Growing an Almond Tree

Hopefully, you haven't been holding your breath since my last post.

This winter, I have been attempting to grow various plants indoors and finally have some success to share with you! My attempt to grow an almond tree from seed has worked!

 I could not get a picture without Mason in it, he loves to smell my plants!

How to grow an almond tree from seed:

1. Go to your local grocery store and search for almonds that are raw, not processed in any way and are still in their shell.

2. Place damp peat moss into a plastic bag along with your almond seeds. Make sure to check the moss every so often to be sure it hasn't dried out.

3. Place the into your refriderator for 4-6 weeks.

4. Remove them from the bag and crack open the shells to expose the seeds.
(I have read two different opinions here; one leave the seed in the shell which is what I did. Or completely remove the shell)

5. Plant the seeds 1/2 inch deep. As it grows you may want to add more dirt to help stabilize the base.

Why refrigerate the seeds? Seeds have different needs for what allows them to germinate and sprout. Almonds fall into the category of seeds that need to be stratified. This mimics the natural process for the seed after it has fallen from the tree and lies on the ground covered by leaves over the winter.

Things to know about growing an almond tree:

• Almond tree's grow very quickly. Make sure you keep up on fertilizing. 
• If you keep your tree in a pot, you may want to place it outside in the summer months and bring it in during the winter. Just be sure you place the plant in a cooler area of your house during the winter to mimic its natural environment.
• Almond trees need to be in dirt that drains well. Adding a tiny bit of sand or peat moss to your soil can help with this. 
• Make sure the tree has quite a bit of light.

I have had a difficult time finding information on keeping an almond tree growing inside...in a pot....in a gloomy city. I guess the odds are against me of keeping this thing going!

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Garden Photos

Photos from my garden, taken this past weekend:

 Mint

 Carrot

 Spinach

Beets

 Bumble Bee

 Blueberry blossoms

Tomato plant in a wall-o-water

Mason taking a snooze in the window while watching me garden.

I hope you will join me tomorrow for Tomato Tuesday! I will talk about pruning your tomato plants!

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Soil for Seeds

When starting seeds indoors, make sure your soil comes from a sealed bag, or has been sterilized. Do not transport dirt from your outdoor garden, you will bring in all sorts of critters,  possible diseases, and weed seeds!

I suggest buying "seed starter" at your local gardening store:

Thank you Vanna.

You can make your own mix, but I find this time consuming and expensive.

A few tips on dirt and planting your seeds:

• Pack your dirt down in your container, this will give the roots a more firm structure to grab on to, despite the soil being generally light and fluffy.
• Plant your seeds according to the directions on the back of your seed packet.
• Remove the large white "pebbles" from the top of the dirt, this is most likely perlite, which is great for allowing air to circulate underneath the soil, but can be difficult for seeds to sprout past.

• Place your trays in about an inch of water to start. Always water seeds from the bottom up to avoid drowning your seeds.
• Spray the top of your seeds with a water bottle to keep the seeds moist, not soaked. Do not let the soil on top dry out!

• Add heat! 70 degrees is ideal. You can either place the seeds next to a heater, place your container on a heating pad on low (be careful! water and electricity do not mix well), or I have splurged and bought heat mats that I set under my trays and can use each year:  

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Starting Seeds!

The moment I have been waiting for all winter! I'd like to throw a party, but I'm afraid the only one that would attend would be Mason. Time to start those seeds! My best advice for those of you interested in exploring starting your own seeds is to buy a starter kit. They are cheap and cover many of the basics in seed starting.

Starting seeds indoors can require some time, its a commitment. If you don't think you can devote daily attention to your seeds then I suggest buying some starts in a month or so. However, if you can spend a few minutes a day ensuring water supply is adequate, and checking for any problems, it's worth it! There is a lot to go over here, so I plan to break my posts up by day. I will cover: containers, soil, planting, heat/watering, problems and how to correct them, preparing for the move outside, and transplanting.

The reasons I enjoy starting my own seeds are: it allows me to plant some unique vegetables, it's cheaper, you tend to have hardier plants, and with heirloom vegetables I can save seeds from the vegetable, and replant the next year ensuring some hardy veggies that can adapt to my garden's conditions and climate! Not sure if any of my veggies can adapt to this though:

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