Always have a Plan B in gardening
15.6 years ago garden planning, indoor seed starting
In college I had a business class, it definitely wasn’t the most memorable since all I remember it had something to do with working with small businesses. There was an important takeaway, which was always have a “Plan B”. The teacher used this term in particular when we were preparing to give presentations to the class, it was fine to use a PowerPoint presentation, though better have some overhead slides “just in case,” which many times became a necessity in the end due to “technical issues”.
This advice definitely applies to gardening as well. In my case, especially if you want to push your planting date for your summer vegetables due to your short growing season. It is great to be ambitious and plan on getting your tomatoes out weeks before your last frost date, though when the inevitable frost comes and kills your plants you need a “Plan B” Last year, I really didn’t have one so I was forced to go to my nursery and blowing my gardening budget on the limited selection of summer vegetable seedlings.
This year I was a little smarter and planted my seeds still ambitiously but also planted a few more a couple week later. This way, if Mother Nature is cruel to my optimism I still have a backup. If she is kind I always have some extra tomato/pepper seedlings to offer to friends and neighbors or create a couple more upside down tomato/pepper planters.
Tags: cheap, garden seeds, outdoor plants, pepper plants, tomato plants, vegetables
15.6 years ago
I put all my tomatoes in home-made, self-watering containers (4 and 5 gallon buckets) to move in case of late Spring freezes. The plan worked but boy! it is hard work to move them!
15.6 years ago
This is a great idea, but unfortunately it involves starting twice as many seedlings. If you don’t have the space, Plan B involves a lot of bedsheets!
15.6 years ago
I agree with Cassandra – space is an issue for me too when planting seedlings. If it makes you feel better, I gave up on my lettuce seedlings after two batches turned out pretty rubbish and bought lettuce transplants from a nursery. €3 for 12. One was a cabbage.
15.6 years ago
LOL Great minds think alike- or rather maybe obsessed monds think alike. I did the same thing- hoping I could share the extras if I don’t have to use them myself!
15.6 years ago
“I love it when a plan comes together!”My tomatoes can’t decide if they want to live or die just yet, and these are my back-up “Plan B” seedlings, so it looks like I might have needed a Plan C.