In my last post I talked about creating a garden planting schedule for spring to help you keep track of when you can start sowing seeds for various vegetables. Although some seeds do best sown directly into the soil, many vegetables (especially those that are sensitive to cold or have a long growing season) benefit from being started indoors. Growing from seed not only gives you an early start, but you can order more varieties of veggies than you would be able to purchase locally as seedlings. Since starting a plant from seed may be new to some of you I thought a quick 101 course would be helpful. Here are the basics:
1. Purchase high quality seeds or if you’re using seeds from the previous year’s garden test them first.
2. Select the right container for planting. Peat pots or pellets (made of compressed peat) can be planted directly outdoors, which is great for plants with fragile roots. If you are using a terracotta or plastic pot, wash it thoroughly prior to planting. Plastic cell packs are very convenient when sowing a large amount of seeds.
3. Use an organic soilless seed-starting mix comprised of milled peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Do not use a topsoil mix.
4. Label all seeds with date and variety. A tray beneath the containers is good for bottom watering and covering the seeds with clear plastic wrap aids in germination.
5. Provide adequate light. Set up grow lights (full spectrum fluorescents) directly above seeds to warm the soil and provide required light (raise lights higher as seedlings grow).
These are just five pointers; you can always ask your local nursery for more help getting started. For those readers with gardening experience, please comment and share your best tips for seed starting.
Related post: Veggies 101: How to start a Vegetable Garden
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