Get a jump on spring with seeds
If you are itching to get your hands dirty, or just want a jump on the planting season, March is the perfect time to start some seeds indoors.
Novice gardeners might be concerned that growing plants from seed is difficult, or that you might need special equipment. That simply is not true. If you have a sunny window (or a garden light), a few new or repurposed flower pots and a bag of good quality seed starting mix, you are well on your way.
Why start seeds indoors? Our growing season is short, plants like tomatoes, peppers and salvias benefit from getting an early start indoors. It is very rewarding to follow the magic as tiny seeds sprout and develop into mature plants; the good feelings continue when your homegrown plants flower and/or bear fruit. Seed catalogues offer the widest selection of plant varieties, you can try something unusual or go for tried and true favourites. Plants grown from seed are a great way to stretch your gardening budget. What you need to get started • Recycled plastic pots or new peat pots, I’ve found that deeper containers work best (more room for roots to develop, less chance for vulnerable seedlings to dry out if you miss giving them a drink.) You can recycle those plastic pots you saved from last season. Wash them thoroughly with hot soapy water laced with a few drops of bleach, rinse and let them dry before planting time. Peat pots are ideal for plants like cucumbers and dill that resent being transplanted, plant pot and all in the garden and they will dissolve in the ground. • Seed starting mix is formulated to give your seedlings the best start, the mixture stays friable so that delicate roots can easily stretch out and become established. Treat yourself to a bag of dedicated seed starting mix, it’s worth the investment. • Your seedlings will benefit from a boost of well-balanced fertilizer. Fish emulsion is a good organic choice for edibles, or use an all-purpose water soluble fertilizer. Seedlings need a some form of additional nutrients to give them a good start. • You will need a dedicated place to grow your seedlings until they can be moved outside. A sunny window sill is ideal; I use a narrow table (or our piano bench in a pinch) placed in front of our west-facing living room window. Barring a window with good light, you may want to invest in a grow light. My largest crop of annual seedlings was started under full spectrum lights mounted over shelves in a closet in our basement. You don’t have to go that far, but remember that good, consistent light is essential. • A selection of seeds. I can’t stress enough how important it is to do your research when it comes to seed selection. Choose only plants that really want to grow, vegetables you will eat and flowers you love, then do your research. Are they easy to grow from seed? When should they be started? Do you have the right conditions for this plant to thrive (light, soil type)? • Spray bottle (handy for misting young seedlings), plastic trays (to hold pots and catch the water), clear plastic (to cover the pots until the seeds germinate). Sowing seeds
Wet the seed germinating mix thoroughly in a bucket, it should be moist but not soggy. Fill your containers to within 2.5 centimetres of the top of each container. Make an indentation with a pencil in each pot, plant three to four seeds in each hole. Check the seed packet to see if the seeds need light to germinate. If they do, press them lightly into the surface of the starting mix. If they need darkness, cover the seed with 1 cm of the mixture and tamp it down. Mist the top of soil with tepid water to settle the seeds. Cover the pots with a sheet of plastic wrap (secure with an elastic band) or set them in small plastic bags secured with a twist tie, or slide the whole tray into a large clear plastic bag (a dry cleaners’ bag is ideal). Securing the bags helps to keep in moisture.
Place the pots in a warm, bright room (out of direct sunlight) or under a fluorescent light. Check the seed packets for the ideal germination temperatures, many seeds germinate at room temperature (21 C to 23 C.)
When the first set of leaves appear, often after seven to 10 days but it can also take several weeks (check the packet for specific times), remove the plastic covering. Keep the mix evenly moist, but not soggy. Water the pots from the bottom at this point; when the seedlings reach eight to 10 centimetres in height you can start watering from the top. Feed as you water by diluting your chosen fertilizer by half the recommended strength on the label.
To encourage compact, bushy plants, occasionally pinch off the growing tips of herbs and most flowering plants.