how to: start a garden

so, this is the first tutorial section of the blog, and in this session i want to go over the in's and out's of starting your own guerrilla garden.

This section will be dedicated to starting a garden from seed alone, and the next section will be on planting your seedlings out on their own in your very own guerrilla garden.

first things first, you need to determine where you live, because that will be a large factor in deciding what to plant, and when to plant it. once you have determined this...take your information to the internet or your local garden center, and you should soon know what to look for.

here in florida, i prefer things that do not require everyday tending, so I choose things like beans, peppers, and herbs, because they are pretty hearty and seem to thrive as long as they have enough water.

so by now you know where you live, what you can grow, and you are ready to get dirty...here's how:

Starting from seeds, you'll need:

1. Seeds.


2. A Germination Box (available very cheaply at Lowe's or Home Depot).


3. About 2 hours of free time.


Start by taking your germ box, and pouring enough water into it to just cover the peat pods, and within minutes you'll see them go from the little flat discs:



to swollen hunks of peat:



You can then fluff and level the peat pods to ready them for the seeds:


When the pods are ready, pour off the excess water and start by pushing the seed(s) (use a few if they are teeny tiny) into the pods about 1/4 to 1/2 of an inch down.





Then, cover the seeds lightly with peat, and put the protective greenhouse covering back on the germ box. You may want to purchase a small flourescent light or two to put on top of your germ box to promote seed growth, but this is totally up to you.

The seeds should germinate soon, so be on the lookout for part 2: the TRANSplant!
(that sounds like a bad movie.)

grow on!