Test Garden — Week 2: What’s Coming Up (and What Isn’t Yet)
This post is part of The Test Garden: A Season of Growing from Seed, where I’m tracking what actually works, week by week.
There’s a point, about a week in, when the trays stop making sense.
Some seedlings are already reaching for the light. Others look the same as the day you planted them.
It’s uneven. It’s quiet. And it’s very easy to think something’s gone wrong.
Most of the time, it hasn’t.
What’s Sprouting
Within the first week or so, a few things moved quickly:
Cosmos were the first to come up
Tassel flowers followed a few days later
A millimeter of a dianthus and a few parsley leaves were just beginning to show
Tray of cosmos at the top, a few parsley, and tassel flower at the bottom, starting to come up in Week 2. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
Some trays are filling in. Others are still sparse. I make sure they are always damp, never dry or soaking wet, either misting them or watering from the bottom, usually once a day, if at all.
Nothing is happening all at once, and that’s part of the pattern.
If you want a clearer sense of what to do while everything is still in this in-between stage, The Seasonal Edit walks you through what actually matters right now—what to start and what to wait on.
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What’s Slow
The one I’ve been watching most closely is Verbena bonariensis (‘Vanity’).
It’s known to take longer, sometimes up to two or three weeks, and prefers a bit more darkness to germinate, according to the packet.
After reading the instructions more closely, I may not have buried the seeds deep enough. Right now, no hint of green is visible.
But this is where patience matters most. Slow doesn’t mean failed—it just means it’s not ready yet.
Trays of mostly cosmos (leaning towards light) and tassel flowers. One dianthus (green dot) in the front tray. I decided to add grow lights this week. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
What Changed This Week
This is also the point where light starts to matter more.
Once the first seedlings emerged, I added Sansi grow lights on a 12-hour timer to keep conditions consistent, especially with the shifting light from east and west windows.
A few cosmos got a little too much at first (and slightly yellowed from the heat), so I adjusted the distance and rotated the trays.
Nothing dramatic, just small corrections.
What I’m Watching Now
At this stage, it’s more about paying attention.
Which seedlings are stretching?
Which ones are still thinking about it?
Where is the light landing each afternoon?
Plants starting to straighten once grow lights were added. Photo by Parsley & Petal.
Nothing is fully formed yet, but the direction is starting to show.
And that’s usually enough to keep going.
Not everything shows itself at once. Some things take a little longer to declare themselves.
The Seasonal Edit
The Seasonal Edit is a recurring garden checklist of what’s emerging, what can wait, and what deserves attention now. Practical tasks. Clear structure. Timed to the season as it unfolds.
Get The Seasonal Edit printable checklist to keep by your potting bench.
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