Grow Your Own

One of the joys of gardening is starting your own seeds. You get a greater choice of varieties, get to experiment a little, and sometimes save money. After receiving your seed orders and before you fill up the cell packs or peat pots, take a little time to review the basics.

February's issue of Yard and Garden News from U of M Extension has a great review of some of the basics for starting seeds. If you have a place to start seeds, great! If you are new to gardening or want to expand, simple utility shelves fitted with fluorescent utility lights work fine. Hang the lights on a light chain so you can adjust the distance to the seedlings as they germinate and grow. The sides can be draped with plastic to retain some moisture and heat.

Although almost any container will work to start seeds, lightweight cell-packs are preferred because they are easy to clean, take little space, are relatively inexpensive, fit the larger trays, and can be sized to the plant you are starting. More important than the container is the medium you start the seeds in. some like Potting soil or garden soil is usually too heavy for starting seedlings. A better choice is a soilless starter mix that is also sterile. This is available at garden centers in several sizes.

Starting your own plants is all about timing. Seed package instructions usually indicate a time frame for starting seeds- either to sow directly into the garden or to start them a certain number of weeks prior to planting into the garden. Count back from the plant-out date (when frost danger is past and soil is warm enough for the type of plant). The time they indicate does not include the time it takes the seed to germinate, however.

Germination times vary greatly for different seeds and seeds need different treatments to aid in germination. Some need to be dampened and placed in the refrigerator or freezer to simulate a cold season before they will germinate. This is called stratification. Others seeds need to be nicked or sanded to break the hard covering before they will germinate. This is called scarification. Some are planted dry while others like to be soaked in water before planting. Seeds like lettuce need light to germinate while others germinate in the dark so planting depth is very important for some. Good seed companies include this information on the packet. Otherwise find some more in-depth information online or in a good seed starting book.

Once your seedlings are up there are four things they need - consistent moisture but not too much, light for 12-14 hours a day, a little fertilizer if you use a soilless mix, and some air movement to help prevent damping off, a fungal infection of the plants. Cleanliness goes a long way in preventing this and other diseases. To make room for growth, some plants need to be transplanted several times before going out while others like squash do not like to be disturbed.

Watching seedlings emerge from the soil and seeing them grow dispels all the memories of howling winds and 25 degrees below.