Pete's Tips - Planting Seeds

Planting seeds and watching young seedlings develop is a miraculous ritual that gardeners feel drawn to perform in the cold winter months. With seed starting the ingredients are easy: seeds, pots, soil, water, and warmth. The light for most seeds comes a little later. We stock hundreds of seed packets from which to choose. This resourceful way of gardening can save you plenty of money. You can grow what you want for a fraction of what you might pay for a plant. You can also control pesticide and fertilizer use. We carry Burpee and Ferry Morse Seeds in a large selection of unique and unusual varieties. These include heirloom and organic lines. We also carry Seeds of Change, an exclusively organic line of flower, herb and vegetable seeds.  Whatever you choose, be realistic about the future of these starts. Where will you plant them in six weeks?  How many tomato plants can you truly fit in your garden?

Seed starting can be a family affair.  Try to gather everyone’s input when picking seeds for both vegetable and flower gardens.  Kids love seed starting and this is a great way to wow them into a lifelong appreciation of gardening while providing a science lesson as well. This is also a great activity for the elderly. They most likely have done this before in some capacity and see the value in it.

It is essential to carefully read the seed packets before you start. The information provided includes days to germination, when to thin and transplant, and days to fruit or bloom. This will tell you how early to sow indoors or if outdoor sowing is recommended. At this point, purchase the proper seed starting trays to assist you in planting. The Jiffy Windowsill Greenhouse is excellent and has everything you need to start. Look for the seed starting pellets; they have the proper amount of soil in a small pellet that expands in water. If you have your own trays, look for Premier Promix as the perfect medium for seed starting. It is a soil-less mix that is composed of peat moss, perlite, limestone and a wetting agent. Remember to wet the Promix prior to filling your trays. After you sow your seeds in their pots, simply cover them with clear plastic such as Saran Wrap and put them in a warm place to germinate. They may take up to two weeks to show growth. Keep the medium warm and don’t lose faith as they sometimes take longer due to conditions in your home. Once you see the majority of seedlings up, remove the plastic and move your plants to a bright location, rotating regularly for consistent growth. There is no need to fertilize yet because you do not want to burn your seed starts.   Wait three to four weeks and then use a diluted application of a balanced product.

Thin your plants to one or two healthy seedlings when the second set of leaves emerge. You most likely will not have to transplant the seedlings into a larger pot during their stay inside. You should look to transplant them once directly into the garden. The goal is to time their growth so that they are ready to go outside from their original starter containers when the weather is warm enough. Again, read your seed packs and count back the weeks from the frost date. If you do have to transplant inside, don’t over pot and use care handling the tender plants.

Acclimatize the new seedlings to outdoor temperatures by first leaving them out on a warm day in a shady spot. Bring them in at night. You can gradually give them more light, and after the danger of frost has past, leave them out all night. Plant them promptly and give them extra attention as they get established. You may have to protect young seedlings from predators as they are very attractive food to animals and insects!

Enjoy your new plants and check on them daily. Congratulate yourself on a job well done when you can harvest fruits or vegetables or cut flowers that you have grown from start to finish!