Thought I would pass this little tip along to anyone who might benefit from it... I planted the above seeds indoors last summer to try and get a fall crop. Well, after they sprouted, they got very tall and spindly, and the stems wanted to break as a result before they got big enough to transplant. Well this year a did a couple things differently. First, I didn't put much dirt in the little peat pots. Maybe 1/3 full. Then once they sprouted they quickly got long stems almost like before. But then I added more soil to the pots until they were full- this supported the stems (as if I was transplanting them into deeper soil). Secondly, I got a couple florescent grow lights to suspend above them. From what I read, the blue spectrum is what some plants really need and I can see the difference already. They are dark green and really healthy looking. Out of about 48 plants, maybe only 2 are spindly. Third, once they had all sprouted I raised the clear plastic cover so that it hovers a few inches above the tray. It seemed like the "rain forest" like atmosphere was blocking a lot of the light since there was so much condensation inside the tray when the lid was on. Now I deeply water them about every 3rd day, allowing the soil to dry out a little between waterings. I'm pretty excited about having a good crop this year. Not like last year when we got 20" of rain in 20 days and my garden was under 6" of water. :wall:

The weather has started to get warmer and gardening is back on my mind... we're planning on expanding our garden this year and growing more of our food. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations for soil tests? I'm specifically worried about chemicals and metals that may be in the soil. We moved into the house 5 years ago and don't know a lot about the area prior to us moving in. As we have young children.. am a little bit worried about harmful stuff in the soil making it's way into the plants we eat. Part of the garden is adjacent to our deck that is pressure treated lumber.... should we be worried about arsenic in the soil from the wood? Can this be tested? Am I just being a worry-wart? thanks for any advice/recommendations... Scott