Last of my Amazon order finally arrived so I figured it was time to start setting up. Previously I used my laundry area to do my planting but that is overrun with boxes from my ebay selling days. I came up with a new plan for starting plants this year. I have a shower in the basement that I've only used once. My original plan was to put a folding table in there but that fell through when the table folded in the wrong direction making it too long. I went though a few other ideas like chairs and 2x4 boards or saw horses but well I need the saw horses for other stuff and didn't want to get the chairs wet. So I brought in a 3 table set off my patio. They fit rather well. A bit shorter than my back would have liked but it will work. Easy to clean them off since well it's a shower.
I have most of the stuff I need left over from previous years. What I did need (or well couldn't find) were some starter trays. I know I have trays and where they are but I couldn't find my refills for them. Turned out the trays with the peat pods were about the same price as the refills for them so I just got the trays too. These will be for starting pepper and tomato plants. I have plenty of starter pots to start most things including tomato plants but pepper plants don't like to start in regular potting soil. So I use these little peat pods for starting them. They also save a lot of room for starting tomato plants but it does mean you need to transplant into bigger pots or get them in the ground early. Anyway I bought 4 trays. If I have extra plants I'll give them away.
I also bought 2 grow bulbs. I have 2 fluorescent ones in the laundry area but no way to put them in the shower. I have a couple of work lights that clamp on to just about anything small enough so I bought these bulbs to go in those. I'll put one in the shower and one over another table where I will be starting my cucumbers. Keep the fluorescent ones in the laundry area. I can still put some boards over the sink and start some seeds there too.
So what will I be planting this year? Well the main goal is cucumbers for my Mom. So lots of cucumber plants. A variety of tomatoes from cherry to grape to beefsteaks and sizes in between. Zucchinis fro my Mom's friend. Baby watermelons with hopefully some seedless ones. Trying cantaloupes again too. Then there is the small stuff like green onions, radishes, carrots, maybe some herbs like oregano. Maybe some new stuff. Think I have some other seeds like beets and lima beans. Plenty of stuff to feed the neighborhood again.
I think it's still too early to start seeds. Wait until next month. Not too early to be getting ready though. Just hope I don't need to use that shower for the next couple of months.