Start Those Seedlings Now

Marigolds, impatiens and petunias are only a few of the annuals that add great garden color. And how rewarding to grow them yourself from seed. It just takes a little bit of forethought, and now is the time to begin.


Item # 99330 		Zinnia grandiflora
Prairie Zinnia

each $5.49
3 to 6 plants $5.29
7 or more $4.99
Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold'
Item # 16328 		Alyssum montanum 'Mountain Gold'
Creeping Basket-of-Gold

each $5.49
3 to 6 plants $5.29
7 or more $4.99
Container Potting Kit
Item # H0015 		Container Potting Kit

each $37.85
Blue Talavera Trio
Item # D0076 		Blue Talavera Pot
Handmade Blue Talavera Ceramic Pot

each $69.95
Red Talavera Trio
Item # D0075 		Red Talavera Pot
Handmade Red Talavera Ceramic Pot

each $69.95
Monrovia Potting Soil
Item # H0016 		Monrovia Potting Soil
1 cu. ft.

each $18.95
  • Topics: Annuals, Planting Techniques
  • Author: Cindy Bellinger
  • Keywords: starting seedlings, growing plants from seed
  • Date: February 2007

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Marigolds, impatiens and petunias are only a few of the annuals that add great garden color. And how rewarding to grow them yourself from seed. It just takes a little bit of forethought, and now is the time to begin.

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.

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.

Basic Instructions

  • Loosely fill trays or pots with potting soil to 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, don’t cover them at all.
  • To water, spray lightly or if the tray has holes, set it in a shallow container of water so it can be absorbed.

Water, Warmth and Sunlight

  • If you need to create or maintain a warm temperature, cover the tray with glass or plastic.
  • Keep most seedlings out of direct sunlight. Some seeds (impatiens, begonia, petunia) need light to germinate. Other seeds need darkness. If so, cover the tray with newspaper.

Germination and Transplanting

  • Most seeds sprout within 5 to 20 days. Thin to minimize overcrowding
  • About six weeks before transplanting them outside, “harden off” seedlings by gradually moving them to cooler places outside so they can acclimate and not go into shock.

Flowers easily started from seed

Note that “experiment with light” indicates a differing of opinion among growers about whether certain seeds need light or not. So maybe start two batches one covered, the other uncovered. Make a note and next year you’ll know what works in your particular growing space.

  • Alyssum—barely cover, needs light
  • Bachelor Button—plant 1/4”, experiment with light
  • Black-eyed Susan Vine 1/8”, experiment with light
  • Cosmos—plant 1/4”, cover from light
  • Marigolds—plant 1/4”, needs light
  • Nasturtium—plant 1”, cover from light
  • Petunia—scatter, barely cover, needs light
  • Phlox 1/8”, cover from light
  • Zinnia 1/4”, cover from light

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.