Seed Swap 2023

This year’s seed swap was a SEED-TASTIC SUCCESS! A huge thanks to Mark Reid and the Easton Urban Farm for their contributions and leadership as we made this event happen. The Easton Public Market was abuzz with folks dropping off seeds, picking up Easton Famers’ Market t-shirts, learning about Lehigh Valley’s Buy Fresh Buy Local, asking our Plant Therapist questions, and watching live demonstrations of how to start seeds at home.

Check out the graphic from the event’s demonstration to learn more about how to start Tomato, Celosia, and Basil at home!

For those who want the recap, here’s what we talked about during the demonstration:

Tips for Starting Seeds: 

  • you don’t need to go out and buy an official pot! clean egg cartons, recycle macaroon trays (with added drainage holes), or any other similar at-home resource will be great for holding your new seeds
  • find a consistent heat source: this might mean a heating pad, but you can also put your trays on top of heat-covered radiators, stacked on books near warm vents, or on consistently sunny/non-drafty window sills
  • use a generic starting soil (with nutrients for young seeds)
  • gently apply water! you don’t want to pour water with force, you risk displacing seeds or damaging early roots, instead, try a spray bottle or a straw dunked in a glass of water with the top covered and then released on the seed cells

Tomato: 

  • start indoors late February/early March, 1/4″ deep
  • prevent overwatering
  • germination happens when soil is about 75-90° F
  • transplant outdoors mid-May, 2 feet apart

 

 

Celosia: 

  • start indoors late March (or direct seed outdoors in early May, 2 seeds per foot)
  • keep moist
  • transplant to larger container after first “true” leaves

 

Basil: 

  • start indoors late February/early March, 1/8″ deep
  • keep moist and in sunlight
  • transplant outdoors mid-May

 

The 2023 Seed Swap was also our FIRST TIME introducing the community to our Seed Library! You can find it at any of our pop-up events and, as the season progresses, at Lower Hackett during open hours. Take home a packet of seeds or get your growing questions answered—we’re here to help. For more information and growing instructions, check out our Seed Library site (with a Spanish version coming soon)!