Sowing Seeds………… A quick look
I do believe that I have talked to more folks this year that intend to grow a garden for the first time. Sales of garden seed are skyrocketing along with an increase of questions…….. How do I get started. Lets take a look at the simple steps involved.
List of possible ingredients: Fresh garden seed. Special seed starting soil. Sterile shallow seed starting containers. Humidity dome. Heat mat. Plastic labels and water proof pen. A garden diary for tracking your work. Trigger or pump-up sprayer. Grow light. Small transplanting pots. Good organic soilless potting soil. A smile and a “can-do” attitude.
Lets get started………….. Find a location in the house that you can claim as your seed starting and indoor gardening area. The temperature should be fifty to sixty degrees. Plug in your heat mat and place your selected seed flat filled with seedling soil on top. Redmond Greenhouse has plastic flats (we call them 10 20’s) as well as plastic inserts that fit neatly inside. The inserts are made up of traditional six packs which intern will provide you with individual compartments to start most early seed varieties. Having individual compartments helps eliminate the possibility of spreading disease. Fill to the top with the special seed starting soil and moisten WELL with warm water. The reason for using this special soil is because of its sterile nature (no bad things or contamination), its small particulate size (covers the seed well), plus it is very low in ph thus eliminating the possibility of “damping off” a common disease that can take out your new crop of seedlings. Sow multiple seeds in each individual cell of your container and MAKE SURE TO MARK THE VARIETY with the water-proof pen along with the date. The rule of thumb when it comes time to cover the seed is to cover the seed depth with in relationship to the diameter of the seed. A garden pea would be covered with an eight of an inch of seedling soil, and a carrot seed would be just barely “dusted” with soil. Since the subsurface soil is already moist all you have to do now is moisten the top surface. Use the spray bottle with warm water and gently mist until well saturated. Cover the 1020 flat holding the insert filled with your freshly seeded project with the clear plastic dome. This dome will help hold humidity and hasten the germination. YOU MUST CHECK YOU PROJECT EVERY DAY to watch for adequate moisture and seed germination. As soon as you see good germination you need to “prop” the plastic dome up to allow for air circulation across the top of the soil. The only problem with this is that if you have sown multiple varieties of seed they will not all germinate at the same time. However having individual flats of each variety of seed you sow would require you to open a small garden center with a BIG greenhouse. Remove from the heat mat and place under a grow light in a cooler area (around fourty to fifty degrees will ensure VERY TOUGH SEEDLINGS. The grow light will ensure the seedling don’t “stretch” looking for light. Redmond greenhouse carries an assortment of good seed starting and growing lights. We even offer a “special order” program that will save you at least 20% off our cataloge price. Once you see the second set of leaves ( the first set of leaves you see are called seedling or false leaves) it is time to transplant into individual containers that have been filled with the organic potting mix. Moisten well with warm water and make a hole in the center large enough to acomadate the new seedlings roots. Carefuly remove the seedlings one at a time from the seedling cell pack holding it by the seedling leaves NOT THE STEM. Lower the roots into the plants new home and then carefully cover the roots. Water them with the spray bottle and return them to their grow site under the light. In about a weeks time you may fertilize the plants with a half strenth liquid fertilizer. I like the product called Earth Juice “Grow” or “Bloom”.
Growing them in a cool area with the grow light is very criticle as it will help make sure your seedlings are short and hardy not leggy and weak. An inexpensive cold frame will help with the transition to the great outdoors. Watch the frost and protect from direct sun for a few days and you should be off and running. I realize this is a compressed ‘how to”, but I hope it helps. Email me with specific questions or stop by the Redmond Greenhouse for a little one on one consulting. Happy Sowing and Good Luck. See ya in the garden…. Doug
