The first choice is best for beginning gardeners who are working on a small scale. The second option is nice for committed gardeners who want to test the limits. Starting from seed, however, is easy, is cheaper per plant and allows a greater variety of choice among both ornamentals and crops than buying nursery plants.<\/p>\n
I’m eager each (early) Spring to get my seeds going. On March 1st, I began seven types of flowers and my basil seeds. (As of March 5th, the basil has sprouted, as have a couple of the flowers.) In two weeks, I’ll start tomatoes and a few others, and the squash, cucumbers and more flowers will follow. How do I do it, and how do I know when to start? Here are my tips:<\/p>\n
<\/span>When Should I Start My Seeds?<\/span><\/h2>\nIn order to decide when to sow your seeds, you need to find the average last frost date for your region<\/a>. In Oregon’s wet and unpredictable Willamette Valley, published last frost dates range from March 23 to May 14. Based on my own experience, I pick the latter end of this range and count backward from May 1st.<\/p>\n![\"Seed](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3322001818_70aa06ea08.jpg\")
\nClick for full version of our 2009 seed-starting agenda.<\/i><\/div>\nI start my tomato plants six or seven weeks before this date. Slow-to-germinate flowers get an eight-week head start. Squashes and cucumbers don’t transplant especially well, but I germinate them inside to protect them from marauding slugs. I move them outside two weeks later before they’ve developed much of a root system.<\/p>\n
<\/span>What Should I Plant Indoors?<\/span><\/h2>\nTo determine what to plant indoors, read your seed packets. Many will list instructions for both inside and outdoor seed sowing. Knowing which to do will depend on your climate. With flowers, I often do both. I’ll start a limited number indoors for “insurance” and then sow the remainder of the packet directly in the garden once true Spring arrives.<\/p>\n
Some crops should not be started indoors because they don’t transplant well or because they need an impractical amount of room. I would not recommend starting the following inside:<\/p>\n
\n- Root, tuber or bulb crops (beets, radishes, turnips, onions, potatoes, carrots, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Leafy greens (lettuces, spinach, cabbage, chards)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These cool season plants can withstand planting directly outside even before the weather fully warms. Likewise, things you are going to plant in large numbers should wait until they can be sown into the garden soil. The following are usually grown in sizable quantities:<\/p>\n
\n- Corn<\/li>\n
- Peas<\/li>\n
- Beans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you are worried about your short growing season for crops like corn, look for varieties that have a short days-to-maturity period.<\/p>\n
Tomatoes and peppers, broccoli, eggplants, cauliflower, melons and squashes can all be started successfully indoors. Herbs and flowers, too, benefit from the controlled environment of indoor seed starting. Let’s get started!<\/p>\n
<\/span>How Do I Start Plants From Seed?<\/span><\/h2>\nThe two most important factors for seed germination are temperature and humidity. The seed contains all the nutrients the plant needs to germinate, so it doesn’t need fertilizer or fertile soil.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/b><\/i> Fertilizer may actually prevent<\/i> some seeds from sprouting. Generally, I avoid fertilizing until plants have grown their first set of “true leaves”, which look different than the first pair that emerges.<\/div>\nTo start my seeds, I used the bio-dome<\/a> from Park Seeds, a device that looks like a plastic greenhouse dome with a styrofoam tray. The tray holds little soil-less planting plugs called bio-sponges<\/a>. Each plug has a hole in it for the seeds. I don’t normally advocate one product over another, but I really like these.<\/p>\n![\"Bio-Sponge\"](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3321110187_49e4897068.jpg\")
![\"Seed](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3321941026_67c0a739da.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\nSeeds sprout best in a light soil; don’t use potting soil or garden dirt at this first stage! You can buy seed starting mix or make your own from peat moss, sand, and compost<\/a>.<\/p>\nNote:<\/b><\/i> Take care if using vermiculite; it can be a respiratory hazard. I prefer the little soil-less planting plugs because they’re mess free and they pop out easily for transplanting, doing minimal damage to the roots, but other methods work fine too.<\/div>\nAny device that keeps the environment moist and fairly warm will work. You can cover trays of soil with saran wrap or a dry-cleaning bag \u2014 poke plastic forks into the soil to hold the plastic layer up off the growing sprouts. Commercial peat pots, yogurt cups or milk cartons (poke drainage holes in the bottoms) or pots made from newspapers (avoid colored ink) all work fine, too.<\/p>\n
Set your pots in a tray, tub or rimmed cookie sheet so you can water from the bottom, letting the moisture soak up through the soil. This helps keep the moisture level constant and prevents dislodging seeds with a fountain of water. Do not let the soil dry out!<\/b><\/i> Little tiny seedling rootlets need constant moisture.<\/p>\n![\"Seed](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3321110019_63181accaa.jpg\")
<\/div>\nSeeds vary widely in size. I like to use tweezers to place them exactly where I want them. In general, seeds should be planted approximately four times deeper than their diameter. Some seeds need light to germinate and should be scattered just on the surface of the soil. Again, read those packets!<\/p>\n
\nClick for full version of our 2009 seed-starting agenda.<\/i><\/div>\n
I start my tomato plants six or seven weeks before this date. Slow-to-germinate flowers get an eight-week head start. Squashes and cucumbers don’t transplant especially well, but I germinate them inside to protect them from marauding slugs. I move them outside two weeks later before they’ve developed much of a root system.<\/p>\n
<\/span>What Should I Plant Indoors?<\/span><\/h2>\nTo determine what to plant indoors, read your seed packets. Many will list instructions for both inside and outdoor seed sowing. Knowing which to do will depend on your climate. With flowers, I often do both. I’ll start a limited number indoors for “insurance” and then sow the remainder of the packet directly in the garden once true Spring arrives.<\/p>\n
Some crops should not be started indoors because they don’t transplant well or because they need an impractical amount of room. I would not recommend starting the following inside:<\/p>\n
\n- Root, tuber or bulb crops (beets, radishes, turnips, onions, potatoes, carrots, etc.)<\/li>\n
- Leafy greens (lettuces, spinach, cabbage, chards)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
These cool season plants can withstand planting directly outside even before the weather fully warms. Likewise, things you are going to plant in large numbers should wait until they can be sown into the garden soil. The following are usually grown in sizable quantities:<\/p>\n
\n- Corn<\/li>\n
- Peas<\/li>\n
- Beans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you are worried about your short growing season for crops like corn, look for varieties that have a short days-to-maturity period.<\/p>\n
Tomatoes and peppers, broccoli, eggplants, cauliflower, melons and squashes can all be started successfully indoors. Herbs and flowers, too, benefit from the controlled environment of indoor seed starting. Let’s get started!<\/p>\n
<\/span>How Do I Start Plants From Seed?<\/span><\/h2>\nThe two most important factors for seed germination are temperature and humidity. The seed contains all the nutrients the plant needs to germinate, so it doesn’t need fertilizer or fertile soil.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/b><\/i> Fertilizer may actually prevent<\/i> some seeds from sprouting. Generally, I avoid fertilizing until plants have grown their first set of “true leaves”, which look different than the first pair that emerges.<\/div>\nTo start my seeds, I used the bio-dome<\/a> from Park Seeds, a device that looks like a plastic greenhouse dome with a styrofoam tray. The tray holds little soil-less planting plugs called bio-sponges<\/a>. Each plug has a hole in it for the seeds. I don’t normally advocate one product over another, but I really like these.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/div>\nSeeds sprout best in a light soil; don’t use potting soil or garden dirt at this first stage! You can buy seed starting mix or make your own from peat moss, sand, and compost<\/a>.<\/p>\nNote:<\/b><\/i> Take care if using vermiculite; it can be a respiratory hazard. I prefer the little soil-less planting plugs because they’re mess free and they pop out easily for transplanting, doing minimal damage to the roots, but other methods work fine too.<\/div>\nAny device that keeps the environment moist and fairly warm will work. You can cover trays of soil with saran wrap or a dry-cleaning bag \u2014 poke plastic forks into the soil to hold the plastic layer up off the growing sprouts. Commercial peat pots, yogurt cups or milk cartons (poke drainage holes in the bottoms) or pots made from newspapers (avoid colored ink) all work fine, too.<\/p>\n
Set your pots in a tray, tub or rimmed cookie sheet so you can water from the bottom, letting the moisture soak up through the soil. This helps keep the moisture level constant and prevents dislodging seeds with a fountain of water. Do not let the soil dry out!<\/b><\/i> Little tiny seedling rootlets need constant moisture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nSeeds vary widely in size. I like to use tweezers to place them exactly where I want them. In general, seeds should be planted approximately four times deeper than their diameter. Some seeds need light to germinate and should be scattered just on the surface of the soil. Again, read those packets!<\/p>\n
These cool season plants can withstand planting directly outside even before the weather fully warms. Likewise, things you are going to plant in large numbers should wait until they can be sown into the garden soil. The following are usually grown in sizable quantities:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Corn<\/li>\n
- Peas<\/li>\n
- Beans<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
If you are worried about your short growing season for crops like corn, look for varieties that have a short days-to-maturity period.<\/p>\n
Tomatoes and peppers, broccoli, eggplants, cauliflower, melons and squashes can all be started successfully indoors. Herbs and flowers, too, benefit from the controlled environment of indoor seed starting. Let’s get started!<\/p>\n
<\/span>How Do I Start Plants From Seed?<\/span><\/h2>\n
The two most important factors for seed germination are temperature and humidity. The seed contains all the nutrients the plant needs to germinate, so it doesn’t need fertilizer or fertile soil.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/b><\/i> Fertilizer may actually prevent<\/i> some seeds from sprouting. Generally, I avoid fertilizing until plants have grown their first set of “true leaves”, which look different than the first pair that emerges.<\/div>\nTo start my seeds, I used the bio-dome<\/a> from Park Seeds, a device that looks like a plastic greenhouse dome with a styrofoam tray. The tray holds little soil-less planting plugs called bio-sponges<\/a>. Each plug has a hole in it for the seeds. I don’t normally advocate one product over another, but I really like these.<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\nSeeds sprout best in a light soil; don’t use potting soil or garden dirt at this first stage! You can buy seed starting mix or make your own from peat moss, sand, and compost<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Note:<\/b><\/i> Take care if using vermiculite; it can be a respiratory hazard. I prefer the little soil-less planting plugs because they’re mess free and they pop out easily for transplanting, doing minimal damage to the roots, but other methods work fine too.<\/div>\nAny device that keeps the environment moist and fairly warm will work. You can cover trays of soil with saran wrap or a dry-cleaning bag \u2014 poke plastic forks into the soil to hold the plastic layer up off the growing sprouts. Commercial peat pots, yogurt cups or milk cartons (poke drainage holes in the bottoms) or pots made from newspapers (avoid colored ink) all work fine, too.<\/p>\n
Set your pots in a tray, tub or rimmed cookie sheet so you can water from the bottom, letting the moisture soak up through the soil. This helps keep the moisture level constant and prevents dislodging seeds with a fountain of water. Do not let the soil dry out!<\/b><\/i> Little tiny seedling rootlets need constant moisture.<\/p>\n
<\/div>\nSeeds vary widely in size. I like to use tweezers to place them exactly where I want them. In general, seeds should be planted approximately four times deeper than their diameter. Some seeds need light to germinate and should be scattered just on the surface of the soil. Again, read those packets!<\/p>\n
![\"Bio](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3321109959_175a4ed1f7.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Plant](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3321110221_15ef3b613c.jpg\")
<\/div>\n![\"Seeds](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/3321940774_7818ca326b.jpg\")
Now that the seeds are snug in their beds, cover them to retain moisture and put them in a warm place. A temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) is ideal, but in March our house is nowhere near 70 degrees! I like to set my mini-greenhouse on a heating pad (a wet\/dry safe heating pad set on low) to maintain a more constant temperature, since our thermostat drops to 54 degrees (12 Celsius) at night. Some people recommend putting the seed tray on top of the refrigerator. If your house is more temperate, the heat source is unnecessary. I have often started seeds without a heat source, but peppers and eggplants seem especially fussy about the temperature.<\/p>\n![\"Kris'](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2419130089_ed3afb9044.jpg\")
<\/div>\n