Do you live in an area of the country with a short growing season? If you are interested in having your own vegetable seedlings you will have to start your seeds indoors. After reading last week’s post on Time To Plant Seeds you will know how to figure out when to start your seeds indoors. It’s very important not to start your seeds too early or you will end up with very leggy seedlings to transplant into your garden!
I always look forward to this time of year, we may still have snow on the ground outside but in just 8-10 weeks I will be transplanting my seedlings into the garden!
My seed starting set up is fairly simple. I would love to have a greenhouse but instead my husband made me a wonderful grow table. It just fits my two grow lights and when placed in front of our kitchen window it seems to work just fine as a spot to start my seedlings.
As mentioned last week, I keep track of what seeds I start and when they were planted. I also mark the containers so I can keep track of my seedlings.
Since last week I have started my onion and leek seeds. In another week I will be starting my peppers and tomatoes. I usually use small containers to start my seeds but this year I will also be using another type of seed starting container as well.
I have mentioned before that I make my own seed starting mixture. If you missed that post you can find my “recipe” HERE.
One rule of thumb is to plant the seeds 2-3 times as deep as the seed is wide. Leek and onion seeds are rather small and are pretty much sprinkled on the top of the soil.
Once my seeds are planted I make sure the soil is moist. One way to do this is to fill a plastic bin with water and float the pot in it until the surface is damp. I then label each container with the date and the name of the plant. This will help me keep track of how many days it took the seeds to germinate and will also help me when it comes time to plants the vegetable plants in the garden. I may be able to tell leeks from broccoli but it is very important to keep track of the variety of peppers and tomatoes.
Cover the seeds with a plastic or glass cover to create a mini greenhouse. You need to keep the seeds warm; a heating pad may be necessary. You do not need a grow light until the seeds sprout. Once you see the first seed sprouting remove the cover and place under your grow light. Keep a close eye on the seedlings, as you don’t want them to dry out.
It’s a wonderful feeling to finally have some seeds planted. I will continue to plant more as the weeks go by. Won’t be too long before I’ll be able to be outside working in the garden!
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Nancy on the Home Front 