Ten Tips for Starting Vegetable Plants from Seeds

by Beth Grem

Now is the time to start thinking about what veggies to grow in the garden. Why not start some plants from seed this year? It’s an easy and fun way to fill your garden with varieties not available at the local store. Here are some tips to get you started.
1.    Use soilless seed starting mix. Not garden soil. Not potting mix. Seed starting mix (a mixture of perlite, vermiculite and peat moss) is specially formulated to be light and fluffy which encourages sprouting by providing oxygen to baby roots while maintaining adequate moisture.

To LED, Or Not to LED

That is the question.  There’s been lots of talk about light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the last few years.  By now, most of us know that they’re more energy efficient, but they also cost more.  So…what’s the deal with these lights and how much energy and money can they really save?

How are LED lights different from traditional lights?

Incandescent bulbs pass light through a filament until it gets hot enough to glow.  Fluorescent (CFL) bulbs use a gas reaction to product ultraviolet light that becomes visible with the help of a fluorescent coating.  Both release light and heat in all directions, with CFLs releasing 80 percent and incandescent releasing 90 percent of their energy as heat.  LEDs, on the other hand, create light via the movement of electrons through a semiconductor material.  Light is emitted in a single direction, creating much more efficiency in the use of both light and heat.

What are the benefits of LEDs?

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, rapid adoption of LED lighting in the U.S. by 2027 could deliver savings of roughly $265 billion, eliminate the need for 40 new power plants and reduce lighting electricity demand by 33 percent in 2027.

Since it’s the holiday season, let’s look at benefits and savings in terms of Christmas lights.  The Department of Energy estimates a nationwide savings of roughly $410 million in electricity costs if all households switched to LED holiday lights.  To give you a sense of how much extra cash LED lights will leave in your pocket, consider the following:

The cost of lighting one 6-foot tree for twelve hours per day for forty days costs roughly $25.31 with standard C-7 lights, $6.03 with mini incandescent lights, and only $0.56 with LED holiday lights!  There are a few other very tangible benefits of LED holiday lights:

• They last longer — with a projected life span of roughly 20,000 hours, or forty holiday seasons.

• They’re cooler than incandescent bulbs, reducing risk of injury or fire.

• They’re more durable — generally made from solid plastic rather than glass.

• Because they require less power, it is safer to connect multiple strings end-to-end without overloading the socket.

Wrap It Green

Wrapping paper looks pretty and is an easy way to conceal gifts, but it can be expensive and it’s not very ‘green’.  Much of the mass-produced wrapping paper we buy and use is not recyclable and will end up in landfills.  Alternative wrapping can not only be more environmentally-friendly and easier on your wallet, it can also display your creativity and style, make your gift stand out, and show you care.

Consider using the following items in lieu of traditional wrapping paper: the comics section of the newspaper, old maps, magazine pages, junk mail, takeout menus, old calendars, brown paper bags, posters, wallpaper, old sheet music, wrapping paper from last year, children’s artwork or coloring book pages, scarves, fabric, dish towels, napkins, handkerchiefs, bandanas, and reusable tote bags.

Get creative!  Consider making the wrap part of the gift…what about a kitchen towel to wrap up kitchen items, or a washcloth for bath soaps?  A beautiful scarf or handkerchief might serve as a nice wrap for jewelry or another small item.  I’m certain Grandma and Grandpa would love to get a framed picture wrapped up in some of little Johnny’s artwork, or perhaps his schoolwork (with an A!).  Think about tailoring the wrap to the recipient.  Select a relevant image or article from a newspaper or magazine and use that to conceal the gift.  My sister loves films — the movie listings from our local paper would serve as an interesting wrap for her gift.  Or, what about making the wrap relevant to the gift — like movie listings used to wrap movie tickets?

Jazz up wrapping by gluing on images from magazines, old greeting cards, or used stamps.  Decorate with buttons or beads.  Consider pine cones, twigs, origami shapes, ornaments, or small toys in place of bows.  I haven’t tried this, but according to The Daily Green, newspaper can be curled and made into a bow by using a scissor in the same manner as you would for curling ribbon.  A little more delicacy is required to ensure the newspaper doesn’t rip.  To finish off your gift – think about using old greeting cards or scraps of paper as unique gift tags.

Don't Get Left in the Cold: Winterize Your Home

If the winter season this year is any bit as cold as last year you should follow these simple things to winterize your home. Keep the heat and save your dollars.

1. Get your furnace inspected: Throughout the winter you should change the furnace filters regularly (check them monthly). A dirty filter impedes air flow, reduces efficiency and could even cause a fire in an extreme case. Toss out the dirty fiberglass filters; reusable electrostatic or electronic filters can be washed.

2. Clean your gutters: Snow and rain need proper drainage so clean your gutters — if unattended it may lead to back ups and force ice dams that can cause seep into your home. Water drainage needs to be about ten feet away.

3. Reverse your fans: This easy fix will reverse the direction of flow and push warm air downward and allow it to recirculate throughout the room and keep the temperature stabilized.

4. Face your windows: Now is the time remove your summer screens and add storm windows. These can be extremely cost effective if you currently have single-pane glass.

Energy Vampires

If your home is like most, there are likely about 20 vampires lurking in it!  And, no, we’re not talking about the cute ones from twilight who make your teen swoon.  Many typical household appliances continue to suck electricity, even after you’ve turned them off.  These notorious “energy vampires” include TV’s, VCR’s, coffee-makers, garage-door openers, microwaves, cell phone and MP3 player chargers, and more.  According to Jeff Sheckels, Charles County’s Energy Manager, many of our everyday appliances simply go into a standby mode when we turn them off.  They continue to siphon energy, allowing them to start up again immediately when we want to use them.  Unfortunately, this wastes a lot of energy – these “phantom loads” account for about 5% of the energy used in our country and may be costing you about $200 each year!  According to the Department of Energy, our country requires seven power plants just to feed all the energy vampires.

Garlic isn’t likely to fend off these types, so how can you help to preserve your home or business from these energy suckers?  First, you need to identity them.  Energy vampires are often appliances that have one or more of the following: remote controls, continuous digital displays, rechargeable batteries, and/or external power supplies.  Secondly, you need to be smart in how you use the appliances that you’ve identified.  When practical, unplug these energy wasting appliances whenever you’re not using them.

Keeping your Energy Bill Low as the Temperatures Rise

Heating and cooling your home are the largest part of your energy bill. The Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative offers great money saving tips, specifically for hot weather.  Here are just a few:

·        Keep your thermostat set at 78 degrees.  When on vacation, turn off your cooling system, or set it at a higher temperature

·       Use ceiling or portable fans to help circulate air

·       Clean or replace cooling system filters monthly

·       Keep window blinds and curtains closed during the day to block sunlight

·       Make sure you have adequate attic insulation, in order to keep your home cool

·       Use a timer for your pool pump so that it doesn’t run constantly