Seed Starting

After all the hustle and bustle of the holidays, I had a week to recuperate and clean house before I started thinking about my garden. It's one of my favorite things in the spring, and as soon as I get the new seed catalogs I'm making a list (love my list) of what I want! I have a small seed hoarding problem. I do generally pull out last year's leftover seed and figure out what I already have, before I order more--but hey, it never hurts to order more! 😁 You can read about how I get my garden started here. 

Soil- After you order your seeds from your favorite seed company, (top of my list is Southern Exposure) you want to look for a good soil to start them in. What you can find in your area will vary and the cost will vary, too! Get what you can afford, but this isn't a place you want to skip out if at all possible. Name brands like Pro-Mix and Lambert are big locally. I found Bonnie's seed starting mix at our local Co-op for about $30 for a 3.8cu ft compressed bale. This is a bathtub full of potting soil, not what most people need, but you can find smaller bags of stuff to fit your needs. Seed starting mix isn't just dirt: it is mostly composed of peat moss, perlite, and/or vermiculite. It's just what those little seeds need to get a good start so you will have a healthy plant! 

Containers- This is the fun part! I start my seeds two ways, the bulk method (putting all your seeds in one tray and dividing them after they have a few leaves developed) and individual plugs (each seed has its own container). I really don't have better results with one or the other. In the bulk method it seems to be easier to keep your moisture even, but it's a little more work to divide the seedlings. I do prefer to start with this method because it saves space and soil. When you germinate in a full sized pot, it takes up a lot of space and sometimes they don't sprout which means you have wasted a pot and soil. Get creative with your containers, there are a ton of cheap ideas on Pinterest! 

Heat- Okay, this is where I failed big when I first began starting my seeds myself: heat. I can't stress this point enough: you have to get those temps up around the clock to get your seeds to germinate! I began with a small green house from Tractor Supply, something similar to this, but a walk in. I was all excited and set it up in a good sunny spot and put all my pots with seeds in there, watered, and waited, and waited, and waited. And nothing. My greenhouse was hot in the day time, I had to open it everyday to keep it ventilated--but still no sprouts. Well, the temperature at night was still too low, and I wasn't aware I needed to keep them warm at night too! As soon as I got those little boogers heated up they sprouted within DAYS! 

Light- This is really important once your seeds have sprouted! If you don't get them enough light your plants will get tall and leggy and they can't develop a strong stem to hold themselves up! If you have them in front of a window or where the light source is one-sided: be sure you turn them so they don't lean! 

Moisture- The last key to send germination is moisture. It's a balancing act. You need moisture to soften the hull of your seeds, and keep the soil soft for the tender young plant to come through. If you have too much moisture your plants will be more susceptible to fungi and diseases. 

Once your seeds have sprouted, allow them to get the third or fourth leaf before transplanting them in bigger pots. From that point give them plenty of light and water, and fertilize them once a week. Certain plants will require more heat than others while they wait for you to harden them off and put them in the permanent home! 

Whichever way you do it, enjoy your plants and the fruit they produce!