Seed Starting 101

Transplants out-compete weeds and tolerate attack from pests. Photo: Mary

It's been a long, cold winter and I think we're all ready for a little freshness, greenness, and new life!  Many gardeners start seeds indoors in flats or pots to allow for an earlier start to the growing season. However, you can start some vegetable, herb and flower seedlings inside on a sunny windowsill at timed intervals throughout the growing season. In comparison to direct sowing, transplants have distinct advantages; their larger size helps them out-compete weeds and tolerate attack from pests. 

Here are some tips to get you going:

• Buy seeds from a reputable company committed to sustainable agriculture.  Fedco, Johnny's Selected Seeds, and Southern Exposure Seed Exchange sell organic seeds and have signed the Safe Seed Pledge, affirming that they “do not knowingly buy or sell genetically-engineered seeds or plants .”
• Generally, seeds should be planted at a depth equal to twice their width.  For example., a ½ -inch-wide pea should be planted 1 inch deep; a 1-mm-wide lettuce seed should be planted 2 mm deep.  Don’t plant tiny seeds too deep!
• Once planted, seeds should be kept moist until they germinate.  Water them thoroughly immediately after planting, and try not to water them again until they germinate.  A cold water “shock” can set back germination, so if you do need to water again, use warm water.  Hold moisture in by wrapping seed flats or pots in plastic.
• Check your flats/pots at least once a day for germination.  As soon as you see any sign of growth emerging from the soil, IMMEDIATELY unwrap the flats/pots and get those baby plants into the light!     

  

  Get those babies into the light! Onion seedlings emerge from flats. Photo: Mary

• Different seeds require different temperatures for germination.  For example, spinach likes 45-75 degrees, so don’t try planting it mid-summer!  Eggplant germinates at 75-90 degrees, so you’ll probably want to start it indoors with supplemental heat.  The Johnny's Selected Seeds website has detailed growing information, including germination temperatures, for each crop.  Some good reference books for germination and growing temperatures are The Gardener’s A-Z Guide to Growing Organic Food, by Tanya Denckla, and Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers, by D Maynard and G Hochmuth.        

  

  Different seeds require different temperatures for germination. Photo: Mary

• Plant many more seeds than you actually need for lettuce, chard and kale transplants, and eat the extra seedlings as microgreens!  Thinning the extra baby seedlings out of your pots or flats will allow more room for your transplants to grow big and strong AND is a great way to add some ultra-fresh greens to your diet in late winter!

In summary . . . Buy high-quality seeds, plant them at the proper depth, keep them moist and at the proper temperature, and you're sure to have success in seed-starting.  Nurture those baby plants on your sunny windowsill now, and you'll be eating fresh vegetables from your garden before you know it!

Your reward. Photo: Mother's Bounty by Spinster Cardigan

About the Author:
Mary is an organic farmer, writer and Terressentials staff member.