What We’re Planting and Growing This Year
There may still be snow on the ground, and it’s definitely too cold to grow anything outdoors, but we’ve just planted our first seeds of the year! After living in warm San Diego, where we planted seeds and grew food all year around, this season living in Sweden is looking very different. Our growing season here runs from the last chance of frost in spring to the first frost in autumn, which is typically from May to October.
We always grow our food from seeds we start indoors. Starting seeds indoors puts the gardener in control, saves money, and ensures you know exactly which seeds you’re planting. It gives you control over the soil and fertilizer and is the only way to ensure everything is organic. Our kids love the journey from planting a seed to nurturing it into herbs, fruits, and vegetables ready for harvest.
This year, we’re growing food on our large patio, on our balcony, and with our neighbors in our common garden area.
What we have planted and plan to grow this year that works for our climate in Sweden:
2 kinds of tomatoes
Spinach
Different varieties of lettuce
Cucumbers
Bell peppers
Zucchini
Potatoes
Garlic
Kale
Bok choi
Swiss hard
Radishes
Dill
Basil
Parsley
Kale
Not too bad for growing food in the middle of a city, huh?
Since we’re starting our seeds indoors in the middle of winter here in Sweden, we’ll need to keep them indoors for a while and use a grow light. We’ll also need to make seed pots.
I like to plant seeds in recycled household items instead of store-bought plastic trays, soil blocks, or pots. Instead of wasting money and creating more trash, I suggest inventing your own seed pots. It’s easy:
- Old milk or juice cartons—Lay the carton on its side and remove one of the long sides. Make drainage holes on the opposite side. Fill with soil. More than one plant can grow there.
- Egg cartons—The best part about using egg cartons is that, since they are bio-degradable and compostable, you can transfer both the seedling and the egg carton right into the ground or a container. Fill each cell in the carton with soil, and plant a few seeds in each one. Once the seeds have sprouted, carefully separate the individual cells, then plant them, cardboard cells and all.
- Paper rolls—Everyone uses toilet paper, and the little paper tubes are the perfect size for seed planting. All you have to do is cut your toilet paper rolls in half, then place them all tightly on a tray and fill with soil. Since the bottoms are open, they already have a natural way to drain water. When the time is right, plant them outside in their toilet paper rolls. Just like the egg cartons, the cardboard will compost, and the plants will already be off to a great start.
Seeds require well-fertilized, moist soil to provide a nutrient-rich environment for germination. We use a new seed starting mix specifically designed for growing seedlings and ensure the soil remains consistently moist by misting and watering. If the soil dries out, the seeds may not germinate properly. Germination can take between 5 and 21 days. Once the seedlings are ready and the risk of frost has passed, we’ll transplant them outside.
Here is our YouTube video of us making seedling containers and talking about planting:
Happy gardening!
Here are more posts about growing herbs and growing potatoes in small places.
If you’re new to growing food join me in my online course and learn how to grow food in your garden, patio, balcony or even indoors.
