Starting Seeds

The first time I ever taught a Master Gardener class, my topic was annuals and perennials.  This was a three-hour session as part of the basic certification, and I had so much information to share that I wondered if three hours was really enough.  This was back before Powerpoints, so I had my trays of slides, and my three page outline handout that covered everything from what they are, their culture, soil prep, basic maintenance, design and of course starting from seeds.  We may have needed a whole semester.

I came prepared with example plants, various potting media, tools, supplies, real soil vs. potting soil, various fertilizers and my homemade seed starting stand.  Of course we started seeds which was more difficult than I thought it would be with a group of thirty adults.  Gardening does not come naturally to many people. 

Needless to say, I have modified the program greatly since then.  The seed starting aspect of the class was eliminated.  The reality of seed starting must be learned through experience.  Every year you hopefully remember the mistakes from the previous year.  Here are some of the mistakes that I have made and learned from.

1.  Starting seeds too early doesn't make spring come any earlier. 

2.  Only plant what you need.

3.  Thin those seedlings out and keep only what you need.

4.  Investing in a heating mat is a really good idea.  I only start one tray worth of seedlings at a time.  That should be sufficient for most home gardeners.  The tray only stays on the mat until you have good germination.

5. The shipping charges on mail order seeds often times encourage you to buy more than you need.

6.  Do a germination test on saved seeds when you get the urge to start seeds.  Then you'll know if you should get new seeds and you'll satisfy that farmer gene.

7.  Use professional grade seed starting mix.  I use Redi-earth Plug and Seedling Mix.  It has a wetting agent that keeps the mix from floating away, starter fertilizer and a excellent drainage.  You can most likely get some mix from a local greenhouse grower.  In any event, use a product labeled for seed starting, not general potting mix and definitely not potting soil.

8.  Don't waste your time with Jiffy 7s.  They sure are cute, but they take up too much space for one or two seeds.  Plug trays are much more effective if you want individual plants.  For some reason, plants do better with a restricted root zone.  Those are Jiffys on the left in the photo.

9.  Label! Label! Label!  You will never be able to tell the difference between the twenty different types of tomatoes that you started, and you'll end up giving all of the Sungolds to your neighbor.

10.  Run a fan in the room with your seedlings.  The air circulation helps to toughen them up, but it doesn't mean that they are hardened off and ready to go out doors on the first nice day.

This is only a portion of my advice on starting seeds.  I could go on for three hours, but I need to go shovel some more show.  For a very comprehensive page about seed starting go to this University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension site.