Starting your seeds!

Starting seeds happens to be one of my all time favorite pastimes. I'm not sure whether it's the challenge I enjoy the most or just the ability to start a new plant from such a tiny seed or having the feeling of being a part of the whole creation process. Whatever it is, I find the entire process quite fascinating. How such a small thing, some smaller than the head of a pin, can grow into such an immense plant. I could go on and on about this!

I look back now on when I first started growing plants from seed and I have to snicker at what I put myself through. Banks of fluorescent lights, elaborate shelving units, trays and trays and more trays filled with pots upon pots of dirt. It was messy, it was expensive, it was time consuming, and I loved it.

I would begin my seeding shortly after Christmas each and every year, I just couldn't stand to not have my hands in dirt another moment. By the time the gardening season rolled around I had leggy overgrown plants that were begging for real sunlight, and I was still so proud of my accomplishments. Fortunately Mom Nature is quite forgiving and my babies soon bounced back to normal and grew into healthy plants.

The way that you start your seeds may be totally different from the way I start mine, and both ways will work equally well. There is no right way or wrong way. The right way is whatever works best for you.

I will share with you what I do and what I've learned over the years.

For starters, clean pots are a must! Soak them, scrub them, use a bit of bleach, kill whatever nasty organisms are still on there just waiting to sabotage your newly started seeds. Or just use brand new pots! I prefer the 4" plastic pots and was able to buy a case of them at my local greenhouse supply store. I can fit 18 of these pots to a standard sized plastic tray.

For a seed starting mix - this is where it can get down right complicated. Depends on the seed I would say……. for an average seed, a delphinium, calendula, allium, papaver, dianthus, geum and so on and so on, use a seed starting mix, either pre-mixed and purchased or make your own. Personally, I make my own. I use a mix of perlite, coir, and granite grit. You might say, oh weird, but this is what works for me.

Each and every seed has different requirements in order for the germination process to start. There are so many internet sites that will aid in figuring out what your seeds need to prosper and grow. The fun part will be figuring out what works best for you.

One that I refer to a lot is at Tom Clothier's Garden Walk and Talk

Two other references I use a great deal are:

The Fully Illustrated Plant by Plant Manual of Practical Techniques
Alan Toogood Editor-in-chief.
ISBN 0-7894-4116-0
DK Publishing Inc.
www.dk.com

Practical Plant Propagation
An Exposition of the Art and Science of Increasing Plants as
Practiced by the Nurseryman, Florist and Gardener.

Alfred C. Hottes
Published 1922
No ISBN attached

A general rule is to sow the seed twice as deep as the size of the seed. So if the seed is 1 cm than one must sow it 2 cm deep. What I usually do is to fill my pot with mix until about 1" from the rim, I sow the seed on top of the mix, and then depending on the seed and its requirements, top it off with either the mix or granite grit.
Now why use granite grit you ask? And, by the way you can pick it up at just about any farm feed store. I use it because slugs don't like it, it makes it easier to water the pot without disturbing the seed, and it's been recommended by so many top seed starters that you just have to follow their lead (even if you're not sure why).
Water in well and place the pot where it is to start growing.

I actually start very little seed indoors anymore. There are a few annuals I might start just for earlier bloom, like nasturtiums or dimorpotheca, these are both plants that like a evenly warm germination . But for the most part just about everything gets started in the cold frame outdoors. My indoor space is saved for my bulb collection now.
For lighting, I've gone from banks of fluorescent lights to one 1000w HPS (high pressure sodium) bulb. Way more bang for your buck and the plants love it.

Hopefully I've covered this fairly well, any questions, feel free to ask.