Starting Seeds

      

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!!