Starting Seeds Indoors
I have to admit that I was not very successful with seed starting at first, but I knew lots of people have had good results, so I was determined to learn! My dad always grew the greatest tomato, cucumber and marigold seedlings on a table set in front of a south facing window. He used old yogurt cups, bottoms of milk cartons, and other recycled containers nestled in reused aluminum foil pans! It wasn’t fancy, but certainly functional! The directions below are a bit more costly, but can be reused for years!
The most important thing I learned about seed starting is timing! The seed packet will indicate how many weeks before your last frost date a seed should be planted indoors. I made a calendar with the dates of indoor seed planting for each cultivar by counting back by weeks. If you start your seeds too early, they will get leggy and outgrow their space. The next most important consideration is light. I bought a few LED light strips and retro-fitted them into shelving that I already had. I used $5 timers to control the amount of light for me. Finally, I read everything that I could about the plants that I wanted to grow.
Then, I followed the directions below. I had so much success last year that I was beaming with pride! You can do it too!
Supplies:
- Seed-starting mix- not potting soil
- Seed-starting kit or
- 24 - 50 cell plug flats or 3 ½” pots
- Leakproof tray (10” x 20”)
- Clear acrylic dome lid or plastic wrap
- White plastic tags
- Paint marker or pencil
- Fine vermiculite
- Heat mat (optional)
- Shop light or LED grow light (optional)
- Shelving
- Fan
- Spray bottle or mister
- Obviously, seeds
Moisten the seed-starting mix with boiling water until it is thoroughly damp but not dripping wet. Let cool. Fill seed cells to the top with soil, tapping them firmly against the table to settle the mix and remove air pockets. Make labels for the varieties of seed to be sown including the date planted. Make a shallow hole in each cell using your finger or a pencil and /or follow the directions for seed planting depth on the seed packet. Drop 1 or 2 seeds into each hole. Cover newly sown seeds with a light dusting of fine vermiculite or seed-starting mix. Be careful to not bury the seeds too deeply. Mist lightly. Cover the tray with the clear dome lid. Set the tray on a 70° F heat mat or in a warm corner of the house. Check the soil for moistness after 2 to 3 days and bottom water, if necessary, by filling the leakproof tray with ½” of water. Let the tray soak up the water from below. Remove excess water. If you are mixing different types of plants on the same tray, try to pick seeds with the same germination times. You may cut your cell plug flats into smaller sizes to reflect the number of seeds of each cultivar that you want to plant.
Check the tray daily. Once 50-75% of the seeds have sprouted, remove the dome lid and move the tray into a spot with bright natural light or under artificial lights. The distance from the lights will depend on the type of lighting used. Seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of light per day. Check seedlings daily and water when needed. Moving air will create stronger seedlings, so place a fan nearby. Seedlings may need to be repotted into larger containers if they grow too big. When two true leaves are present, you may water with 1/4 strength fertilizer.
As the weather warms up (after all danger of frost has passed), begin transitioning the plants outside. It’s important to harden off young plants before planting them in the garden to prevent shocking them due to light and temperature changes. Set the tray in a sheltered, shaded spot outside, increasing the amount of time outdoors each day, starting with 2 to 3 hours. Then, increase the time and light slowly over the course of a week or so, at which point seedlings can remain outside.
Useful reference: https://workshop.floretflowers.com/
Check the tray daily. Once 50-75% of the seeds have sprouted, remove the dome lid and move the tray into a spot with bright natural light or under artificial lights. The distance from the lights will depend on the type of lighting used. Seedlings need 14 to 16 hours of light per day. Check seedlings daily and water when needed. Moving air will create stronger seedlings, so place a fan nearby. Seedlings may need to be repotted into larger containers if they grow too big. When two true leaves are present, you may water with 1/4 strength fertilizer.
As the weather warms up (after all danger of frost has passed), begin transitioning the plants outside. It’s important to harden off young plants before planting them in the garden to prevent shocking them due to light and temperature changes. Set the tray in a sheltered, shaded spot outside, increasing the amount of time outdoors each day, starting with 2 to 3 hours. Then, increase the time and light slowly over the course of a week or so, at which point seedlings can remain outside.
Useful reference: https://workshop.floretflowers.com/
Good Sources for Seeds
Annie’s Annuals & Perennials
www.anniesannuals.com
Specializes in rare and unusual plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
www.rareseeds.com/
Lots of heirloom and exotic vegetable seeds you won’t find at the garden center
Burpee
www.Burpee.com
Floret
www.floretflowers.com
Unique, uncommon and heirloom flowers for cutting. Website has good information.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
www.johnnyseeds.com
Sells seeds for fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs, offers certified organic seed options
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
www.kitchengardenseeds.com
Family owned and operated, sells seeds for fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs
Park Seed
www.parkseed.com
Prairie Moon Nursery
www.prairiemoon.com
Plants, seed mixes and information for all types of native plantings and restoration
Renee’s Garden
www.reneesgarden.com
Gourmet vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, especially large sweet pea flower collection
Seed Savers Exchange
www.seedsavers.org
Heirloom and old-fashioned seeds; committed to preserving biodiversity
Select Seeds
www.selectseeds.com
Heirloom, uncommon, award winning and pollinator-friendly seeds
Territorial Seed Company
www.territorialseed.com
Specializes in wide variety of vegetable seeds
Annie’s Annuals & Perennials
www.anniesannuals.com
Specializes in rare and unusual plants
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
www.rareseeds.com/
Lots of heirloom and exotic vegetable seeds you won’t find at the garden center
Burpee
www.Burpee.com
Floret
www.floretflowers.com
Unique, uncommon and heirloom flowers for cutting. Website has good information.
Johnny’s Selected Seeds
www.johnnyseeds.com
Sells seeds for fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs, offers certified organic seed options
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds
www.kitchengardenseeds.com
Family owned and operated, sells seeds for fruits, vegetables, flowers and herbs
Park Seed
www.parkseed.com
Prairie Moon Nursery
www.prairiemoon.com
Plants, seed mixes and information for all types of native plantings and restoration
Renee’s Garden
www.reneesgarden.com
Gourmet vegetables, herbs and cut flowers, especially large sweet pea flower collection
Seed Savers Exchange
www.seedsavers.org
Heirloom and old-fashioned seeds; committed to preserving biodiversity
Select Seeds
www.selectseeds.com
Heirloom, uncommon, award winning and pollinator-friendly seeds
Territorial Seed Company
www.territorialseed.com
Specializes in wide variety of vegetable seeds
Before the seed there comes the thought of bloom.
~ E. B. White