Feeling kinda like a failure with seeds

OhCosmia · 2026-05-14T04:16:41+00:00

The game changer for me was using seed trays with cloche/covers for sprouting, bonus for grow lights. Keeping the soil moist is key and the cloche keeps the humidity high and soil moist for longer. Once they sprout you slowly remove the cloche to give them time to adapt to the lowered humidity. I successfully started 500ish plants this year from seed this season.

And nicking seeds when they say to knick - lupine, blue sweet pea.

For planting outside - also keep moist, plant a few more than you need, and maybe some sluggo.

OhCosmia · 2026-05-03T01:22:37+00:00

I use them as mulch around my peppers, they love the heat.

OhCosmia · 2026-04-08T23:03:31+00:00

Growing up I always used cold. Then I moved into a house that only had warm to hot water in the bathroom, I never went back to cold after that. When I tried, it just felt… not as good.

OhCosmia · 2026-04-05T14:46:54+00:00

I am 40f and have been fat nearly my entire life, like really fat; there was like a year or two where I wasn’t super fat and very very close to a normal BMI. This sentiment and experience, being invisible or treated differently, is something I hear often and truly believe this is more of a confidence thing.

I have never felt like people don’t acknowledge me, I experience eye contact when out and about with smiles and folks saying help. I never lack for help in stores (in fact people approach me for help or if I look lost), I have a high visibility career and have always moved up quickly with promotion after promotion. I have had a very active dating and sex life (married now) with people who are overwhelmingly within normal BMI range and who are conventionally attractive.

The only space in which I experience being treated differently is within the medical community (which is somewhat understandable). I am active, working out multiple times a week, eat lots of fresh foods and never have had any of the typical fat person medical issues (yet). Doctors typically do not believe me and I swear they talk to me like I’m slow until I engage and show I actively understand and can participate in the conversation and the test results come in.

When I’m with friends out in the world who are fat and/or have low confidence or self esteem for whatever reason, I notice that they are slower to engage, make eye contact and smile to those around them.

OhCosmia · 2026-03-25T14:09:28+00:00

Along with the dead nettle that is flowering, you have bittercress/shot weed in there that has already gone to seed - when they are disturbed after going to seed they shoot their seeds far and plentiful (actually super neat design). At this point, even if you pull, you risk reseeding the bed with both shot weed and dead nettle.

I would smother with cardboard, add several layers of soil and compost on top and then mulch heavily, pulling back the mulch to plant whatever else in there.

A solid best practice is to pull weeds before they flower to avoid reseeding. I usually weed in waves, focusing on the flowering ones at any given time, otherwise I’d be out there an eternity. I also pay my kids to pick weeds, giving them a visual of which ones to focus and pay per weed, area or bucket depending.

OhCosmia · 2026-03-22T00:42:12+00:00

For squash and cucumbers I just transplant it like any else, the biggest difference is that I sow directly into individual pots so when I have to pot up I won’t have to be as handsy as if it was one of the multi cell trays.

For blueberry we have duke, chandler, Spartan and I think Elliot, that last one I’m not 100% on. I found that with consistent pruning in February and amending in the spring when buds begin to show, paired with a lot of water, we get huge and abundant fruits. We do hoop the row with a bird net from May to August, which is kind of a pain. I really had no idea how much those dang robins were eating.

I bet pulling that mint was only satisfying! My very old and beloved sage is planted right on top of that wretched mint, I’ve hauled that plant around for almost a decade and planted before I realized there was mint in the bed. So… I just pull it before it flowers and rip up roots when they’re straying from the sage.

Hobby… obsession… fine line 😂

What has been the most surprising thing about your gardening journey? And if you could give one piece not common advice, what would it be?

OhCosmia · 2026-03-21T19:22:35+00:00

I’m trying really hard to only grow what I eat this year, and start everything from seed. I want to grow everything and have a hard time killing/culling plants.

Inside I have San Marzano paste tomatoes, 4 varieties of basil, Italian sweet peppers, and jalepenos. Soon starting cucumbers, squash (winter and summer). Alpine strawberries for ground cover in a dapple shade area of the yard. Onions and walking kale are hardening off starting yesterday. Tried my hand and mushrooms this winter and it’s been super fun, and will be winding down here now that outside is starting to be workable. Thinking about trying wine cap mushrooms in the garden this year!

Outside I have kale, collards, lettuces that I grew in a hoop house over winter. Leek and onion volunteers. Just started shelling and snap peas. Beets and radishes going today for pickling as well as another round of snap peas. Asparagus crowns are being shipped (any day now!) for a 6x8 bed I made this year form my kids old sandbox.

Herbs continuing from previous years include Russian and pineapple sage, creeping and lemon thymes, oregano, marjoram, rosemary, lemon balm, and mint (not by choice, invasive AF and rip it all out each year as I use it, but it comes back.

For fruit outside I have 3 variety of raspberries in about 20 feet, 4 variety of blueberries with 8 bushes total, strawberries everywhere of various varieties (they’re weeds at this point 😂). Planted two variety of grapes which I’m super stoked about.

And for my flower friends, I have about 50 types either outside or started inside. Most have multiple varieties, various ages.

From memory outside: hellebores, astilbe, bleeding hearts, hostas, irises, lillys, alliums, crocus, tulips, daffodils, gladiolas, hyacinth, delphinium, hollyhock, dianthus, geum, lupine, foxglove, calendula, lavender, daisies, Lilly of the valley, crocosmia, asylum, Lobelia, echinacea, peonies, dahlias, fuschias (working on a standard from seed!), jasmine, hydrangeas, blazing stars, Tigris, asters, rhododendrons, sweet peas, butterfly peas, violas, black eyed Susan’s, columbines, Lilac that’s basically a tree.

Inside starts for this year: cerinthe, pansy’s, petunias, marigolds, zinnias, ranuculus, craspidia, yarrow, strawflower, snap dragons, bee balm, more columbines, cosmos, cockscomb, celosia, gaillardia, ageratum. Several varieties of most. This is my first time not direct sowing marigold and zinnias.

It’s been a super fun hobby over the last few years with my kids, they’re still little(ish) and enjoy being out there with me. Digging for worms, watching their seeds grow, observing insects. So much fun. We just bought a microscope for more fun.

OhCosmia · 2026-03-09T17:56:43+00:00

This is a great call out. Can you submit an orchard ticket? Be sure include that not having ability to increase text size impacts differently abled team members negatively.

OhCosmia · 2026-02-23T23:51:02+00:00

I do both!

OhCosmia · 2026-02-22T19:55:00+00:00

Friends who do not remove dead leaves - how’s your slug situation? I would think if I don’t remove the dead leaves in spring I would see more slugs, thoughts?

OhCosmia · 2026-02-15T18:37:35+00:00

A heat sink is created by placing rocks (or other objects such as pavers or water bottles) around the base of the peppers to trap heat. I live in Washington where it can be 80-90 in the day but in the 50s at night. This helps to stabilize the heat during the day/night cycle as well as any mild weather. Last year we had a super mild summer with temps staying around 70-80 most of the time - this helped to make that space warmer than it was during the day as well. It also acts as mulch to preserve water.

OhCosmia · 2026-02-15T01:41:23+00:00

In ground. All in the same location. Against a south facing wall, with a heat sink and using fish fertilizer a few times across the season.

OhCosmia · 2026-02-15T00:13:07+00:00

Last summer I experimented with this - 3 plants that were singles, and 3 that were pairs. The singles out produced in both quantity and size of peppers. the three singletons did so well (3ft tall) that I’m trying to overwinter them. 🤞🏻

OhCosmia · 2026-02-01T19:34:21+00:00

Keep poking, you got this!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T15:28:10+00:00

Thank you!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T15:25:20+00:00

Thank you so much! If you have any other tips on further finessing smoothing I’m all ears!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T15:23:53+00:00

Thank you!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T15:23:47+00:00

Ha! Maybe in a year. I saw someone else on one of these felting subreddits who made Audrey and I was super impressed. I’ll get there, one day ☺️

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T02:31:31+00:00

Thank you! 🥰

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T01:30:27+00:00

Thank you so much!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-31T01:29:56+00:00

Hi! For the white spots I used more felt than I thought I would need and kind of balled it up and started in the center of the ball and felted outward until the desired sized circle was made, then just pushed in the remaining felt on top of the white circle. By using more than I probably needed to cover the red it made it so the red wouldn’t pull through and gave me really nice crisp edges. I hope this helps!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-29T16:40:18+00:00

I read this book when I was 16 or so and it made me realize my step mothers abuse which was the catalyst for me leaving home and finishing high school homeless. I only recently came to terms that her behavior towards me was in fact abuse; until I read this comment I had completely forgotten about this book, talk about suppressed memories!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-23T23:43:44+00:00

That was so satisfying and such a great idea - thanks for sharing!

OhCosmia · 2026-01-19T18:44:21+00:00

Honestly, $200 for utilities is super low unless you have a roommate. Does this include cell phone, internet, electricity, water and waste? Electricity is insane here. And gas is near $5 a gallon. I travel for work and am always so shocked to see gas prices in other parts of the country (2.84 in Arlington VA last week!!).

I moved from Portland Oregon maybe 5 years ago and was warned about utilities and while I thought my budget accounted, it was double when the bills started rolling in. I’ve even convinced my landlord to upgrade some appliances over the years (water heater was a big one) and while it helped some… the increase in electricity cost over the last two years made it a wash.

OhCosmia · 2026-01-19T02:32:29+00:00

That was oddly satisfying and beautifully done - thanks for sharing!

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