With spring on the way, it’s time to start thinking of
the growing season.
When you’re flipping through the pages of seed
catalogues, or looking at the seed racks in the stores, do a little research
before making the purchase.
Ø Will these plants grow in
your zone? If you have a sheltered spot,
you can often plant plants that would grow in warmer zones. They may not be as
hardy though.
Ø Do you have a suited
location for them to grow? Eg sun,
shade, moisture.
Ø Are they grown easily from
seed?
Ø Do you start them early
indoors or plant the seeds directly into the soil?
Ø When do the seeds need to
be planted?
Ø Are there special
conditions needed for germination? Eg. light or darkness, do the seeds needs to
be treated with cold or scraping.?
Ø When will the plants
bloom?
Ø How tall and wide do they
grow?
Ø Are they perennial or
annual?
Ø Are they invasive or self
seeding?
Ø Are they resistant to
disease?
I find many catalogues do not give answers to many of
these questions. You may have to go to a
few different resources, but it is worth it to avoid disappointments.
When actually starting to grow seeds, I have found,
through much trial and error, there are a few basic guidelines that help to
make this a successful venture.
1.
Use clean shallow containers (divided row seed trays work
well). For seedlings that are planted as
a group (lobelia or alyssum) or do not like transplanting, use jiffy or peat
pots. When you plant into the ground, make sure the
entire pot is below the soil surface.
2.
Use sterilized starting media. (This mix contains peat moss
and vermiculite which does not become compacted like potting soil.)
3.
Dampen the media and gently pack it to the top of the pots or
channels in the seed tray. To help prevent the common fungal disease, damping
off, you can use an antifungal solution such as “Truban” (a registered fungicide-
follow directions on label). I have read that you can make a homemade fungicide
by using chamomile tea leaves. (Damping off ‘strangles’ and kills seedlings at
ground level; and once it affects the plants, there is no treatment. You need
to dispose of the seedlings and the media they were growing in.)
4.
Carefully drop seeds onto media (do not rub them together
between your fingers), leaving a little space between them.
5.
Cover with media or very fine vermiculite (only 2 times as
thick as the seed) and mist with water.
6.
Label, cover the tray or pots with a clear plastic cover, and
place in a warm place. The media needs to be at a constant warm temperature for
the seeds to germinate.
7.
As soon as the seedlings emerge, take off the cover and place
under artificial light. (I use florescent lights-one cool white bulb and one
gro-lite.) Position plants so they are 6” away from the light and keep the
light on for 12-14 hours. (A timer works great here.) The temperature needs to
be about 22 degrees during the day and 18 degrees at night.
8.
The first 2 ‘leaves’ are not true leaves, the next leaves
are. When these appear, you can start fertilizing with a 10-52-10 fertilizer,
at ¼ strength, every time you water.
9.
Let the surface dry out between watering, and ensure good air
circulation around plants. This is really important, as wetness and poor
circulation can cause damping off. (If
possible have a light fan blowing across the plants. This breeze will
encourage strong stems too.)
10. As the plants grow, increase their distance from the light to
12”.
11.
When 2 pairs of true leaves have formed, transplant the plant
into individual 3” pots. (I recommend that you still use sterilized media.) Gently
scoop out the media with the plants and picking out the best looking plants,
pick up each one by the leaves, and drop them into the prepared hole.
Gently pack the media around the stem and return them to under the lights.
Good luck and happy planting!!
