What a Difference a Few Weeks Make...

The last time I updated the blog, my tomato seedlings were wee little babies. They had just gotten their first set of true leaves, which meant it was time to move from the seedling container to individual containers. I'm now just a couple of weeks away from transplanting my babies to the garden, so I thought I'd share some photos.

This is my first time growing anything from seed like this. I tried to grow peppers and tomatoes from seed last year, but didn't have grow lights. I do have a sunny windowsill, but my plants got tall and leggy (i.e. useless). This year, I decided to go for the gold, and got some lights.

Here we go:

Just planted

1 week old tomatoes.

-

10 day old peppers. They are slow growers.

10 day old tomatoes, transplanted into their own containers. They were buried to their first set of leaves to help grow sturdier stalks. (Tomatoes will grow roots all along their stalks.)

2 week old tomatoes.

3 week old peppers. (SO SLOW!)

3 week old tomatoes.

4 week old peppers. Finally big enough for their own containers!

Same peppers, different angle. 4 weeks old.

4 week old tomatoes. We're about 2 weeks away from transferring them to the garden!

More 4 week old tomatoes.

Basil at about 1 week old.

Basil now! I'll be putting them in their own containers tomorrow, and transplanting in a couple of weeks.

I learn a TON every year gardening. Next year, I think I'll start my peppers a month or so earlier. From some reading I've been doing, I've found that peppers do better if they have 12 weeks or so indoors before going outside. I'll also not forget to start my basil at the same time as the tomatoes, meaning that my basil will be bigger at this time of year next year.

Are you growing anything this year? What sage advice can you pass on?