By Gretchen C. Van Benthuysen
The kids are home from school and nobody knows how long it will last.
One way to keep them busy – and sneak in some math, geography, science and more – is to start a garden from seeds.
“Seeds are making a comeback,” said Ed Brock, owner of Brock Farms in Colts Neck. “The trend is eating closer to home and know where your food came from.”
“Seeds or plants, parents are getting children more involved in gardening,” he said. “Families come in and I see them picking out stuff together. They make a day out of it.”
Actually, some families are making it a year-round event.
“It used to be that the seed season was over at a certain time in the summer, but now it’s all year long,” he explained. “We keep seeds on the shelf for families who have turned their basement into an indoor garden and get the whole family involved.”
The many varieties of lettuce and leafy vegetables, plus herbs, do well inside, especially when planted hydroponically, he said. For more information visit brockfarms.com or call 732-462-0900.
But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with a nice sunny windowsill at home.
Now is the perfect time to start seeds inside that will be moved outside later, said Dave Druze, garden manager for Oasis Backyard Gardens, with greenhouses in Morganville and Colts Neck. Although the process can be overwhelming for the first-time seeder, said Druze, who has a degree in environmental science, the trick is not to overthink it.
Don’t look at catalogs from big-name companies, he said, they can be overwhelming. Visit your local garden center where you can ask questions and find seeds suited for New Jersey.
He also recommends using organic seed starter soil and making your own “vessel” for your plant-to-be using milk cartons or the cardboard inserts from toilet paper rolls. Find the directions online. The best thing to do when planting the seeds is follow the directions on the packet, Druze said.
“Seedlings are like a baby that needs to be nurtured,” he said. “Younger kids understand that.”
The seed in the soil should not be deeper than the depth of your first knuckle. In four weeks, cold weather plants should be ready to transplant outside. They include peas, arugula, carrots, cauliflower, Brussels sprout, radish and kohlrabi.
Warm weather plants need temperature 60 degrees or above at night.
Seed starter is just for seeds, so if the leaves turn pale green or yellow it needs more nutrients. Add organic potting soil, Druze said.
For plants to thrive, he said, they need three things: water, sun and soil. For more information, visit oasisbackyardfarms.com or call 732-232-6938.
But if this all too much, you may want to visit Dearborn Market in Holmdel. All events for children have been canceled, said garden center associate Sandy Platz, including its fairy garden class. But that doesn’t mean the fairies have left town.
“We can help customers put one (a fairy garden) together,” she said. “And we have pansies and cold weather vegetables like lettuce, kale and spinach.”
If fairies like spinach, maybe children will, too.
For more information, call 732-264-0256 and visit dearbornmarket.com.
The article originally appeared in the March 19-25, 2020 print edition of The Two River Times.
