“To plant a

garden is to
believe in
tomorrow.”
-Audrey Hepburn

Tips, tricks, & advice for gardening and homesteading in Northern Wisconsin

In this Newsletter:

 Planning & Preparation of

your Garden
 Seed Selection & Starting
Techniques
 Seed Starting
Me in the garden- 2015
 How is the garden

G
growing? ardening in Wisconsin can be a rewarding
experience if proper planning and dedi-
cation take place. It is important to un-
Written by Kelly Froemel of derstand how much work a garden can
Lost in the Woods Hobby Farm be, but also to keep in mind how rewarding it can be.
People garden for many different reasons. I personally
I have a passion for plants and animals and garden because I like to know where my food comes
have been learning more about both
from, how it has been handled and cared for, and I en-
since 2005. My favorite seeds to start
and plants to grow are tomatoes. Each joy spending time outside in nature. I grew up garden-
year I like to try something new in the ing at home and some of my favorite memories are
gardens. gardening with grandma. She loved to cook, especially
I would love to hear about your gardening
with fresh ingredients, so through her love of cooking,
and farming experiences!
she continually improved her gardening skills through-
E-mail me at: out her life. Whatever your reasons may be for gar-
lostinthewoods9839@gmail.com dening, through this newsletter, I hope to pass on
Please note that all articles and photos are the property of Kelly Froemel &/or Lost
some tips, tricks, and lessons I’ve learned since begin-
in the Woods Farm.
ning my own garden over 12 years ago.
1
 “To plant a
garden is to
believe in
tomorrow.”
-Audrey Hepburn

Tips, tricks, & advice for gardening and homesteading in Northern Wisconsin

With that in mind, I turn to my favorite seed

Garden Planning &
company and their gorgeous catalog entitled,
Preparation “The Whole Seed Catalog.” It is filled with
color pictures, great descriptions, and pages,

O
upon pages of plant varieties from all over
ne of my favorite times of the
the world. The catalog is usually about 400
year happens between Novem-
pages, filled with stories, upcoming events,
ber through January when all of
information, and of course, seeds, live plants,
the seed catalogs begin pouring
and great descriptions. There are dozens of
into my mailbox. Not only does it get me ex-
pages of tomato varieties alone for instance!
cited about planting my garden and ready to
enjoy those beautiful sun-filled warm days of The first step in a great garden does not
summer, but it signifies a new beginning and begin with the dirt or the plants, but the in-
another chance at improving upon last years tention and love put into it. When planning a
efforts. garden, it is important to know how much
space you have to work with, and how many
There are many great seed companies out
people you wish to feed. In my case, I have 2
there, but again, based upon beliefs, it can be
large gardens to work with, so there is usual-
difficult to choose which seeds to purchase.
ly plenty of produce for fresh eating, as well
When I began my own garden twelve years
as preserving for winter use. Heirloom seeds
ago, I used the knowledge I already had
can last several years if kept properly from
learned growing up, and decided to “play it
year to year. If you have seeds from previous
safe” and order what I knew did well in this
years, take an inventory of them if you’re in-
region. Over the years, I have done a lot of
terested in planting those varieties once
research, and my beliefs have changed from
again. Before choosing any variety of plant
just growing plants for fresh produce. I now
you’d like to grow, it may be helpful to look
strive to plant only non-GMOs (Genetically
up which plant hardiness zone you reside in,
Modified Organisms) and heirloom plants as
or at the very least, be aware of first and last
much as possible.
projected frost date for the year as some
2

Tips, tricks, & advice for gardening and homesteading in Northern Wisconsin
reach maturity than others. Once you have
determined this, you can begin paging
through the catalog and narrowing down
your list. Depending upon where you’re or-
dering from, it can be a good idea to order
your seeds/plants right away so they do not
run out of stock. Once this is done, you can
turn your attention to getting the actual gar-
den prepared once the snow is gone.
Ideally, it would be a good idea to till the gar-
den spot several times before planting– espe-
cially for new gardens! Soil testing kits can be
purchased for a reasonable price to help you
determine what your soil is lacking. When
choosing a new garden spot, be mindful of
what plants you desire to grow and what
their needs will be.
My husband and a few helpers tilling our second garden at this property in 2008.
“To plant a
garden is to
believe in
tomorrow.”
-Audrey Hepburn
Seed Starting
S
eed starting can take a lot of pa-
tience, time, and effort. It can be
confusing to know which variety of
materials for seed starting is right
for your situation. Over the years, I’ve tried
several different trays, growing mediums
(dirt), and pot styles. To begin, a good grow-
ing medium is imperative to success. Potting
soil can be too dense or dry out too quickly
(depending upon brand) so a good seed
starting mix is key. A good seed starting mix
will allow for drainage, but not so much that
the water runs straight through, and it will
have no large sticks or debris. Some exam-
ples of different seed starting mediums in-
clude peat moss, sphagnum moss, Coir
(coconut fiber), and of course a dirt mix.
These can be found in bags so that you can
fill your own container, or in expandable pel-
lets. Depending upon what you’re growing,
when you’re beginning, and the amount of
time you want to commit to nurturing the
seedlings, either of these types work well. I
personally like to use a combination of both.
3

Tips, tricks, & advice for gardening and homesteading in Northern Wisconsin
The next step to this process is the con-
tainer. If you choose to fill your own con-
tainers, you will need to have a tray under-
neath to catch the excess water. Pots can
be purchased or made in a variety of
different sizes, and with many different
materials. Plastic, paper, coir, and cow ma-
nure are some common examples that can
be purchased. Newspaper pots can be
made as well.
If you choose an expandable pellet, there
are special trays for these to keep them
separate from one another and distribute
water throughout. It is important to be
sure to follow the instructions on how to
expand these. Refills can be purchased
without having to buy the entire tray once
again.
Finally, trays to catch the excess water for
any type of pot or expandable pellet are
important. These can be purchased as a
“ready to go greenhouse” or separately.
Covers are helpful and can be purchased
as well.
The best place to place the seed trays is in
a south facing window, under a grow light,
or a warm greenhouse if available.
“To plant a
garden is to
believe in
tomorrow.”
-Audrey Hepburn
Once the trays and pots are ready, it is time
to plant the seeds! Be sure to read the seed
packet in regards to how the seeds like to
be planted, sunlight requirements, and also
length of time to maturity. Plant the seeds
according to directions, and be sure to keep
the soil and seed moist so sprouting can
take place quickly. If a reasonable amount
of time has passed and there are no signs of
sprouting, another seed can be added for a
second attempt.
Once the seeds have sprouted, the top cov-
er should be removed to prevent the plants
from over-heating and dying. Depending
upon when the plants were started, and
how they are growing, the seedlings may
need to be replanted before heading out to
the garden.
Example of various seed starting trays, pots, and growing mediums.
4
 “To plant a
garden is to
believe in
tomorrow.”
-Audrey Hepburn

Tips, tricks, & advice for gardening and homesteading in Northern Wisconsin

Recently
Bloomed

“Danish Flag” Poppy

Started from seed and planted in the garden in the Spring of 2015. A great perennial and
always beautiful.

JUNE 2017
How is the garden growing?
Su M T W T Fr Sa Up here in Northern Wisconsin, the beginning of June can be a very busy time.
1 2 3 There has been quite a lot of rain so far this year, but there has been enough time in
between raindrops to get the garden prepped and ready. The first 2 weeks of June
4 5 6 7 8 9 10 saw my family and I getting the garden mats (a reusable weed barrier) down and
planting the seedlings that were started between March and May. We have also
planted the direct sow seeds and I am excited to report that they are all a minimum
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 of 4 inches tall and growing! There have been several buckets of weeds removed
thus far as well. It seems as if this will be a good year for cabbage, broccoli, and
18 19 20 21 22 23 2 lettuces as they enjoy the colder, wetter environment that we are currently calling
June. Until next time, thank you for reading, and I hope your garden is doing as well
25 26 27 28 29 30 as mine.

Please note that all articles and photos are the property of Kelly Froemel &/or Lost in the Woods Farm.