Seed Starting Tips

The past couple of years I've helped lead workshops on seed starting, and I find that many people are hesitant to start seeds indoors.  Even a Master Gardener I know confessed that there is something about seed starting that scares her silly!  On the opposite side of the spectrum, my kids wonder why I would even bother to lead a workshop on seed starting.  According to them, you stick a seed in some dirt and voila!  Sadly, it's not quite so simple as that, but I have a few tips that give me pretty good results every spring.

'Purple Bumble Bee' Tomato seedling

1.  Plan when to start the seeds.

Thankfully most seed packets will tell you a lot of information about how to grow your seeds, including how long you need to grow them before planting the seedlings outside.  You will need to factor in time for your seeds to sprout (usually around a week).  You will also need to plan for a week or two to slowly introduce your seedlings to the outside environment before planting them outside so they won't go into shock, a process called 'hardening off'.

The back of this tomato seed packet gives
pretty good instructions on when to start the seeds.

Many summer vegetable and flower plants don't like cold weather and won't be able to be put outside until after the last frost of the season.  You can find out around when the last frost in your area will be by searching online. 

2.  Use a sterile soil or seed starting mix to plant your seeds in.

Don't just use soil straight from your garden to plant your seeds in indoors.  Outside soil or even those big bags of potting mix may have bacteria, fungi, or bug eggs in them that might hurt small seedlings.  Instead, use bags of seed starting mix, which are completely sealed and sterile.  They are made of a water-retaining mix of peat or coir with some perlite or other light, fluffy materials added.  Another sterile option that is easy to use are those compressed peat pellets that expand when you add water.

If you do want to use a potting mix or soil that you have lying around for seed starting, you will need to sterilize it first by heating it to between 180° and 200°F (85° to 90°C), which will kill off any nasties.  I usually do this by putting the soil in a large bowl, moistening the soil, covering it with plastic wrap, microwaving it for 3 to 5 minutes, and then letting it slowly cool.

3. Plant your seeds in moist (not soggy!) soil and then cover them with plastic to keep them moist until they sprout.

Many seed trays will come with a plastic cover to cover them with, or you can use plastic wrap.  Some seeds like some light for germinating, some like darkness.  Some like it cool, most like it nice and warm.  (Your seed packet should tell you, or you can use search online.)  Just don't put your seed trays in direct sunlight, as that will cook them.

Ground Cherry seedling

4.  After the seeds sprout, they will need air, water, and lots of light!

When most of the seeds have sprouted, uncover them and put them in a sunny window or under some fluorescent shop lights hung a couple inches above the plants.  If you are using florescent lights, pick the light bulbs that cover the full spectrum of cool and warm.  Keep them on for 12 and 16 hours a day.  (My lights are on a timer from 6am to 8pm.)  Water the seedlings when they get dry, but try not to water so much that they are sitting in soggy soil.

my grow light setup: bakers racks and shop lights suspended on chains

5.  Put on a fan.

Good air circulation prevents fungal diseases.  Keep a fan nearby running on low.

6.  Start fertilizing at half strength after the seedlings start growing their first true leaves.

If you are using a seed starting mix of peat or coir, it likely doesn't many nutrients in it.  When the seeds first sprout their first baby leaves, they are using energy stored in their seed.  However, when they start sprouting their next leaves (called their 'true leaves', since the baby ones will at some point fall off), they need some nutrients.  Fertilize at a diluted half strength every couple of weeks.  A liquid fish or kelp fertilizer is great.  I tend to use whatever fertilizer I have on hand.

pepper seedlings starting to grow their first true leaves

7.  Once your seedlings get a little bigger, thin them down to one plant per cell or pot. 

Unless your plants are meant to be grown closely together (like bunching onions), they will start competing for light and space.  Use a small pair of scissors to cut extra plants off at the soil level.  It is emotionally hard to get rid of seedlings, but if you thin them, the remaining plants will grow much bigger!  (Sometimes you might even have to plant them in bigger pots.)

8.  Pet your plants!

Lightly run your hands over the seedlings for a minute or two every day.  This actually helps toughen them up and grow stronger.

9.  Harden your plants off gradually starting a week or two before planting outside, and keep an eye on the weather.

Like I previously explained, if you just plant your seedlings outside right after being in a nice, climate-controlled house, they will go into shock.  Start getting them used to the elements by putting them in a shady, protected place outdoors for a couple hours.  Each day, gradually increase their exposure to the sun and wind until they are ready to be planted outside.  Keep an eye on the weather! If there is a late season frost forecasted for after you've already planted your tender annuals outside, cover them with a sheet or blanket overnight.

10.  Enjoy!

Seedlings-in-waiting

Back in February and March, when snow was still coming down and piling up on the ground, this gardener was eager to do something for the garden, so I started planting packets of seeds indoors in my guest room conservatory.

Sorry Mom and Dad, you don't mind sharing your room with the plants when you come to stay, right?

Well, now I have seedlings.. and lots of them!

pepper seedlings

I have seedlings in my guest room conservatory..

seedlings on my deck..

tomatillo seedlings

seedlings in my garage..

I think I might have gone a little overboard.

Some of these seedlings are destined to a local garden club's plant sale and some to friends and family.  We'll see if I can find room in my yard for all that will still be left!

Tomato seedling - one of about 492.  Okay, maybe not that many, but there's a lot!

Of course, for the past few weeks, we have all been waiting for that magic Last Frost Date.  It is now within sight, and it is so warm out, that I could probably start planting now..

Isn't this one of the best uses for the red Solo cup?

...except all of my spare time is being used to work on building our awesome new Veggie Garden!
Stay tuned...
And happy planting!

cucumber seedlings in newspaper pots

p.s. Anyone want a tomato seedling?  I have a few to spare...

The Easy Way to Start Seeds - Winter Sow Them!

I am, admittedly, a lazy gardener.  I don't have a lot of extra time on my hands with two young kids, so if there's an easier way to do things, I'm all about it!  That is why I was so excited to find out about winter sowing a few years back.

the blossom of Nasturtium 'Empress of India', winter sown

Winter sowing is a method of starting your seeds outside in winter in what is essentially little greenhouses made out of recycled containers such as milk jugs and plastic salad containers.  You let Mother Nature do the germinating. No lights, no heat mats, no nicking or refrigerating of seeds needed and less problems with damping off?  Count me in!

Winter sown seeds sprouting outside in a recycled juice container

So what type of seeds can you winter sow?  The best ones are perennials and cold hardy annuals.  Many vegetable and herb seeds can even be winter sown to give them a head start.  Winter sowing is especially great for those seeds that need moist stratification - being outside provides the seeds with the cycles of freezing and thawing that many perennials need to break dormancy and germinate.

winter sowed Balloon flower

For more information on what type of seeds do well with winter sowing, you can go to WinterSown.org, which has lists of seeds that can be winter sown.   Though winter sowing has been around for ages, Trudi Davidoff, who created WinterSown, really refined this technique and started the website as a great resource for gardeners.

So how do you winter sow seeds?

1. Cut clean milk jugs or juice bottles in half.  You can also use plastic containers such as salad boxes, just make sure to cut holes in the top for ventilation.  (You don't want to cook your seeds.)

2. Cut holes in the bottom for drainage.  (I use a screwdriver or a big nail to puncture holes.)

3.  Fill the bottom with about 2 to 4 inches of dirt (use a light mixture that drains well).  Water it well, and then let it drain.

4.  Sow your seeds.  Plant them at the required depth, or if they need light to germinate, just gently press them into the soil.

5.  Duct tape the top back on, and label.  (I label them in a couple places, as even permanent marker can fade over time.)

6.  Put outside in a sheltered spot.  Check on them occasionally to see if they need more water, especially after the seeds germinate and the seedlings start to grow.  As the seedlings get bigger, cut bigger holes in the top or crack the top a little bit to finish hardening them off.

Look at those roots!  These plants want out!

7.  Once the seedlings get big enough, transplant them where you want them!  Make sure to protect from frost if needed.

One of my Lanceleaf Coreopsis plants I winter sowed.
(I moved before I got to see them bloom, sadly.)

I've had a great germination rate with winter sowing.  The main problems I have run into was when I used too heavy of a soil (retained too much water) or used containers with too many holes (those berry containers will just dry right out!)  For a lot more great info about winter sowing, as well as a lot of answers to FAQ's, WinterSown.org and GetBusyGardening.com are two good resources.

winter sown Candytuft

Happy Gardening!

Seeds: Next Year's Garden

The leaves have almost all fallen, and I have been busy planting bulbs, cleaning up the garden, and collecting seeds to save for next year. 

There could be hundreds of seeds in this rudbeckia seed head.

For many plants in the garden I am just letting nature take its course and letting them self-sow.  I wonder what plants will spring up where next year?

Tiny violet seeds.

I marvel at the ways nature has adapted to spread seeds.  Some seeds such as dandelions and Joe Pye Weed ride the wind on their little fluffy parasols.  Impatiens have exploding seed pods that will fling the seeds several feet away.  The hairy pods of Tick Trefoil, a wildflower/weed that occasionally graces my garden, will latch onto any animal or garden glove that brushes against it.

The seeds of 'Little Joe' Joe Pye Weed, Impatiens, and Tick Trefoil

There are also, of course, the seeds that travel long distances in the bellies of fruit-eating birds and then come out the other end.  I shall spare you pictures of that one.

Some seeds in my garden I chose to collect and save to plant again next year, especially those of annuals.  My easiest seeds to gather were those of the cheerful yellow Cosmos sulphureus.  These Cosmos were ones I had grown from seed that I had saved the previous year.  And the cycle continues.

Seeds of Cosmos sulphureus

For seeds that grow on seed heads, like my orange Zinnias, I cut the seed heads off once they turned totally brown.  

I then pulled the dried seed heads apart, separated the seeds from the chaff, and stored them in a cool, dry, dark place for next year. 

Each plant produces so many seeds that there is more than enough to store and share with friends and neighbors.

Even after harvesting the seeds that I want, there are many seed heads left.  In the backyard I leave them on the plant for the birds, and in the front I cut them off during my tidying up for the winter and set them out for the birds to enjoy.

Next year's garden shall be composed partially from the seeds that I have saved this year.  Plants for free?  It doesn't get better than that!
 

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Clematis Seed Heads

  

Some people love them, some people hate them.  After the clematis blooms fade, they are replaced by the often strange looking Seed Heads.  They can look very different depending on the variety of clematis.

Should I cut them off?  Well, that depends on whether you like how they look or not.  Some of them can be quite pretty and interesting (in the opinion of the Red House, anyways), whereas many of them can look quite alien or spidery, which may not be a look you are going for.  If you want your clematis to bloom more, you should cut them off.  This is especially important after the first flush of spring blooming clematis (pruning group 2) if you want any rebloom that year.  It takes energy from the plant to make the seed heads, so if you don't care for them, cut them off and redirect that energy!

Spidery-looking seed heads of clematis jackmanii

Each seed head has several seeds in it.  Each seed is composed of a seed pod (also called the achene) with a long tail attached.

When the seed head first emerges, the tails are smooth and shiny.

Unripe seed head of clematis rooguchi

These seeds are not ripe yet.  As you can see in the picture above, the seed pods are still green.
As the seeds ripen, the tails become feathery.  The feathery tails help the wind disperse the seeds when ripe.

Seed head of clematis Guernsey Cream

You can tell the seeds are ripe when the seed pods are completely brown as in the picture below.  The seed head will come apart very easily.

Ripe seed head of clematis Rooguchi

If the seed head has not been fertilized, the tails will still become fluffy.  However they will be much shorter, and seed pods will not have developed.

Can I plant the ripe clematis seeds?  Absolutely.  Plant them in sterile seed starting soil, thinly covered, and keep moist. Here are a couple links that have more detailed information about planting clematis seeds:
Clematis International Society
Brian Collingwood (a clematis fan who tells about his home trials in growing clematis from seed)
 
There are two disclaimers that comes with planting clematis seeds, however:
(1) The resulting plants will usually have different flowers than it's parent, especially when it comes to those beautiful large flowering hybrid plants.
(2) You might have to have a lot of patience.  Some seeds can take up to 3 years to germinate!  And then it can take another couple of years for the plant to flower.   So you might want to do a little research into your particular clematis to see how easy it is to propagate from seed.
(Propagating by cuttings and layering is starting to look mighty good, huh?)

Happy gardening!