Propagation Planning in the Northern USA!
Preparing for This Year’s Harvest (Yes… in February)
February always sneaks up on us, but for gardeners, this is when the wheels start turning. Before the snow melts and the ground softens, it’s time to think about this year’s garden.
Every year I ask myself the same questions:
What worked last season?
What didn’t?
How can I organize things better for higher yield?
And most importantly… how can I make the garden work for me instead of the other way around?
Before we get into my plans for this spring, here’s a little background on why gardening has always been second nature to me.
How I Learned to Grow (and Fail)
When I was eleven, my parents moved from our old trailer into a farmhouse where I finally got my own room. What I didn’t realize at the time was that directly across the road sat a nine-greenhouse operation.
I wanted to earn money, so I walked over and asked if I could help. The owners were great people and let me start by carrying flowers out to customers’ cars. I made $5 an hour, and every once in a while someone would tip—which felt like winning the lottery.
As I got older, I earned more responsibility:
Mixing soil
Learning why geraniums are a pain in the butt
Planting tomatoes (which is far more tedious than it looks)
Watching husbands swipe credit cards while pretending not to notice their wives’ flower addictions
Eventually, due to medical issues, the owners needed to sell the business. My parents wanted the greenhouses—but not the extra house and land that came with it.
So I stepped in.
I bought the house and property. My parents bought the business. And for 28 years, I’ve been involved in that greenhouse in one way or another. I’ve learned what works, what doesn’t, and I still fail every season—which is part of the fun.
Now, here’s what I’m planning for this year.
5-Gallon Buckets: What Worked (and What Didn’t)
Last year I experimented with 5-gallon bucket growing:
Tomatoes
Peppers
Jalapeños
A few extras
The tomatoes and peppers? Absolute legends.
The cucumbers? Not so much.
After some reflection, the issue wasn’t the buckets—it was watering consistency. This year, I’m upgrading those buckets with a self-watering setup inspired by a short I saw online. It’s simple, low-maintenance, and works for multiple projects.
👉 Buckets: https://amzn.to/4qOxnWD - PVC Pipe: https://amzn.to/4kbE7LS - Rope: https://amzn.to/3NXhO0i
👉 How to make it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOXDCFSKdNo&t=62s
Raised Bed Plan (Finally Dialed In)
I’ve tried it all:
Tilled gardens
16-foot raised beds
Individual planters
Now I know exactly what I want.
This spring I’m building:
Four cedar raised beds
4’ x 8’ x 24”
Two 4’ x 4’ potato boxes
They’ll sit where my old tilled garden was, on top of landscaping fabric, with crushed stone planned between beds. Each bed will be spaced about 6 feet apart to allow room to move, weed, and harvest without stepping on soil.
If you don’t want to build your own, here are similar setups:
👉 Raised Beds: https://amzn.to/49UJ6vy - Potato “Box”: https://amzn.to/469K71Q
Propagation Time (Where It All Starts)
At the greenhouse, we started propagation the last week of February. Each tray held about 180 seeds, which is massive overkill for a home garden.
This year I’m scaling way down:
Two propagation kits
60 plants per tray
Heating mat
Dome
Grow light
Starting extra seeds is smart—germination isn’t always perfect.
👉 Seed Starter Kit: https://amzn.to/4bov87P
👉 Propagation Shelving: https://amzn.to/4rngpPd
What NOT to Plant Early
Some plants hate having their roots disturbed and should be direct-sown:
Carrots
Beets
Turnips
Parsnips
Radishes
Beans
Peas
Corn
Okra
Spinach (once established)
You’ll hear that squash, cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins don’t like transplanting—but—I’ve personally never had an issue moving them from seed trays into mounds.
Your results may vary.
After Propagation: What’s Next?
Once plants outgrow their starter cells, they need more room.
In the greenhouse, we’d transplant into 4” pots as soon as they could be handled. That means:
More space
More lighting
More watering
I’ve prepped a 4’ x 8’ shelving unit in my basement specifically for this stage.
Plan ahead—this part sneaks up on you fast.
When Do I Put Plants Outside? (Maine Edition)
Up here in Maine, the rule of thumb is Memorial Day Weekend—sometimes called “the final moon in May.”
You can move plants out earlier, but if nighttime temps dip below 48°F, cover them. I’ve seen plenty of eager gardeners lose everything to a late frost… and then come back to the greenhouse to start over.
Watering: Set It and Forget It
Watering used to be my biggest weak point.
Now I use:
Hose timers
Soaker hoses
A 4-way splitter
Each raised bed gets:
Two watering cycles per day
15 minutes each
Buckets can go several days without attention. Yes, it costs more upfront—but the payoff in harvest is massive.
👉 Hose Timers: https://amzn.to/4t8TMQb Soaker Hoses: https://amzn.to/4c1Gu1J Splitters: https://amzn.to/3LLnN7X
Now What?
Start composting. 👉 https://amzn.to/3Oe87L1
Research the plants you’re growing.
Expect failures—and learn from them.
Gardening is addictive in the best way. There’s nothing like feeding your family from something you grew yourself.
I’ll be posting follow-up blogs as this plan turns into reality. If you have questions, reach out—and good luck growing! 🌱
