It’s January, which means the seed catalogs are pouring in. Why order from a catalog and start from seed? Well for one, the selection. Your local nursery will only have a couple varieties of tomatoes, while a tomato seed catalog has over 200 varieties for you to choose from. As Janie Malloy explains on vegetablegardener.com, My favorite tomato is called Carrot, and even though it’s not a heavy producer, I’d trade a dozen Better Boys for one Carrot any day.
Also, starting seedlings allows for ease of germination and quick growth. The resulting plants will have a better color, higher quality and a longer shelf life. Starting your seedlings indoors will ensure that they are in the proper stage of development before they are planted. This is crucial if you live in colder weather, as growing season is short, so good timing will increase your production. Vegetablegardener.com gives these tips for starting your own seedlings indoors:
Make a seedling box
You’ll need containers that have drainage holes and a tray, or something to catch excess water. One trick is to take a foil-baking dish with holes poked in the bottom and place it into another one to catch excess water. Old plastic plant six-packs or 4 containers will do as well. Styrofoam cups and plastic tubs are great for sharing seedlings with friends. You can make a long-lasting wooden 12 by 16 seedling box that fits well under standard grow-light tubes. Whatever you use, be sure it’s clean and sterilized. You can also buy a gadget that compresses soil into blocks , or one that molds newspaper into little biodegradable pots.
Use a lightweight sterile soil
Once you have containers, you’ll need a starting mix. There are some great seed starting mixes on the market. Look around for one that fits your budget, or mix your own. A starting mix should be a lightweight medium that will stay moist without compacting. Standard ingredients for achieving this are vermiculite, perlite, peat moss, and sphagnum moss.
Stay away from unsterilized soil, compost, or worm castings until the seedlings are ready for transplanting. Using a soilless mix lessens the chance of a common seed starting disease called damping off, which rots stems and topples seedlings. The first step in prevention calls for cleaning containers and tools in hot, soapy water. A top layer of perlite will keep moisture away from emerging stems.
Fill your container with 3 to 4 inches of your starting mix, up to about 1/2 inch from the top. Moisten thoroughly with warm water; this eliminates the need for top watering immediately after sowing so the seeds won’t be displaced.
Plant seeds at the correct depth
Next, take a look at the size of the seeds; this will dictate how deep and how far apart to plant the seeds. The three-seed rule applies whether starting seed in a pot or in the ground. Place three seeds in a line; the length of this line is how deep you should plant the seed. Tiny seeds like lettuce and parsley should be broadcast (sprinkled) across the top of the soil or planting medium and then covered ever so lightly. The ideal distance between seeds provides enough space so the resulting seedlings and their roots do not touch or intertwine.
Keep seeds warm and moist
Once you have planted seeds, you must keep the planting medium moist and warm. Place freshly planted containers on a heated seed-starting mat, or in a warm spot in the house. Any place the cat likes to hang out will be appropriate, or try the top of the dryer, near a heater, on the gas stove, or on a window sill. Remember that warmth can reduce moisture, so check the soil daily. If you must water freshly planted seeds from the top, do so very gently; it’s preferable to water from the bottom.
Provide 12-16 hours of light per day
Light is necessary once the seedlings emerge. When growing seedlings indoors you have two choices: natural or artificial light. Seedlings need a lot of light, and spindly growth will tell you if they’re not getting enough. Incandescent lights won’t do because they don’t provide the full spectrum of light that growing plants need. Grow lights or fluorescent lights are best. Place seedlings under them for 12 to 16 hours a day. Any longer than that, and the plant won’t be able to go through the metabolic processes required for growth.
Introduce seedlings to your garden
The timetable for hardening off plants depends on outdoor temperatures (and on your careful calculation of the lead time required by each plant). Your seedlings should be ready once they have two or three leaves beyond the seed leaves. Gradually introduce tender plants to the garden. Place them in a cold frame, or in dappled shade for about five days, and then move them into a sunny location for another five days before transplanting them into their new home.
If you haven’t already noticed, we feature real Rosies (not models) on our website. They were picked for their Rosie can-do spirit and their individual labors of love. Meet Mitzi Nunez. She is wearing our raspberry overalls. We were tempted to call them “merlot” overalls because Mitzi is a winemaker at Cerro Caliente Cellars, a family owned and operated boutique winery located in San Luis Obispo, California. This area on the Central Coast of California is known for its grapes which enjoy warm sunny days, cool evening ocean breezes and the many wineries that make the most of these ideal grape growing conditions.
