Starting seeds

Monday, February 25, 2008

It’s nearly March.  I noticed the other day that I have at least three or four inches of leaves up on my daffodil bulbs outside.  It won’t be long now before the earliest bulbs are flowering, and before long it will be time to start gardening in earnest.  The official last frost date here in the Philadelphia area is May 15, but global warming is certainly pushing that date earlier and earlier each year.  Last year I planted tomatoes in the garden on May 1 and had a lovely crop.

For long season crops, like leeks and celery root, it’s best to get a head start on the season and start the plants indoors.  I planted seeds for both on February 18 and, as you can see, the seeds are starting to sprout.  If I can keep the cats out of the plants and if I can give these seedlings the love they need, I’ll have a healthy head start on the growing season by May.

I was intimidated by starting my own seeds for a long time, but it’s really pretty easy.  I prefer to use Jiffy peat pellets in those plastic greenhouse things for starting seeds. It’s easy, and I have a good sunny, warm spot that means I don’t need to mess with a grow light set up.  But you definitely don’t need to purchase peat pellets to start seeds - you can use things you have lying around the house instead.

Lots of people simply reuse egg cartons or yogurt cups for starting seeds. These containers offer a way to recycle your garbage, and they’re a great size for starting seeds.  You can use regular dirt from your garden or backyard in the container of your choice, but seeds generally do best in a soilless potting medium (which is one reason why I prefer the peat pellets).  A trip to your local gardening center will score you a bag of what you need. 

When you’re ready to plant, just take a look at the packet of seeds you have.  Read about how deep the seeds need to be planted.  In most cases, it’s about a quarter of an inch deep.  Make sure the peat or soil or whatever is moist and then plant.  Put your containers in a sunny window and cover the containers in plastic wrap to trap warmth and humidity.  Check your containers every day or two to make sure the soil is moist, and eventually your seeds should sprout.

It’s at this point where things most often go awry.  Seedlings need 12-18 hours of light.  If your sunny window isn’t providing the needed light, you may need to invest in a grow light - but be careful not to position the light too far above the plants or they may get too leggy.  When the plant gets its first set of true leaves, you may want to fertilize a little encourage good roots and healthy growth.  You can normally keep the plants in their original containers until you’re ready to plant, unless you’re growing them indoors for an extended period.  In that case, you may want to pot them up into larger containers.

It doesn’t take a lot of work to start your own seeds, and you’ll be rewarded with the most local of locally grown produce!