Seed Magic

This article addresses the basic supplies needed for seed starting.

  • Topic: Planting Techniques
  • Keywords: seeds, seedlings, soil, spring, Planting Techniques
  • Date: January 2002

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Believe it or not, spring is just around the corner (while many wonder if winter ever came). Now that you have seed catalogs in your anxious hands, and visions of sugarpeas dancing in your head, it’s time to think about starting seeds.

This article will address the basic supplies needed for seed starting. In the coming weeks we’ll cover post-germination care and specific information for vegetables and annuals. Throughout the spring look to this newsletter for reminders on when to start various plants.

Why Bother?

There are many reasons for starting your own seed. To begin with, you’ll have access to many more cultivars than are available in a nursery. And when you start your plants indoors they will flower more quickly and produce earlier harvests than those that you wait to sow outdoors. Plus, you can silence that voice in your head that wants to start planting NOW. Wild temperature swings this winter have awakened many people’s grow-clocks—put that energy to good use.

What You Need:

Growing seedlings requires gardening’s big three: the right soil, light, and water. No problem, right? Just go outside, grab some soil out of your garden, plop it in a Dixie cup, scratch a few holes, stick in some seeds and take a watering can to them every two to three days. At least, that’s my remembrance of 5th grade science class. It may work today, though I swear there’s some super-secret growing agent in the walls of that Dixie cup. For your seed starting, I’d recommend something a little more precise.

The Right Light:

Most seeds require low light to germinate, but once they have begun to sprout meeting their light needs becomes of utmost importance. Augment the natural light in your growing area with fluorescent fixtures (fit with one cool white bulb and one warm white bulb) set just 3-4 inches above the seedlings. As your plants grow, move the light higher to prevent leaf burn. If the light is too high above the seedlings they will become leggy—though there are other causes for leggy plants, such as old fluorescent tubes or too much heat.

The Right Water:

Proper moisture is essential for growing healthy plants. In this climate a humidifier might be a good investment. Don’t let the seedlings wilt, but don’t over water either.

The easiest way to water large numbers of seedlings without disturbing their tender stems is to water from the bottom, taking advantage of capillary action. Take the tray in which you are holding your seedlings (it must have holes in the bottom) and place it in shallow tub of water (do not let the water go over the upper edge of the tray). Keep the flat in the tub until you see visible water spots on the surface of the soil, then tilt gently to remove excess water and return it to its light location.

The Right Soil:

The proper growing medium for seed starting should be loose and well draining. There are bags of growing medium specific to starting seeds, which are often soil-less mixtures designed to absorb moisture and dry quickly. Test the mixture by simply hefting the bag—if it’s lighter than traditional potting soil it should be fine.

Fertilizing will be important as the seedlings grow, but be careful not to use a strong fertilizer for germination. If you are using a soil-less mixture you will need to fertilize about 2-3 days after as the seedlings emerge, and maintain a good fertilizing schedule after that. An organic seaweed solution is a good gentle fertilizer. Whichever fertilizer you choose, mix it at half the regular rate for your first two applications, and then apply it every two weeks at the regular dilution suggestion.

Digging soil out of your garden for starting seeds is a bad idea, as you can pass any diseases present in your garden soil onto the immature seedlings. It is possible to sterilize this soil, but it’s a smelly process, involving baking mounds of soil in the oven. Not exactly the fresh scent of spring.

The Right Dixie Cup:

Many plants are traumatized by the shock of transplanting, so using plastic six-packs, peat pots or pellets is a good idea. It is possible to start your seed in one large flat and transplant each seedling into smaller pots once they have gotten their second set of leaves. This conserves space if you are starting a bunch of seed—however in a normal sized garden, you probably aren’t going to need 50 healthy tomato plants. Remember, your aim in starting your seeds now is to develop strong, healthy, deep root systems before transplanting outdoors, and any disturbance can hinder that development.

Other Supplies to Consider:

If you plan on planting before the last projected frost date (which, let’s face it, varies depending on who you ask) be prepared with covers in case of an unexpected frost. Walls of water, row covers (some come with a thermal layer for extra protection) and glass bells, jars or plastic jugs can all provide protection from the light frosts early in the growing season. None of these will protect against a hard frost, but using them can save your plants from harm if the thermometer dips slightly below freezing.

To better protect yourself, think about building a cold frame so that you can harden your seedlings out gently. Look for more information on cold frames in a few weeks.

Growing your own seedlings requires a commitment of time, energy and resources, but the end result is worth any hassle. And once you have all the kinks worked out, starting up again next spring will be a breeze. Even without that secret Dixie cup formula and the wonder of a childhood, there’s nothing quite so magical as a sprouting seed.