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5 Easy Ways to Increase Pollination in Your Vegetable Garden

February 25, 2021

When you go through all the trouble of planting a vegetable garden, weeding it, watering it, and basically tending to its every need, you expect that said vegetable garden will provide you with a lot of vegetables. But what happens when you do everything right, the weather co-operates for the most part, but you still don’t end up with a big harvest?

Chances are, you don’t have enough pollinators in your space. Sure, you can hand pollinate your tomatoes, cucumbers, and more, but it’s not sustainable. Instead, you need to get more bees in your vegetable garden–stat!!

In this blog post, I’ll give you 5 of the best strategies to both encourage pollinators, especially bees, to visit your vegetable garden, as well as how to make your garden more bee friendly in general.

This post is sponsored by Kind Bee Farms. I’ll be testing out their pollinator kit with leafcutter bees in the Spring/Summer of 2021 and updating this post to report on how it goes. I grew up on a farm that had leafcutter bees nearby, and reaped the benefits, so I’m confident that the Kind Bee Farms bee hotel will make a difference in my yard this summer.

1. Plant Flowers

The easiest and prettiest way to attract pollinators to your vegetable garden is to plant flowers. Bees especially love flowers in blue, purple, yellow, and white, but you don’t have to exclusively plant those colours to be bee-friendly. In my garden, the bees really love sleeping in my yellow and pink Zowie Flame zinnias, and tucked up in the folds of my dahlias.

They also love my sunflowers and bee balm too. Check out this post for 44 pollinator friendly flowers that you can grow.

Unfortunately, most of the flowers I mentioned all flower at the same time. But the bees need food during the entire warm part of the year–not just July and August. Which brings us to our next strategy. . .

2. Leave dandelions and clover in your lawn

I like a pristine lawn as much as the next person, but if you’re serious about bringing bees to your backyard, you’ll leave at least the first few dandelions and clover bloom to help out the bees. Once some of your spring perennials start blooming, then you can mow down those weeds as you please.

If you can’t bear to have dandelions blooming on your lawn, then at least consider leaving some areas of your yard a bit untidy with dried up leaves and last year’s perennial husks so the bees have some places to live.

3. Avoid using pesticides

In a home gardening situation, it’s usually pretty easy to avoid pesticide use and stick to organic pest remedies. However, if you have a really bad infestation and need to use a pesticide, here’s the best way to do it to avoid harming bees:

  • Avoid using pesticides on flowering plants and weeds
  • Apply pesticides only to the affected area in question, in as small an area as possible.
  • Apply pesticides from 8pm to 8am when bees are less likely to be moving around
  • Apply pesticides when the temperature is warmer. Residues remain on plants for a longer time when the weather is cool.

4. Make a Bee Bath

On your path to making your yard more bee-friendly, consider making a little bee bath–a place similar to a bird bath where bees can grab a drink. Place a saucer in a low lying, sunny area, fill it with water, and set a few flat rocks in it where bees can land. The bees will thank you for the drink and hopefully reward your vegetable garden with increased pollination.

5. Provide Shelter

Finally, one of the best ways to encourage pollinators in your vegetable garden is to provide shelter for them by building a bee hotel. But not just any bee hotel will do. Many bee houses on the market actually do more harm than good. You need to look for one with smooth insides on the cylinders and some overhang to provide shelter from the wind.

The frustrating thing is, that sometimes you can put up a bee hotel, but the bees don’t come. You can eliminate this problem by getting a bee house that comes included with the bees–therefore practically guaranteeing that you’ll have pollination in your vegetable garden.

Why You Should Get a Leafcutter Bee House

Honey bees and mason bees get all the glory, but there’s actually a much better pollinator out there–leaf cutter bees. Leaf cutter bees have fuzzy bellies (not sticky bellies like honeybees) so they spread more pollen. Meaning, your vegetables have an increased chance of pollination, because leafcutter bees can pollinate more plants in a day.

I get my pollinator kit from Kind Bees. They ship to both Canada and the US, and the house actually comes with the bees–no buying a bee house only to be disappointed with bees that never show up.

Finally, leafcutter bees are low flying and tend to stick to a smaller area, so they won’t just fly away and leave your yard.

If you’re struggling with pollination, grab your pollinator kit here. You can order now, and it will be delivered to you at the perfect time for your area in the Spring.

P.S. Follow me on Instagram or Facebook so you can see how the leaf cutter bees improve pollination in my yard in real time in Spring/Summer 2021.

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

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Bloom Times: What Cut Flowers Grow When in Zone 3

February 24, 2021

If you’re planning on growing your own flowers for a wedding, or other special occasion, you’ve probably been scouring garden plans, growing guides, and bloom time charts. But if you live in a cold climate with a short growing season like I do in zone 3, you’ve probably realized that most of what you find out there doesn’t quite work for you.

Or maybe you haven’t even gotten that far into your project yet, and you don’t even know what flowers bloom in June, or if you can have those peonies you love in an August wedding. (Spoiler, you can’t unless you cut them at a certain point in their growth and refrigerate them.)

So consider this your managing-expectations-of-what’s-possible post, before you start ordering seeds or getting your heart completely set on a flower that’s hard to grow or blooms at the wrong time.

If you prefer your content in video format, check out this YouTube video instead:

The Challenges of Growing Your Own Wedding Flowers

When your flowers bloom is ultimately at the whims of Mother Nature and the weather that year–unless you’ve been growing cut flowers for years and are more of an advanced gardener.

But most brides I talk to aren’t–and that’s okay! You just need to know a few key things about growing flowers so you can make the best decision possible for you and your day.

I go over some of the challenges, like if you want to use perennial flowers, in this post on how to save money by growing your own wedding flowers.

You should also know that this list isn’t perfect! It’s a compilation of everything cut-flower-related that I’ve grown in the last three years and when it generally bloomed. I’ve taken a ridiculous amount of pictures of my garden, so I have photographic evidence of what tends to bloom when.

Now onto the flowers!

Late May

May can be a tricky month to get flowers in bloom for your wedding, as all of the options are perennials. So you either need to plan ahead and plant what you need in the fall, or know someone who has an established perennial garden and flowering trees. You’ll also likely have trouble sourcing any sort of filler flower, so plan to buy some baby’s breath or supplement with flowers from your florist or elsewhere.

  • Tulips
  • Daffodils
  • Flowering fruit trees, such as apple or cherry

It might also be possible to start ranunculus or anemones early and have them bloom, but you’d need to order corms from a specialty grower and start them early. I’m still new to growing these flowers, so I can’t even tell you what timing you’d need to do for it to work.

Early-Mid June

The options are still a bit sparse, but you’ll have a few more options. Plan on sourcing out some filler flower. If you have access to an established perennial garden, you could have a lot of beautiful options to chose from.

  • Lilacs
  • Flowering bushes & fruit trees
  • Cosmos if started 8-7 weeks early
  • Ranunculus
  • Anemones
  • Clumping Bellflower
  • Peonies
  • Columbine
  • Bleeding Heart
  • Iris
  • Lupins
  • Yarrow

Late June

By late June the choices are opening up, and the first of the annual cut flowers from seed are starting to appear. If your heart is set on peonies, this is the time to plan your wedding if you live in zone three.

  • Calendula
  • Poppies
  • Roses
  • Allium
  • Ranunculus
  • Anemones
  • Clumping Bellflower
  • Peonies
  • Columbine
  • Bleeding Heart
  • Iris
  • Lupins
  • Yarrow
  • Veronica
  • Salvia

Early July

The summer blooming perennials are now either in full swing, or they are starting to break out. Annuals from seed are definitely on their way, and if you’re a more experienced gardener and willing to take some risks, you might even be able to succession sow some of the annuals so that you have more of a guarantee that their bloom time will line up with your wedding or special occasion.

  • Delphinium
  • Snapdragons
  • Maltese Cross
  • Asiatic Lilies
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Calendula
  • Poppies
  • Roses
  • Clumping Bellflower
  • Columbine
  • Lupins
  • Yarrow
  • Veronica
  • Salvia

Mid July

Your annual cut flower garden is springing to life at this point, and your options are good! Mid July is prime-time for Lilies, and all of those summer blooming perennials are at their peak.

  • Liatris
  • Feverfew
  • Stock
  • Bachelor’s Buttons
  • Zinnias
  • Strawflowers
  • Delphinium
  • Snapdragons
  • Maltese Cross
  • Asiatic Lilies
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Calendula
  • Poppies
  • Roses
  • Yarrow
  • Veronica
  • Salvia
  • Baby’s Breath

Late July

By late July your options are getting even better, as you might be able to start to pick from some of the blooms that spring to life in August–especially if it’s been a really warm summer. This week and the first week of August are when my cutting garden feels at its prime. You might also get a few early sunflowers, and possibly an early variety of dahlia in bloom at this point.

  • Liatris
  • Rudbeckia
  • Bee Balm
  • Feverfew
  • Stock
  • Bachelor’s Buttons
  • Zinnias
  • Strawflowers
  • Snapdragons
  • Maltese Cross
  • Asiatic Lilies
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Calendula
  • Poppies
  • Roses
  • Yarrow
  • Salvia
  • Baby’s breath

Early August

If you’re planning on growing your own flowers for your wedding, August if the month that gives you the most options that you have control over. Few perennials are blooming at this point in the season in zone 3, but the annuals are out of this world. If you need blue in your bouquets, I was able to grab the last few offshoots of my delphinium to make these yellow rudbeckia pop. (Bouquet pictured below)

  • Sunflower
  • Gladiolus
  • Goldenrod
  • Heliopsis
  • Echinacea
  • Brown Eyed Susans
  • Liatris
  • Rudbeckia
  • Bee Balm
  • Feverfew
  • Stock
  • Bachelor’s Buttons
  • Zinnias
  • Strawflowers
  • Snapdragons
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Calendula
  • Poppies
  • Roses
  • Yarrow
  • Salvia
  • Baby’s breath

Mid August

In the middle of August, the flowers we associate with the end of the season are now just starting to bloom or in full swing. The world is the mid-August bride’s oyster flower-wise.

  • Dahlias
  • Asters
  • Craspedia
  • Gomphrena
  • Carnations
  • Sunflower
  • Gladiolus
  • Goldenrod
  • Heliopsis
  • Echinacea
  • Brown Eyed Susans
  • Liatris
  • Rudbeckia
  • Feverfew
  • Stock
  • Bachelor’s Buttons
  • Zinnias
  • Strawflowers
  • Snapdragons
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Calendula
  • Roses
  • Yarrow
  • Baby’s breath
  • Poppy seed heads

Late August

Late August is the most gorgeous time in the garden, but it’s also when you need to be watching the weather for freezing temperatures every night. If there is a risk of frost, cover your flowers with old bedsheets or risk losing all your hard work.

Some flowers, like asters, any remaining snapdragons, and carnations will be fine. Others, like dahlias, cosmos, and zinnias will be ruined.

  • Chrysanthemums
  • Dahlias
  • Asters
  • Craspedia
  • Gomphrena
  • Carnations
  • Sunflower
  • Gladiolus
  • Goldenrod
  • Heliopsis
  • Echinacea
  • Brown Eyed Susans
  • Rudbeckia
  • Zinnias
  • Strawflowers
  • Snapdragons (later planting)
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Poppy seed heads

September

In zone 3 in September, it always feels like you’re living on borrowed time flower-wise. The first frost often happens the first week of September, followed by another close encounter somewhere around the 15th. The killing frost always happens by the end of the month. Growth will slow down significantly, even if the weather remains nice.

  • Chrysanthemums
  • Dahlias
  • Asters
  • Craspedia
  • Gomphrena
  • Carnations
  • Sunflower
  • Gladiolus
  • Goldenrod
  • Heliopsis
  • Echinacea
  • Brown Eyed Susans
  • Rudbeckia
  • Zinnias
  • Strawflowers
  • Snapdragons (later planting)
  • Celosia
  • Marigolds
  • Cosmos
  • Poppy seed heads

I hope you’ve found this post helpful in planning out your special day! If you need more help figuring out how to put everything together–planning out your cut flower garden, growing the flowers, and making gorgeous bouquets, Cut Flowers Made Simple and Bouquets Made Beautiful have got your back. They’re your easy and very visual guides to growing and arranging cut flowers that anyone can follow–and many people have with great results!

Grab both here

Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

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Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: cold climate, cut flowers, zone 3

The Best Vegetables & Flowers to Start with Winter Sowing

February 11, 2021

Winter sowing vegetables and flowers is a wonderful way to start strong seedlings that don’t really need hardening off. Over the winter, you can save your milk jugs, fill them up with soil and seeds, and be rewarded with your own seed starters in the Spring. However, some seeds lend themselves to winter sowing better than others.

In this post I’ll provide a list with pictures of the best flowers and vegetables to start in your milk jugs over the winter. As well, we’ll go over the process behind winter sowing and discuss why some vegetables are better than others.

A quick disclaimer or two: I personally garden in zone 3b in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. We have a short growing season that’s around 100 days, and a cold climate. Since our last frost date is so late–somewhere around the 3rd week in May, we can still put our milk jugs for winter sowing out in April and still see results. So even though it’s called winter sowing, for me, it’s a bit of a misnomer, as I’m “sowing” seeds in spring because it’s still so cold.

Winter Sowing is Not the Same As Seed Starting Indoors

I confess, the reason I’m even writing this post is because I’ve gotten a lot of messages from readers asking me if they can start this or that vegetable, how the plant can possibly germinate in freezing temps (it can’t), or if you start your seeds on a schedule like you would when you’re seed starting indoors.

Winter sowing is not like indoor seed sowing!! There is no real “schedule” except get the plants out the door and on your deck before they germinate indoors and before all the freezing temps are over.

The plants will not germinate until they are actually warm enough in their milk jugs to do so. The only thing you have to do is make sure that once most of the outdoor temperatures are above freezing, that your jugs have enough water. That’s it. Let Mother Nature do the rest.

When do you plant your seedlings?

I generally check my jugs when the snow melts, which usually ends up being sometime in mid-April. Look to see if the soil is dry and water it accordingly. If you do not keep up with the water at this point, your winter sowing will not be very successful.

Once my seedlings have gotten a bit larger, around approximately 2-4 inches tall, I transfer them out into the garden. This usually ends up being around early-to-mid-May.

The seedlings don’t require hardening off, but they do require covering if the temperature dips to below freezing overnight.

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Winter Sowing was Originally Intended to Start Perennial Flowers From Seed

It’s one of the cheapest and easiest ways to grow new perennials–especially if you’re not lucky enough to know someone with an established garden who is willing to divide their perennials. Basically, if you find, seeds for perennial flowers, they are likely a good candidate for winter sowing. Like any first year perennial flower, these plants will be small and flower late their or maybe not even flower at all. However, in 3 to 5 years you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful full sized perennial that you didn’t have to pay a lot for.

Annual flowers and vegetables do not require cold stratification to grow, and were not originally intended to be started as seedlings using the milk jug method. However, some of them do work, and it’s a great way to start seeds without a south facing window, grow lights, or even space in your own home.

If you want to learn more about the process of creating your own milk jug garden, check out this post on winter sowing, or watch this YouTube video below:

Vegetables for Winter Sowing

  • Arugula
  • Asian Greens
  • Beets
  • Bok Choi
  • Broccoli
  • Cabbage
  • Cauliflower
  • Cress
  • Kale
  • Lettuce
  • Peas
  • Radish
  • Spinach
  • Spring Onions
  • Swiss Chard

Annual Flowers for Winter Sowing

  • Amaranth
  • Bachelor’s buttons
  • Bells of Ireland
  • Calendula
  • Cosmos
  • Larkspur
  • Marigold
  • Poppies
  • Sunflower
  • Strawflower
  • Sweet Peas
  • Zinnia

If there’s a vegetable or flower or flower that’s not on this list, it’s probably because it has too long of a date to maturity, or needs to be seed sown the traditional was with grow lights more than 4 weeks before the final frost. Using those rules, plants like snapdragons, tomatoes, brusselsprouts, artichokes, and peppers are not good candidates for winter sowing–especially if you have a short growing season.

I hope this list helps you in your winter sowing journey. Remember to keep track of it all in your garden planner, and happy growing!


NEED HELP IN THE GARDEN?

Green thumbs aren’t just given out at birth. They’re a combination of learning about gardening and trial and error. If you wish you knew more about gardening and had more confidence in your abilities, you need the Growing Roots Gardening Guide. 

It’s an e-book plus 6 bonuses–everything you need to go from complete garden newb to confident in one growing season. Get all the details of what’s inside here.

Ready to grow? Click this button and buy now:


Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

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Filed Under: Uncategorised Tagged: Flowers, Vegetables, winter sowing

21 Cut Flowers to Grow in Part Shade

February 3, 2021

You want a cut flower garden, but unfortunately your yard isn’t blessed with a lot of full sun. While full sun is the best for cut flowers, there’s a surprising amount of annual and perennial flowers you can grow that will work in part shade, and give you some additional options.

However, growing a cut flower garden in shade has some serious downsides that you should know. Let’s discuss these first before we get into the flowers you can grow.

Do you prefer your content in video form? You can watch this video below. Otherwise, keep scrolling for the flowers & issues to be aware of with a part shade cutting garden.

Limitations of growing cut flowers in part shade

First up, is the stem length and strength. I find that a lot of the flowers I list in this post don’t have as strong of stems as I would like–especially the ones on this list that do better in full sun, but will tolerate part shade.

Some of these flowers, like lily of the valley, have such short stems that I wouldn’t use them for anything other than boutonnieres and arrangements in teacups and other short vessels.

The hallmark of a good cut flower garden, is that it has enough of the different types of flowers that make up a bouquet, blooming at the same time. For example, it would be frustrating to have all your focal flowers bloom in June, and all your supporting flowers bloom in July. Or, have all your blooms in late July, then have nothing else available for the rest of the season.

Related: How to Start a Cut Flower Garden

The amount of cut flowers you can reasonably grow in the shade, coupled with the bloom times these particular flowers have, means that it would be extremely difficult to operate any sort of cut flower farm or related business with these flowers. However, if you’re growing these flowers for your own personal enjoyment, then it’s not really an issue.

I don’t want to mislead you into thinking that you’ll be okay to grow cut flowers on a large scale if all you have is part shade.

Another unfortunate thing, is that you’ll probably get less blooms in general–especially from those aforementioned flowers like calendula or larkspur that tolerate shade, but would do better in full sun.

So now that I’ve been a complete Debbie Downer and you understand the inherent limitations, on to the fun stuff–the flowers!!

P.S. I garden in zone 3 on the Canadian Prairies, so I only list flowers that I know and can grow. If you live somewhere warmer, you probably have more choices available to you!

Perennial Cut Flowers for Part Shade

In my cut flower garden, the perennials are just part of my landscape, instead of in structured rows like my annuals. That way, I can snip what I please, but still leave a few to enjoy while I’m outside in my yard.

Here’s a few shade perennials that work well in both a landscape and a cut flower garden. Many of these can also be used in a garden underneath a tree.

1. Astible

A perfect spiky flower to add some texture to a bouquet. Grow shades of white, pink, purple, and red.

2. Bleeding Heart

One of the easiest to grow shade perennials when you live on the Prairies. It’s not traditionally used for bouquets, but would be a stunning and unexpected element.

3. Columbines

Columbines have thin stems, but they can hold up in a bouquet. They come in almost every imaginable colour combination and are extremely easy to grow.

4. Coral Bells

While the flowers (shown below) are nice, I would plant coral bells for their different coloured leaves. The shades of green, lime, orange, red, and burgundy would add a lot of interest to a bouquet.

5. Golden Rod

This fall-blooming perennial prefers the sun, but you’ll still get blooms in the shade.

6. Hydrangea

All hydrangeas are not created equal. Unfortunately for those of us in zone three, only a few certain varieties will actually survive. Try Limelight or Annabelle.

7. Japanese Anemone

A gorgeous perennial on woody stems. Not to be confused with the woodland anemone which is often used as a ground cover, but has thin, short stems.

8. Lady’s Mantle

Long stems and a beautiful hit of chartreuse.

Image by Hans Braxmeier from Pixabay 

9. Lily of the Valley

Lily of the valley are a ground cover, and have a beautiful scent. The stems will be too short for most bouquets, but would work in a boutonniere or a bouquet in a teacup or other short vessel.

10. Lilies

Asiatic lilies will do a lot better in full sun, but they will still bloom in part shade, giving you more options for cut flowers.

11. Solomon’s Seal

The graceful arc of solomon’s seal will add an unexpected and airy element to an arrangement.

Annual Cut flowers for Part Shade

Well I love using perennials for cut flowers, growing annuals adds so many more options to my bouquets.

12. Asters

Look for china asters, which come in better colours and are preferred by farmer florists.

13. Calendula

Calendula is a great companion plant in the vegetable garden, and the leaves can also be dried and used in soaps and lotions.

Calendula

14. Chrysanthemums

A classic fall favourite, chrysanthemums are cold tolerant too.

15. Dianthus

Carnations or any type of dianthus are cold tolerant and can be found in many colours.

16. Dusty Miller

Dusty miller (in the front row) will grow slightly longer stems if grown in the shade. I find the stems too small for most arrangements, but I love them as a dried flower in fall and winter wreaths.

17. Foxgloves

Don’t grow fox gloves if you have pets or kids who tend to eat and get into things, as they are poisonous. But if you can grow them, they are a beautiful spiky flower that comes in a multitude of colours and variations.

18. Larkspur

Very similar in looks and colour to a delphinium, but tolerates shade (where a delphinium will not).

19. Pansies

Pansies will grow practically anywhere, and in recent years, growers have been developing varieties with longer stems that work better in bouquets.

20. Rudbeckia

Rudbeckia are easy to grow and start from seed. I love the prairie sun (pictured below) and sahara varieties.

21. Salvia

Salvia can be both a perennial and annual, depending on the variety. The purple ones are most common, but these pink ones would be stunning.

Any cut flowers that I missed? I’d love to know about them in the comments!


SERIOUS ABOUT STARTING A CUT FLOWER GARDEN, BUT NEED MORE HELP?

The Ultimate Cut Flower Bundle has everything you need! Learn exactly which flowers to grow for blooms all season long, get done-for-you plans and a system to create your own so you can grow exactly what works for you. You’ll get Cut Flowers Made Simple, Bouquets Made Beautiful, The Frost Proof Flower Garden (to extend your fall growing season) and Savvy Seed Saving, so you can save some serious money on seeds.


Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Uncategorised

The Best Grow Lights for Seedlings (from Budget to Bougie)

January 27, 2021

So you’re starting a bunch of plants from seed this year, and you need to invest in a grow light setup. Before you sell your firstborn to pay for the whole thing, here’s what I’ve found to be some of the best grow lights for seedlings, depending on your budget and the kind of space you have. Is LED better than florescent? Do you really need the pink coloured grow lights? Or can you just get away with basic shop lights and a used shelf?

I’ll break it all down for you in this post and give you my recommendations.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read more about it in my privacy policy. Thanks for supporting Shifting Roots!

Best for Small Spaces

If you’re just getting started with growing vegetables from seed, this little grow light is the perfect way to try it out without spending a lot of money. Mine cost around $50 and came with a bulb. When ordering small grow lights like this one, make sure that you confirm whether or not the bulb is included.

While I have a large setup, I like this small growlight because it’s good for January and February when I only have a few flowers started and don’t want to bring out my whole huge setup. The only thing I don’t like about it is that it is not adjustable.

I end up either raising my tray up to get closer to the light, or raise the light up on boxes if I need more room. It’s not perfect, but it get’s the job done without taking up a lot of space.

This small growlight is a better option than the one I have above, because you can adjust the height. While I love my cheap and cheerful setup, spending the extra $25 would have been worth it.

DIY Options

You don’t have to invest in big-and-brand-new everything. If you are handy, you can make your own shelves, fit them to the type of seed starting trays you use, and buy a grow light kit to make stringing together your lights as easy as possible.

If you don’t want to make your own shelves, I personally like wire shelves like these ones. They look good and make hooking the lights on as easy as possible.

When you’re looking for a DIY grow light kit, avoid strips like these ones that have a stick on adhesive. While they’re very convenient, you’ll have no flexibility with raising and lowering–and might end up with leggy seedlings anyway. This kit adjusts with zip ties, but I would also buy some hooks and chains for more reusable height adjustment.

Get Close-To-Professional Results

We’ve all seen the new-style of pink/purple LED grow lights that look like they belong on a spaceship instead of in a growlight setup. I admit, I was pretty sceptical about these lights, but they do the job and are the lights that will give you the most professional results. If you’re really interested in having a grow tent year round filled with vegetables, these are the lights you should invest in for the best results.

Maybe it’s weird, but I find these lights to be so aggressive. So until I’m at the point where I can actually have that indoor grow room year-round, I prefer the fluorescent version of this to the LED one. (But it’s just personal preference!! If you want to go LED, this is truly your best option.)

The Best Florescent Bulbs To Use

My favourite bulbs to use are the fluorescent ones that are made especially for seed starting. The price really varies. I’ve paid $25 a bulb in-store, but found these ones for much cheaper on Amazon. I like the way that my seeds grow with them. I feel that it’s easier to get seedlings that aren’t leggy.

I haven’t jumped on the LED train for the simple reason that I find them hard on my eyes. I don’t think one is really better than the other, it just comes down to personal preference and how much money you’re willing and able to spend.

Can You Just Use Regular Lights?

Yes. . . and no. Sigh, don’t you hate when bloggers do that? Part of our setup is strung together with regular LED shop lights, and it actually works fine. However, you still need to ensure that your plants are all close enough so they don’t get leggy.

I also find that the seedlings grow a bit slower, especially when compared to the pink florescent bulbs that I’ve been replacing my used set-up with.

If all you can afford is a warm fluorescent bulb and a cool fluorescent bulb, you will still be able to grow nice vegetables and flowers from seed.

The One Thing That Matters More Than the Grow Light You Use

I feel the need to add that in the end, you can have the most expensive grow light setup in the world, but it doesn’t matter if you don’t know how to take care of your seedlings. Keeping your seedlings the correct distance away from the light, not overwatering, and not under watering, are way more critical than buying the best quality grow light.

If you need help with getting the basics of seed starting down, I cover everything in my Beginner Gardening Ebook.

Buying Used

My setup that I’ve been using for years is a hand-me-down from my Dad and Father-in-law. Unbeknownst to each other, they each purchased the same brand of grow lights with trays in the 90’s, and they’ve worked very well for me.

Bulb technology has improved since then, so I’ve been swapping out the lights with full spectrum growing bulbs whenever one of the ones that came with it run out.

These are the bulbs that I’m slowly replacing the old ones with.

Finding a used growlight setup can be tricky, especially in these times when there’s so much more interest in gardening than there used to be. However, if you don’t want to DIY your own, buying used is the easiest and most cost-effective option.

The Grow Light Setup of my Dreams

While I like my grow light setup, if I could wave a magic wand and have any sort of set-up and budget wasn’t an issue, this is what I would buy myself. I love the sturdy black shelves, and I would make sure that it comes with my favourite pink fluorescent lightbulbs.

I Can’t Afford This, Are There Other Options?

If starting seedlings with a growlight isn’t financially feasible this year, you can also try seed starting from your windowsill, or winter sowing.

If you have a south facing window, you can start some of your seedlings up on your windowsill. You can even create this shelf to maximize the amount of seedlings you can start. However, it’s not a good idea to start anything before February 15th (at least where I live, in Saskatoon, SK) as there just aren’t enough hours of light in the day to support the new plants.

If you don’t have a south-facing window, you can take some of your seed starting outdoors instead. While winter sowing is not a replacement for a grow light, it can let you start a few hardy flowers and vegetables and get them going earlier than your direct sown ones. Please don’t try and start heat loving vegetables like tomatoes and peppers. It will not work.

You can read more about how to get started winter sowing here.


NEED HELP IN THE GARDEN?

Green thumbs aren’t just given out at birth. They’re a combination of learning about gardening and trial and error. If you wish you knew more about gardening and had more confidence in your abilities, you need the Growing Roots Gardening Guide. 

It’s an e-book plus 6 bonuses–everything you need to go from complete garden newb to confident in one growing season. Get all the details of what’s inside here.

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Happy gardening!


Kristen Raney

Kristen is a former farm kid turned urban gardener who owns the popular gardening website, Shifting Roots.  She is obsessed with growing flowers and pushing the limits of what can be grown in her zone 3b garden.  She also loves to grow tomatoes, but oddly enough, dislikes eating them raw.

www.shiftingroots.com

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Welcome!

Hi, I'm Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

P.S. First time gardener? You'll want to download the quick start gardening guide below!

Recent Posts

  • 5 Easy Ways to Increase Pollination in Your Vegetable Garden
  • Bloom Times: What Cut Flowers Grow When in Zone 3
  • The Best Vegetables & Flowers to Start with Winter Sowing
  • 21 Cut Flowers to Grow in Part Shade
  • The Best Grow Lights for Seedlings (from Budget to Bougie)

Welcome!

Hi, I’m Kristen and I help new gardeners learn to grow their own vegetables and beautify their yards. I also share recipes that use all that delicious garden produce. Grab a coffee (and your gardening gloves) and join me for gardening tips, simple recipes, and the occasional DIY, all from the lovely city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

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I love seeing the world through this loving boy’ I love seeing the world through this loving boy’s eyes.  Honestly, I’ve been so sick that I wasn’t really in the mood to “do Valentines Day” but there was this sweet little voice going on about how excited he was for today and how much he loves his family and I just couldn’t resist.  So whether you’re on your own, part of a couple, or in the thick of life-with-littles craziness, Happy Valentines Day!

#valentinesday2020 #mylittlevalentine #boymomlife #lifewithlittles
How do you pass a cold -28 day? By planning your How do you pass a cold -28 day?  By planning your garden, of course!  Today in my stories I’ll be going through the steps I take to start planning everything out.  I’m curious, do you start planning now or wait until the last minute?

P.S.  want your own copy of this planner?  This is the newly updated paid version and it’s on sale by itself from now until Sunday for only $5.  If you’re from Canada, use the code CANADA to make $5 USD be closer to $5 CAD.  Head over to the link in my bio to get yours.

#gardenplanning #gardenplanner #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #organizedlife #organizedliving #wintergardening
Curious about growing lettuce indoors? My experim Curious about growing lettuce indoors?  My experiment is a success so far, although it’s still going to be awhile before I’m eating another salad off of them.

Okay, so maybe a little rant today.  I think sometimes in the gardening space we’re guilty of making things seem easier than they are.  Myself included.  This lettuce project is a case in point.

Was it easy?  Yes.  But will it provide me with endless salads all winter long? Nope.  Or at least not at this scale.  I’m going to estimate that I’d need at least 15 plants this size, especially since it’s winter and everything just grows slower.  And I’m the only person in my family who really eats salad.

In conclusion, this is a fun project to pass the winter, and not a truly sustainable source of lettuce.

Thoughts?

#growinglettuce #eatwhatyougrow #growwhatyoueat #wintergardening #indoorgardening #plantproject #sustainablefood #gardenersofinstagram #gardenerslife #northerngardening
Part of the mystery of seed starting is knowing ex Part of the mystery of seed starting is knowing exactly what to start when.  Every two weeks, I'll be posting these handy guides so you have enough time to order your seeds and be ready to plant when it's time for your area.  To find out when these veggies, herbs, and flowers need to be started where you live. . . ⁠
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1. Search out your area's last frost date.  There are plenty of calculators on the Internet.⁠
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2. Count backwards 8 weeks from that date.⁠
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3. Start these seeds when that date hits.⁠
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If you follow me because we're in similar zones--don't panic, it's not time yet!! I won't be starting my 10 week seeds for another two weeks, and even that is slightly on the early side. (I'm starting everything a bit early so I can hopefully plant it out before baby gets here--I won't be physically able to do it after.) I like posting the info early for followers in warmer zones and so you can save it and still have time to order/buy seeds & supplies.⁠
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Which one of these are you most excited to start?⁠
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#seedstarting #seedlings #homegardener #northerngardener #homesteading #urbandhomesteading #homesteadingskills #gardenlife #gardenlifestyle #startingseeds
Eeeek!!! My luffa seedlings are up!! I’m growing Eeeek!!! My luffa seedlings are up!! I’m growing the whole seed packet in hopes that a few of these little luffa babies will provide me with zero waste sponges that I can use for home cleaning, and as an exfoliant in home made beauty products.

The catch?

These plants are notoriously hard to grow, especially when you live somewhere cold with a really cold growing season—and if they get a hint of frost on them they turn to mush and all my hard work is ruined.

Gulp.

But gardeners are born optimists, so I’m giving it a shot—because you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

P.S. if you’re trying luffa in zone 3 like me, just basically ignore all the directions on the seed packet.  Start them immediately (two weeks ago would have been ideal) and follow along because I’ll show you exactly what to do and when.  I’ll be popping these under a grow light once the sun goes down.

#luffagourd #luffa #loofah #seedlings #seedstarting #northerngardening #northerngardener #gardenersofinstagram #gardenersofig #mygardenthismonth #gardenlife #canadiangardening
This weekend I took a big leap of faith. I came t This weekend I took a big leap of faith.  I came to New York to meet with other content creators/business owners to dig deep into what we do and create a strategy around our messaging.  I don’t even know how to properly describe what all went down, but is was incredibly life changing and I really feel connected to this tribe of women who are committed to playing to win and being the people our businesses need us to be.  I’m so excited to share what I’ve planned for my business with you in the coming months.

#playtowin #gardenblogger #businessowner #wahmlife
Is there such a thing as a no-fail houseplant? I Is there such a thing as a no-fail houseplant?  I think the Sansevera or Snake Plant or Mother-in-law’s tongue comes close.  Sure, it might be the vanilla of the plant-loving world, but it is so good for so many situations!⁠
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It can handle you forgetting to water it, low light, or bright light.  It is somewhat forgiving if you are an over-waterer. ⁠
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I’ve had this one for 2 or 3 years now and I keep getting rewarded with more spikes.⁠
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Plant lovers, is there another houseplant you think would be perfect for beginners?⁠
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#crazyplantlady #houseplantsofig #houseplantsofinstagram #snakeplant #houseplantlove
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