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15 Tips to Starting Seeds
Easy garden starting tips for you to get some vegetables growing this year. Have you ever wanted to start a garden? Craving fresh vegetables, but hating the high grocery store prices? Join the club!
It sounds easy enough. Buy some seeds, plant them and water them as they grow. However, it’s not always that easy. Some seeds take longer than others and the wait can be excruciating!
Seeds are the dormant embryo of a new plant. They need some love to get off to a good start. Once you master this, you won’t have any problems growing your garden from year to year.
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Proper Storage of your Seeds
Seeds don’t germinate forever. They need to be stored correctly in order to germinate good. Typically if you store your seeds in a cool dry place, they will germinate for about three years. The trick is a COOL, DRY PLACE.
Seeds that get too hot won’t germinate as well because excessive heat can actually kill the tiny embryo. If they get too cold, the same will happen. if they get too moist, they may prematurely begin to germinate and thus succumb from not enough nutrients to maintain growth.
Proper Timing
When to start your seeds is always a good question to have. Seed packets are typically labeled with a season to plant and tell how long until harvest. Of course you can cheat the system by mimicking quality conditions in a greenhouse to grow year round. Plants that take longer to harvest can be started indoors early so you can get the goods early in the season.
Some things such as Beans, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Onions can get going in January or February. Other vegetables like Beets, Turnips, Garlic and Leafy Greens should wait until October. Read your seed packets to get this information. If you harvest your own seeds, make sure you list the planting information on your own packets.
Pre-Soaking the Seeds
Pre-soaking your seeds can allow you to determine which ones are still viable if they have been stored for a long time. Sometimes simple wrapping them in a moist paper towel for a couple days will allow you to see tiny roots protruding prior to planting. Don’t soak them for too long, only 12 – 24 hours for most seeds.
Squash, Peas, Beans and Cucumbers benefit from soaking. Anything that is very dry, or has a thick coat needs the moisture to get into the center to kick off germination. Go ahead and soak these guys over night before using paper towels or planting in soil.
Use Quality Soil
Good seed starting soil will give those babies all the nutrients they need to develop strong shoots and durable roots. Home grown compost is a great seed starting soil. Commercial varieties are available as well. Check your local garden supply store to pick some up.
I prefer to start seeds in the soil they will be growing in. I make a 50-50 mix of soil from my beds with fresh compost to start my seedlings in. This way they are getting used to the soil they will be placed in and getting the good stuff from the compost. Good quality soil will ease the need for fertilizers as well.
Provide Heat to Encourage Growth
Seeds need some warmth to sprout. This is likely why so very little actually grows in the winter. Think about when things start to germinate in nature and you will see the correlation.
Sun warms the soil, and water is abundant in spring time This is when most things get growing in nature. Starting seeds for a garden is similar, but humans tend to not wait when we can artificially encourage germination to suit our timing. A Plant in Well Drained Containers
Roots need to breathe. They need a loose soil that is not too wet, or they will drown. It is important to not let any plant sit in water for too long. Using well drained containers ensures the roots will get enough air. Tiny spaces between soil particles hold water and still allow air to flow in bringing oxygen for those actively growing tissues of the roots. Seed starting trays are not always the best for drainage either, so be careful what you use, add drainage holes if necessary. I can’t tell you how many times I had mystery plants! Especially tomatoes and squash as they all look so similar when they are small. We even had some random squash grow from the compost bin one year, that was fun waiting to see what finally produced from them. Don’t skimp on labels either. Popsicle sticks work to a point, but after you transplant, the words will fade, and you might just forget what variety of tomatoes those actually are. Go for the Use Wide Containers
Wide containers or flats will allow you to have enough space for those seedlings to grow. You won’t have to thin your starts either. I hate thinning seedlings. I feel horrible plucking them and sending them to their doom. Flat trays or large individual cups are best so you can keep all that you sprout. I like “>these cups for starting my garden. If you pre-sprouted using paper towels, you will need to be gentle when placing them in soil. Those baby roots are fragile and the plant needs them to grow big and strong. Gently place them in a well in the soil and cover lightly without packing the soil in around them too firmly. As you water soil will naturally fill in the spaces around the root. The very tip of the root is where the growth tissue is. If you break the tip, it is not likely that the plant can recover. Tiny microscopic root hairs also coat the externals surface, these are extremely important for that young plant to be able to collect water and nutrients from the soil. Even touching the exposed root can damage these structures. You need to retain some moisture in your pots. A light cover that is transparent will help hold in humidity. Seeds won’t grow well without moisture, so save yourself from excess watering by retaining some in the soil. Fungus also likes moisture, so be careful not to keep them too moist. Most times a tiny mushroom isn’t bad, they can actually be very helpful for the soil. You want to avoid large masses of fuzzy covering that will kill your sprouts though. Fertilizers are helpful when starting a garden. I prefer to use organic gardening techniques for my garden. If I add any amenities to the soil, they are natural additives like compost or manure. There are bottles of fertilizer available in most stores. Be sure to check the ratio of nitrogen, phosphate and potash in the concoction. too much or too little of any can have disastrous effects on your garden. This is why I encourage my plants to source their own nutrients by making their own uptake enzymes and using healthy soil from the start. While super tiny, the seedlings need protection from excess wind and benefit from the added humidity. Once they are able to stand up some, they need to develop strong shoots and wind helps them do that. You can’t expect weak stems to support a big plant to get a good harvest. Once they are standing good, ditch the cover on the trays and allow them to bend in a light breeze. You can also run your hand over them gently to encourage good strong stem formation. Keep them moist by misting them occasionally. If you do not have a grow lamp for your seedlings, place them in a sunny window. They need the light to perform the magic of photosynthesis and grow healthy. Plus, you’re not going to keep them inside the entire time, give them good strong natural light. Sunny windows, sunny enclosed porches, greenhouses are all great ways to give the little guys light. Natural light is best of course, but Acclimate to Your Garden Space
As the weather starts to cooperate, you can take your trays out to your garden for a few hours each day. This helps them get used to the ambient temperature and light in what will be their final location. Try not to forget them for too long if it is chilly or in direct sunlight. Too much chill or direct sun while small can kill off an entire tray of plants. Take them out in about mid-morning when it’s not cold, but not with the sun beating down on them. Avoid rainy days too as large water drops can break delicate stems. This is where I am not good. I love gardening, I love watching the plants grow as I tend them. It is super exciting to see fruits forming. But it takes forever! Some plants can flower in 30 days, others take much longer. Some vegetables grow for up to 4 months before you can harvest them. These are the ones I especially like to start early! You can expect to wait around 45-60 days on average to get fruits you can harvest. Now that you have your seeds sprouting, where are you going to plant them? Check out these other great garden tips for greater success. Label What You Plant
Gently Cover New Sprouts
Keep Containers Covered
Add Proper Nutrients
Allow Them to Breathe
Place in Sunny Location
Be Patient
Growing Your Garden…