ST. PAUL – Even with the winter chill and snow still covering the ground, gardeners can begin preparing for the growing season by starting their seeds indoors, transferring them outside when the weather warms up.
On Feb. 25, the Lakeland Agricultural Research Association (LARA) held at a workshop at the St. Paul and District Arts Foundation, providing tips on how to successfully start their seeds.
Krisy Tetreau, environment and communications coordinator with LARA, said some indoor seeding methods include what is called soil blocking.
The process involves forming cubes of soil with a soil cube mold instead of using plastic containers, which promotes stronger development for the seedlings. The end result for each cube soil “looks like a little brownie,” she said.
Gardeners can then set the cubes and seeds under light until they are ready to be planted outside. In the Lakeland, gardening season usually starts near the end of May or the early part of June, according to Tetreau.
“You can use the specialized grow lights, but you can actually also use just shop lights . . . like fluorescent lights to grow seeds indoors,” explained Tetreau.
“We also talked a lot about compost,” at the workshop, such as vermicomposting, said Tetreau. Vermicomposting is an alternative to using synthetic fertilizers, which involves using earthworms to create microbial, rich compost that gardeners can feed their plants.
Other areas of discussion involved talking about which seeds are best to start indoors.
In January, onions, leeks, rosemary, thyme, and sage are usually good to grow indoors. Celery, peppers, and parsley are good to plant in February, while eggplant, tomatoes, broccoli, and cabbages are good to start in March.
But gardeners can choose whatever seed they like, she said.
Benefits of gardening
Tetreau has been gardening for about 25 years.
“There is nothing more satisfying than making supper with your homegrown produce,” she said, adding, “[Plants] always taste way better when you’ve just freshly pulled them from the soil.”
Depending on the interests of the individual, gardening can be as simple as finding a patch of soil and putting seeds in it.
No matter what approach a gardener chooses, the act of gardening itself can be therapeutic, said Tetreau.
“Being able to get your hands in the soil helps your mental health.”
Tetreau thanked everyone who came out during the event, which included over 25 people attending the workshop.
For those who missed it, LARA is holding another workshop in Glendon on March 4.
She encourages the public to watch out for other upcoming events, such as gardening forums scheduled for April 10 in Smoky Lake, and another on April 26 in Flat Lake.
