The weather is about to warm up, and spring can’t seem to arrive soon enough! Combat that spring fever a bit by starting a few trays of seed inside and watching them grow for the next six weeks or so until they can be safely transplanted out of doors without fear of frost. Remember, anywhere from 10-several hundred seeds can come in a packet of seeds. Don’t feel obligated to plant the entire contents of the packet because one seed equates to one plant. To begin you will need soil, seed trays, seeds, and a well-lit, warm window or grow lights.
- Tomatoes
There’s a huge variety to choose from but the types that seem to do the best in Southeast New Mexico are the trusty celebrity and cherry tomato varieties. Celebrities are a medium sized, meaty variety. Cherry tomatoes come in a large selection of exciting colors to choose from including golds and purples.
- Cucumbers
Lemon cucumbers look like actual lemons but taste like a cucumber and seem to tolerate the desert climate just fine. Boston Picklers are a smaller variety great for pickling and do well also. Cucumbers like a bit of shade during the heat of the blazing summer days–something to keep in mind as you transplant your seedlings.
- Marigolds
Start them early and enjoy them all summer long and even into the fall. Marigolds are famous for keeping insect pests away. The sunny petals also feature in Dia de Los Muertos celebrations because they symbolize the brevity of life.
- Bell Peppers
Tasty cooked in dishes or slivered and eaten as snacks. Bells grow well in the climate as do their spicier relations, the chiles.
- Chile Peppers
From those teeny seeds grow large plants! Pepper plants can reach heights of five feet tall in this environment when they receive adequate water and care. Considering those small, flat seeds in the packet, it’s a joy to watch peppers grow from seed to transplant under the desert sun.
- Watermelons
Another fabulous, well adapted seed that sprouts well and grows well in the 7A plant hardiness zone of SENM. Watermelons are a sweet treat all summer long and an extra joy when they’re home grown. The Pecos variety grows particularly well here.
- Cantaloupes
Like watermelons, cantaloupes enjoy the sunshine, long growing season, and can take some heat. There is even a Pecos Cantaloupe variety like the Pecos Watermelon variety. Get them growing in your seed trays today!
