My cucumber and squash seedlings are about 3 inches tall already. I've taken them out of the mini-greenhouse and put them under a grow light in an old egg carton. I can keep a good eye on them, water when necessary, and brush the tops of them every now and then.
I've read that lightly brushing the tops helps the stems grow stronger, so I'm doing it. It certainly can't hurt. They have good color and are just beginning to put on real leaves, very tiny ones right now. But it gives me hope of a bountiful garden later in the summer.
In the meantime, I've order more seeds. There will be enough for a really large garden, so I'll have some I can save for future use since I won't be having a huge garden this year. Mostly, it'll just be container and raised bed gardening. I do hope to be able to do some very intensive gardening, given my limited space. I want to be able to dehydrate, freeze, and can produce to use during the winter months.
I need to plan ahead how much of each item I need to put up to do me through the winter. There are charts online and also my Ball Blue Book has a guide for how much you need for a family of, say, 4.
Yes, the seedlings sprouting up have already given me lots of pleasure and promises!
