My seed box

Kathy’s seed box

[Editor’s note: Subsequent to the November gathering’s seed exchange, we asked for blog post submissions about what to do with those seeds.]

By Kathy Bildner
Wild Ones – St. Louis Chapter member

I plant my seeds in this box using 15 square, four-inch plastic flower pots and keep the box in my backyard.

The dirt is from my compost pile. I add a little sand and peat moss to the soil because it gets too hard when it dries out. I put the pots in the box and fill the pots and areas surrounding them with dirt. Each pot has a different set of seeds. They are labeled with pieces of old re-purposed window blinds. I write in pencil because ink disappears by spring. Also, I draw a map of my planting on a piece of paper in case I lose the name tags. I cover the whole thing with a screen. Otherwise, the squirrels dig it up. I never water it unless we have a very dry spring. They do not all germinate each year. I am happy with 75% of the 15 pots producing some germination.

You may be able to tell from the photo that one of the boxes has germinated. One week after planting the Coreopsis pubescens, it came up. I was not expecting that until spring. I suspect it will not survive the winter that way. I hope global warming does not mess up nature this way.