From prepping and cleaning the beds in her garden to starting seeds and transplanting seedlings indoors, March is a busy month on Martha’s farm. One task that’s been taking up her time recently is preparing her vegetable garden for spring. Last week, she started several trays of eggplants and peppers, detailing the process for readers in a blog post.

Each year, Martha grows “bounties of delicious eggplants,” trying various types to see what grows and tastes best. This also helps her determine what she’ll plant again the next season. She also grows a variety of peppers, which she loves incorporating into her meals. “They can be served stuffed, roasted, or eaten raw in salads and alone,” she explains.

During a recent CBS appearance, Martha said seed starting time is one of her favorite times of year because she gets to think about what she wants to grow and what she’ll harvest once summer and fall come around. When shopping for seeds, Martha says to make sure you read the seed packets before purchasing as they are full of information on the type of seed it is and what it needs in order to grow.

When starting eggplants and peppers from seed, you’ll need seed starting trays, which are available at garden supply shops. “It is best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite, and peat moss,” Martha says in her blog post. 

Martha grows many different types of peppers and eggplants in her garden. Her head gardener, Ryan McCallister, decides what order the seeds will be started in the trays, depending on how long it takes each plant to germinate. Ryan fills the seed starting trays with mix, patting it down and ensuring the soil is level with the top of the tray. 

Next, Ryan creates a 1/4-inch deep hole in the middle of each cell with his finger. “This can be done pretty quickly, even with multiple trays,” Martha says. “The depressions are just deep enough to hold the seed in place.”

Pepper and eggplant seeds are small, so dropping them into the tray cells may take some time. Each cell receives one to three seeds since germination is never guaranteed. This provides a better chance that at least one will take root. 

Once the seeds are planted, Ryan places a label at one end of each row to indicate the variety of seeds. Then, he adds more soil to cover all the seeds, lightly patting the soil down to ensure good seed-to-soil contact. The trays are then given a good watering and within the next week, sprouts will start appearing in the trays.

Martha says it’s a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted to help organize a schedule for the following year. “I hope these blogs help remind you what you can do to get ready for the next gardening season,” Martha writes. “If you can, start some seeds today.”