Sylvester Harrington, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County
(Image credit: Bev Tisci)
As I pondered what to share about my experiences as a Master GardenerSM volunteer as a Seeds-to-Plants Committee Member, for the last 3 years, I decided to start by sharing my earliest experiences with gardening and how they continue to influence my interest in gardening to this day.
When I was 4 years young, I moved from Alexandria, Va. to live with my maternal grandparents on their sharecropping farmhouse property. It was located ¼ mile off the main highway on a dirt lane. Our nearest neighbors lived ¼ mile off the main highway. I was awe struck to see how they lived on the farm. They raised chickens, hogs, corn, peas, beans cabbage, squash, okra, peanuts, tomatoes, and other vegetables. They had fig trees, plum trees, blackberries, and grapes. There were daylilies and honeysuckle vines that thrived in the area. Rain barrels positioned on the ground underneath the roof’s edge provided water for the plants during drought. In addition, there was a water spring located about 100 yards from the house. The spring water was our only source of drinking water until a well pump was installed. So, one can say that I learned to nurture plants from seeds before I even knew the word and before I started grade school!
Getting Started
After joining the Seeds-to-Plants committee, I was a little intimidated by having to learn something new, but my fears were quickly abated as I found it to be remarkably interesting, challenging and very socially rewarding. I transformed my kitchen island into a planting station. It consisted of a couple of grow lights suspended above the plant trays that could be adjusted by the chains.
Sylvester’s “Island Growing Station.” (Image credit: Sylvester Harrington)
Initially the trays were positioned as close as possible to the light bulbs, at most 2-3 inches away. This positioning restricts the plants from growing up too quickly, resulting in spiny plants. With regular watering to keep the soil moist, the cotyledon leaves should appear within a couple of weeks based on the seed’s germination period. You can then think about raising the chained fluorescent lights another couple of inches to accommodate more growing space for the plants to thrive. How quickly the individual plant grows, determines how often you will need to keep raising the lights. At this stage you start seeing the plant mature as the true leaves and stems take shape.
Eggplant and Swiss Chard are growing well and are labeled for the plant sale. (Image credit: Sylvester Harrington)
Hardening Off
After applying a little fertilizer and dividing the seedlings into their individual pots, you are ready to start thinking about the hardening off period, during which you gradually expose the plants to the outside world. You will need to make sure that you adhere to the proper length of time, time of day and proper temperature as you continue to nurture and set your plants up for success.
The plants are protected and gradually exposed to the outdoors during the hardening off process. (Image credit: Sylvester Harrington)
After 8 weeks (about 2 months) you are ready to start preparing them for the annual spring Backyard Treasures Plant Sale. This is a very emotional time for me because I must let go of these young plants that I nurtured from seeds. There is also an intense sense of pride for being able to share them with others and contribute to the financial goals of my local Durham County Master GardenerSM volunteer program. Yes, gardening continues to interest me, and I look forward to participating in as many volunteer activities as time allows. The learning and teaching opportunities, social contacts and therapeutic plant and human connection from gardening makes life worth living. So, lastly, I would like to encourage everyone to get involved!
Be sure to visit the Backyard Treasures Plant Sale at 721 Foster Street at 10 am on April 13 to purchase plants grown by Sylvester and other Durham Master Gardener SM volunteers.
A list of plants is available at: https://www.backyardtreasuresplantsale.org/plant-festival-2024
Resources and Additional Information
NC Cooperative Extension. “Garden Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs in North Carolina” https://extensiongardener.ces.ncsu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/NC-Vegetable-Planting-Guide.pdf?fwd=no
NC Cooperative Extension. “Vegetable Gardening: A Beginner’s Guide ” https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/home-vegetable-gardening-a-quick-reference-guide
NC Cooperative Extension. “Growing Flowers and Vegetables From Seed”, https://pender.ces.ncsu.edu/2022/10/growing-flowers-and-vegetables-from-seed/
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