If we completely deny the fact that it snowed heavily in Zug last week, spring has finally arrived and it is now time to start about the plantation we will make on our balcony.
Last year we started the process quite late but we did manage to enjoy a lot of self-produced tomatoes and herbs. The rest (strawberries, melon, radish) failed massively however, as we did not take care at all of the seasons and went into experimentation mode rather than actual planned production.
(yes, we sucked I know).
So this year I took it early and started my little cotton nursery (these are the cotton pads I have had in stock after switching a few months ago for reusable pads). The technique seems pretty childish but somehow was the most efficient last year for our tiny seeds to bloom, so I decided to go the same way.
So far, I have started with basil, tomatoes and strawberries again (I want to have my revenge over 2018 fail). Seeds are now vastely available in supermarkets and specialized gardening stores, but it is worth comparing the prices between brands and suppliers (strawberry seeds cost 7 CHF, you should have seen my face when I realized there were 7 seeds only in the pack...).
Basil seeds are the most excited ones to see the light, and pads are getting a good splash of water once a day. Next step, when the baby plants are big and strong enough (the size of my green thumb - remember I am no specialist whatsoever), I will move then in little biodegradable containers with soil, which will later on then be properly potted on our balcony.
Until then, my little nursery enjoys the sun without suffering from the latest freezing temperatures. I will keep you posted, and let's be crazy, might allow readers to name some of them ;)