by Chantel Balzell - Daily News Staff - cbalzell@rhinelanderdailynews.com

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Start your summer garden indoors to add color to your home

Growing up, Mary Ann Lambrecht spent much of her time helping her mother and grandmother with their organic garden in South Dakota. Now, decades later, Lambrecht is a master gardener and instructs classes at Nicolet College.

One class, Starting Seeds Indoors, teaches students how to start growing plants indoors before the spring season.

According to Lambrecht, in the Northwoods, June 6 is the first “frost-free day,” meaning no frost is expected to occur after this date.

Before planting seeds, Lambrecht advises that planters purchase new, high-quality seeds because they are more likely to germinate. “Some cheap ones haven't been packaged and stored properly,” she said.

Higher quality seeds, Lambrecht says, are packaged in foil-lined containers so that moisture can not deteriorate the seeds.

Once you have the seeds, they should be planted in a blend of perlite, vermiculite and peat, and put in a sanitized container with holes punched out for drainage on the bottom. “It is important that you water the plants from the bottom up,” she said.

The seeds should be kept in a room with a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit and in a moist place until they turn into seedlings. At this point, they can be kept in the dark.

Once the plants germinate, they need to be taken into light. Putting them near a fan also makes the stems stronger. Seedlings do not need to be kept as warm as when they are germinating.

One problem her students seem to encounter with indoor gardening, Lambrecht says, is finding room at home for all their plants and maintaining a proper temperature.

Sometimes the seedlings tend to rot, which can be fixed by sprinkling milled shagnum moss or cinnamon on them. Watering them with Chamomile tea also helps.

Compost can help plants become healthier if applied after the second set of leaves appear. Approximately one week before plants are to go outside, introduce them to harsher climates.

According to a tip from organicgardening.com, on a warm spring day move the containers to a shaded, protected place such as a porch for a few hours. Each day, unless the weather is horrible, gradually increase the plants' exposure to sun and breeze. The time to move the plants outdoors depends on the type of plant.

If it does freeze after they are already replanted outdoors, Lambrecht says, they should be covered. “Gallon milk jugs with the bottoms cut out are like a mini green house,” she said.

Lambrecht's class on Starting Seeds Indoors begins on Feb. 5, and is a two-hour class in the evening. She also offers classes in Minocqua and in Eagle River. Other classes Lambrecht teaches include Herb Gardening and Design, Herbal Gifts, Organic Gardening, Composting, Gardens for Butterflies, Bees, Birds, Rethink Yard Care, ABC's of Indoor Plants, Planting Bulbs, Forcing Bulbs, Soil Improvement, Companion Planting, Seed Shaving and Fall Checklist of Things to do.

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