the intact contents into your hand. Then gently place the root ball into pre-dug holes in the garden bed, to which you’ve added some time-release organic fertilizer. If you’re using peat pots, you can plant them as is. Be sure not to plant the seedlings too deep; all leaves should be above ground. Fill in the gaps with soil and tamp it down. Gently add water after planting and cover the soil with mulch, taking care not to disturb the plants’ roots. And, then wait. If all goes well, you will have some nice, healthy plants that will bear delicious fruit in due time. A Few Hard & Fast Planting Tips As daunting as it may seem at first, starting plants from seeds indoors is not hard as long as you follow a few cardinal rules. Keeping the seeds/seedlings consistently moist, but NOT soaked, is one of them. Light, air temperature and soil temperature also play a big role, so be sure to give the plants what they need, as outlined in our Growing Guides. And, make sure you don’t plant the seeds too deep: pay close attention to the seed packet planting instructions. Like most things in life, after you’ve done this a few times, you’ll look back and wonder why you thought it was so intimidating. It’s actually a piece of cake. Except perhaps for those who reside in the northernmost reaches of the country, gardeners welcome the New Year’s lengthening days in eager anticipation of the spring planting season. While spring doesn’t officially start until March 20 in the Northern Hemisphere, if you’re a gardener, it’s never too early to starting thinking about and planning your summer garden. And, even if it’s typically too cold in your area to realistically plant outdoors until late spring, you can always get a jumpstart on the growing season by starting plants indoors from seed. When to Start Vegetable Seeds Indoors? The best time to start summer plants indoors from seed depends on where you live and what you want to grow. You can sow most vegetable seeds indoors for summer harvest 4-8 eight weeks before your last anticipated frost. Indeed, if you live in a northerly planting zone, it may be necessary to do this with those vegetables that take a long time to mature, such as brussel sprouts. Starting plants from seed indoors is an easy way to extend your growing season. Indoor Growing Supplies Here are the supplies you may need to start: Bentley Seeds non-GMO, open-pollinated, high quality seeds Growing medium (special soil) Containers Seedling Heat Mat Grow Lights While you can purchase your seeds from us, you’ll need to get the other supplies from your local nursery or online retailer. Choose Your Plant Seeds Carefully First, decide what you’re going to grow. Don’t be starstruck by the beautiful four-color photos of model plants in gardening catalogs. You need to do your research beforehand, choosing appropriate plants for your situation to increase your chances of success. If you’re new to gardening, you don’t want to start with plants that are fussy, prone to pests and otherwise difficult to grow. Start with something relatively easy that will have a big payoff. Leafy greens, such as lettuce, arugula and Swiss chard are easy to grow and harvest before it gets too hot; certain varieties of tomatoes—cherry tomatoes, for example—and most herbs are also good bets. If you want to start with flowers, it’s hard to go wrong with most of our selections. Just don’t plant too much at once when starting out! Preparing The Seed Containers And Potting Mixture The seeds can be planted in almost any kind of container that’s at least 2-3 inches deep and has drainage holes. You can find special multi-seedling trays for this purpose or peat pots that can be planted directly into the ground when the time is right. Choose a fresh potting mixture especially formulated for seedlings—which won’t actually be soil, since seedlings do best in a sterile growing medium—and pre-moisten it in a bucket before filling the potting containers. All seedlings demand moist (not soaking wet) soil, so it’s helpful to moisten it beforehand. Pack the soil down before adding the seeds. Planting the Seed All Bentley Seeds seed packets provide instructions for how deep to plant the seeds—usually ¼-1” deep. You can do this by gently pressing them into the soil. Large seeds should be planted a little deeper than small seeds. You can plant 2-3 seeds per container just to be safe. And, some seeds are just so small, it’s hard to plant just one. After planting, gently add a little more water. Watering seeds and newly-germinated seedlings can be tricky, by the way, as a strong stream of water will either wash them away or drown them! You will want to invest in a mister or small watering can for this purpose. Seedlings Need Heat and Light Depending on where you live and the natural light in your house, you might be able to get away with starting seedlings indoors without using grow lights and heat mats, but that would be the exception and not the rule. To get a healthy start in life, new plants need a lot of light and warm soil. We provide recommendations regarding optimal air and soil temperatures in our vegetable Growing Guides. While the ambient average air temperature in most houses is adequate for most plants, they will reliably germinate only when the soil temperature is between 65° and 75° Fahrenheit. And, for most plants, the warmer it is, the sooner they will germinate. If it’s too cold, the seeds won’t germinate and may end up rotting in their pots. The easiest and most efficient way to increase the soil temperature to adequate levels is by using a heat mat. How to Thin Seedlings Inevitably, given the over-planting practice recommended above, you’ll probably end up with some crowded clumps of seedlings. Plants grow best when they have plenty of space and air around them. So, to ensure your plants’ success, you must thin out these crowded seedlings when the time is right. You can thin out the seedlings any time after their true leaves appear. These are not the leaves that first emerge upon germination—those are called cotyledons which serve to nourish the nascent seedlings. Rather, true leaves emerge a few weeks after germination and look like mature plant leaves. Thinning seedlings involves discarding “excess” plants to ensure that others thrive. Many budding gardeners tend to feel trepidation faced with this task for the first time. For starters, it just seems wrong to discard promising new plants. Also, given the delicate nature of the tiny seedlings, it’s hard to figure out how to discard some without harming the designated survivors. But, trust us (and all the other experts out there), thinning the seedlings is what’s best for your plants. It will help the remaining plants develop healthy root systems and grow into sturdy mature plants. And, it’s not hard to do. Just take some small sharp scissors (better than garden shears) and gently snip the excess plants off—right at the soil line. By the way, for certain edible plants, like arugula or nasturtium, you can use the discarded seedlings as a delicious addition to a salad or sandwich. Transplanting Seedlings to the Outdoor Garden Before too long, the time will come to transplant your seedlings outdoors in the garden. For most plants, this will be after the threat of frost has passed and the plants have three to four true leaves. First, though, you need to harden off the young plants. This involves setting the plants outdoors in a protected location, away from wind and direct sun, at first, a few hours a day. Gradually, over the course of two weeks or so, you can increase their exposure, readying them for planting in the ground. Even after hardening off, the seedlings remain fairly delicate so take some care planting them in the ground. Prepare the garden bed in advance by enriching the soil as we recommend in our Growing Guides make sure it’s well-moistened. To avoid the possibility of the sun drying out the plants, we recommend planting in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day. Use a knife or other small implement to gently loosen the soil from the edge of the pots and gently tip the pot upside down to release the intact contents into your hand. Then gently place the root ball into pre-dug holes in the garden bed, to which you’ve added some time-release organic fertilizer. If you’re using peat pots, you can plant them as is. Be sure not to plant the seedlings too deep; all leaves should be above ground. Fill in the gaps with soil and tamp it down. Gently add water after planting and cover the soil with mulch, taking care not to disturb the plants’ roots. And, then wait. If all goes well, you will have some nice, healthy plants that will bear delicious fruit in due time. A Few Hard & Fast Planting Tips As daunting as it may seem at first, starting plants from seeds indoors is not hard as long as you follow a few cardinal rules. Keeping the seeds/seedlings consistently moist, but NOT soaked, is one of them. Light, air temperature and soil temperature also play a big role, so be sure to give the plants what they need, as outlined in our Growing Guides. And, make sure you don’t plant the seeds too deep: pay close attention to the seed packet planting instructions. Like most things in life, after you’ve done this a few times, you’ll look back and wonder why you thought it was so intimidating. It’s actually a piece of cake.

It’s never too soon to start thinking about the spring planting season. Depending on the region of the country where you live, it may only be a matter of months before you can start growing vegetable plants indoors from seed for harvest next summer. In the meantime, it’s fun to plan what you’re going to grow by browsing your favorite seed company website (:-)) and learning which plants would be best for your purposes. In the course of your research, you’ll find many mentions of the term, “heirloom”, and may wonder what it— and its associated terms— mean and why they’re significant. Why should you plant heirloom vegetable varieties? What are, say, heirloom tomatoes? We have some answers. What are Heirloom Seeds? Heirloom seeds come from favorite, historic plant cultivars passed down among generations of communities or families. A defining characteristic of heirloom seeds is they are open-pollinated, which means the plants that produced them were pollinated by natural means. Natural pollination occurs via insects, birds, or wind out in the wild—not through human intervention in a lab. The resulting plants are genetically diverse, allowing adaptation to local climate and growing conditions over time. Heirloom Plants Versus Hybrid Plants At the opposite end of the spectrum from heirloom plants are hybrid plants. Hybrid plants were developed in response to the “Dust Bowl” drought in the mid-1930’s which destroyed much of the U.S. agricultural production at the time, forcing hundreds of farms out of business. The extended drought resulted in calamitous food shortages and much human suffering (as vividly captured in John Steinbeck’s epic, “The Grapes of Wrath”). Hybrid plants were developed by scientists to exponentially increase agricultural output and bolster the U.S. food supply. This carefully controlled cross-breeding produced plants that were not only more vigorous, faster growing, and disease resistant than their parents, resulting in higher yields, they were also more stress resistant which meant they were more likely to survive drought. Compared to heirloom vegetables, hybrids boast more uniform traits in terms of size and appearance and are very consistent from plant to plant over time. Hybrid plants also yield more and cost more. But heirlooms are more nutritious and taste better, among the desirable traits that caused them to be saved and passed down in the first place. To illustrate the difference between hybrid and heirloom vegetables, consider the ubiquitous supermarket tomato. This hybrid fruit was developed, principally, to look good and withstand the long journey from the warm regions where they’re grown to retail outlets across the country. However, these beautiful hybridized tomatoes don’t taste anything like the succulent, if imperfect-looking, heirloom tomatoes you grow yourself or buy at a local farmstand in summer. Heirloom Fruits and Vegetables: Living History Commonly accepted wisdom is that an heirloom plant variety is a cultivar developed before 1945 or so, when hybrid plants entered widespread circulation, around the end of World War II. And, as mentioned above, one of heirloom seeds’ defining characteristics is they were considered something of value, saved and passed down from generation to generation, hence the moniker, heirloom. Heirloom plant varieties not only represent an assortment of desirable traits including appearance, flavor, texture, and hardiness, many of them have interesting or unusual names (or even multiple names) and associated dates of origin. For example, the wildly popular and prolific Kentucky Wonder pole bean is a very old heirloom that seems to have originated the south during the 1850’s. It has also been known over the years as ‘Texas Pole,’ ‘American Sickle Pole,’ ‘Eastern Wonder,’ ‘Egg Harbor,’ to name a few. Heirloom seeds originated from different cultures all over the world, and there is evidence that some varieties have origins that date back thousands of years. For example, the heirloom romaine lettuce variety, Parris Island Cos is a descendent of romaine lettuce that appeared in Egyptian art from 300 B.C. Regardless of their origins, by choosing heirloom plant varieties, you know you’re going to be growing and enjoying something special—something generations before you deemed worthy of preserving. By growing heirloom vegetables from seed, you help preserve that heritage. So, even though next spring’s growing season may seem like a long way off, it’s never too soon to start planning your crops and preparing your garden.

Introduction to Gardening: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly The world of gardening can be intimidating to those of you who haven’t yet tried to grow anything, or who may have dabbled in growing plants but failed. While there’s a seemingly endless amount of gardening information out there, much of it is out of context which can leave beginner gardeners bewildered about where to start. Our advice is don’t overthink it: jump right in—but start small. Choose to grow a limited number of relatively foolproof plants to increase the odds of success which will, hopefully, motivate you to keep at it. Otherwise, you may end up giving up in frustration, having decided that you were simply not born with a green thumb. Don’t give up! Successful gardeners are a tenacious lot, always learning from experience. You can do the same. To get started, you need to answer a few basic questions and follow some tried and true best gardening practices: Where do you live? How cold does it get in winter? How long is your summer growing season? How much sunlight do you have? How much space do you have? Does your area have animals pests (deer, rabbits, woodchucks, chipmunks, rodents) that are likely to be a nuisance? What do you want to grow: flowers, herbs, vegetables or all three (vs. what you can realistically grow taking the above into account)? Best practices: soil, water and mulch, fertilizer. What is your Planting Zone? The first piece of advice generally given to new gardeners in gardening books and websites is to determine what U.S.D.A. hardiness zone you live in, to determine what plants will thrive in your area. These zones are based on ‘average annual minimum winter temperatures, divided into 10-degree Fahrenheit zones.’ While determining your U.S.D.A. zone is important for growing semi-permanent landscape fixtures such as trees, shrubs, and perennials, it’s less important for summer annuals. What is important is that you learn when your average last spring and first fall hard frosts are likely to occur, because that will determine how long your summer growing season is. The length of your growing season has a bearing on what plants you can grow—or how you start them from seed—particularly if you’re considering vegetable gardening. Some vegetables, such as eggplant, are both slow growing and sensitive to cold, so if you live in a northerly climate, and wanted to grow them from seed, you would have to start them indoors eight to ten weeks before the anticipated last spring frost. Plants Need Space and Sunlight There are several other important variables related to your location that need to be ascertained up front, before you move on to selecting plants to grow: how much space do you have for your garden, how much daily sunlight will your garden receive, and what kind of animal plant predators are in your neighborhood? Many flowers and most herbs and vegetables require at least eight hours of sunlight each day to grow properly. This is a tough thing to hear if you happen to have a shady yard. You may be tempted to ignore it—and you wouldn’t be the first. But, that’s a recipe for failure. If you can’t make landscaping adjustments to increase the sunlight in your garden area, consider planting a shade garden. While the selection of shade loving plants is more limited, there are some beautiful options. It’s also important to figure out how much space you have for your garden since some plants you might be tempted to grow require a lot more space than you have available. Most flowers and herbs (not mint!) grow in a contained, orderly fashion, and can be planted in small spaces, including pots and window boxes. However, certain kinds of vine-based vegetables such as squash and pumpkins, require plenty of space to sprawl. Finally, you should take stock of what voracious plant-eating critters are in your neighborhood. That beautiful deer family that regularly traverses your neighborhood may add to its charming bucolic nature, but will become your foe in the battlefield that your garden will become. If you’re not prepared to fence out or otherwise repel rabbits, woodchucks, chipmunks, as well as deer, then only consider growing plants they don’t like—which is a short list. What Plants to Grow? Do you want to grow flowers, herbs, or vegetables—or all three? Generally speaking, flowers and herbs require less care and maintenance than vegetables. But, if you’re among the many new gardeners who are principally motivated by the idea of growing your own vegetables—go for it—just be sure to make judicious choices. Easy-to-grow vegetables include various leafy greens such as lettuce, arugula, spinach, and Swiss chard. These leafy greens are among the vegetables that grow best in the relatively cool temperatures of late winter/early spring or fall. Lettuce, arugula, and spinach will bolt (turn to seed) in high mid-summer temperatures, so climate and timing are key. Tomatoes, almost everyone’s favorite summer garden fruit, on the other hand, are a little tricky. That doesn’t mean new gardeners can’t grow them. You just need to be prepared to give them the proper care they need (no cutting corners allowed), as outlined in our growing guide. Basic Garden Design and Care Create a Healthy Garden Bed To give your plants a fighting chance, it behooves you to create a healthy garden bed. Though some plants can grow just about anywhere, most vegetable plants require well-drained soil that includes plenty of organic matter. We recommend creating a raised bed which involves a little extra work on the front end, but will pay off in the long run. Or, you can create a garden using containers. Watering and Mulching Proper watering and moisture management are crucial to successful plant care, in addition to sunlight and good soil, and are, arguably among the hardest concepts for new gardeners to grasp. In your zeal to provide the best plant care, you might be tempted to water your plants all time time; that would be a mistake.Too much water is problematic for most plants and may cause them to drown. Established plants do best with deep watering every few days versus a daily sprinkling of water—whether supplied by Mother Nature or your garden hose. By allowing time between waterings, you force the plant roots to grow deeper in the earth in search of water, making them stronger and better able to withstand drought. How you water your plants is important too. For best results, gently water them at their base, taking care not to let water splash up on the leaves which is an invitation to pests and fungi. Once your plants are several inches high, it’s important to mulch your garden bed to conserve moisture and prevent the plant roots from drying out. Various types of mulch will do, as long as it is dense enough to stay put on windy days. Feeding/Fertilizing Even if you’ve created a raised bed with enriched soil, you will still need to apply fertilizer periodically throughout the growing season, especially if you’re growing vegetables, which tend to be heavy feeders. Fertilizer is really important for container gardening because soil nutrients aren’t being replenished . There are various schools of thought on the best fertilizers to use. We recommend adding an organic, time-release fertilizer every six weeks or so, or whatever your planting instructions advise. Introduction to Gardening: Final Thoughts Though generally advertised as a relaxing, non-stressful activity, many experienced gardeners will tell you that gardening is like war: you’re fighting a number of battles at once on several different fronts. The aforementioned critter battles are just one example. Somehow, though, the challenges of successfully creating a beautiful, healthy garden in the face of uncontrollable elements holds some strange appeal, especially as you learn how to overcome them. The weather, of course, is the biggest challenge as there’s no controlling it. You can mitigate some of its effects: during droughts, for example, you can apply extra water to your plants, unless, of course, you live in an area with water restrictions, as in some parts of California. Too much rain, on the other hand, is problematic, especially for seedlings, and, occasionally, can ruin an entire gardening season. That’s life in the garden. Speaking of seedlings, you have the choice of purchasing them at your local nursery, or growing your own from seed. There are pros and cons of each. Purchasing ‘ready-made’ seedlings may be a little easier but they’re relatively expensive and usually available in limited varieties. Growing plants from seed allows you to choose tried and true heirloom varieties and have total control over the entire growing process. Though it may seem a little daunting at first, if you stick with it, you may find gardening as satisfying as we do. Sample Starter Garden Below, we provide some recommendations for a full sun garden. We include a mix of flowers, herbs, and vegetables which are generally easy to grow and don’t require much fuss. It’s wise to have a mixed garden as the flowers, herbs and vegetables complement each other as companion plants. For additional details about some of the plants we recommend, please consult our growing guides. You can create a garden of any size and shape though we recommend a rectangular design to allow easy access to your plants from both sides. Common garden bed sizes are three feet by six feet or four feet by eight feet. Or, you can create a container garden. Full Sun Garden Annual Flowers: Marigold Dwarf French Mix, Nasturtium Jewel Mixed Color, Phlox Drummondii Perennial Flowers: Blue Flax, Black-Eyed Susan, Coneflower, Shasta Daisy Herbs: Chives, parsley, summer savory, mint, thyme Vegetables: Buttercrunch lettuce, cherry belle radish, bloomsdale spinach, black zucchini squash, sweetie cherry tomato