Starting Seeds

Starting Seeds

  • Topic: Planting Techniques
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: Seeds, seed, seed planting, seed starting, Planting Techniques
  • Date: March 2005

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Seems every year I dust off this article about getting seedlings started. And why not? Marigolds, cosmos, impatiens, petunias—and all those other annuals add a lot of colorful splashes to any garden.

Also, nothing is more rewarding than growing your own annuals from seed. It just takes a little bit of forethought, and now is the time to begin. Some of the more hardy annuals such as the marigolds can be sown directly into the ground. But many of the others need a bit more care to get them started. Raising plants from seed is the simplest form of propagation if some of the basic conditions are met.

When buying seeds, check the packets for specifics. Some seeds need to be covered with soil, some don’t. Some need a deeper covering than others. Also, be sure seeds are fresh; they tend to lose vibrancy after a year.

Basic instructions:

Loosely fill trays or pots with potting soil, leveling off about an inch from the top. Sow the seeds thinly and evenly. Next, cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil if their directions call for soil. If you’re growing petunias, you don’t cover them at all.

To water, spray lightly or if the tray has holes, set in a container so the water will be absorbed then let it drain. If you need to create or maintain a warm temperature, cover the tray with glass or plastic. But keep out of direct sunlight.

Some seeds (impatiens, begonia, petunia) need light to germinate. Other seeds need darkness. If so, cover the tray with newspaper.

Most seeds will germinate within 5 to 15 days. The seedlings then need to be thinned, which means some of the newly sprouted plants plucked from the soil to keep the crop from being cramped. Then it’s best to “harden off” seedlings before planting outside. This means acclimating them to the outside so they don’t go into shock. About six weeks before transplanting them outside, move them to gradually cooler places so they will get used to the weather. After 2 or 3 weeks, the plants should be ready for the garden.

The following flowers are easily started from seed. Because there are differing opinions about light, “experiment with light” is indicated where you might want to try it both ways.

  • Alyssum—scatter, barely cover, needs light, germinates 10-15 days
  • Bachelor Button—plant 1/4”, experiment with light, germinates 5-10 days
  • Black-eyed Susan Vine—plant 1/8”, experiment with light, germinates 15-20 days
  • Cosmos—plant 1/4”, cover from light, germinates 5-10 days
  • Marigolds—plant 1/4”, needs light, germinates 5-10 days
  • Nastrutium—plant 1”, cover from light, germinates 5-10 days
  • Petunia—scatter, barely cover, needs light, germinates 8-10 days
  • Phlox—plant 1/8”, cover from light, germinates 10-15 days
  • Zinnia—plant 1/4”, cover from light, germinates 5-10 days

When spring is in the air, nothing’s more tempting than planting seeds. Then what fun to have a garden of color that you started from scratch.