Wednesday, September 27, 2000

Seed starting indoors for winter gardening enjoyment Starting seed indoors is one way for gardeners to alleviate "cabin fever" and make it through those cold winter months, while still enjoying their favorite hobby. Moisture, temperature and ventilation are all very important to good seed germination. Other seed starting essentials are light, containers, growing mediums, and seed. Light There are only two types of light from which to choose. Sunlight is ideal, but seedlings need anywhere from 12 (cooler locations) to16 hours of sunlight per day to grow and thrive. Since this is impossible in winter months, artificial light can be used in place of or in conjunction with sunlight. Place containers on windowsills or below windows. Artificial light should be placed about 1-3 inches above seedlings for the first few weeks, then raised to 4-6 inches above your seedlings until transplant time. Incandescent light does not have a very wide spectrum. Fluorescent light is the best source of artificial light. Grow lights are expensive, and results are comparable to that of fluorescent lights. Whichever type of light you use, your seedlings will need a rest period with no light at night (like we all do). Also, rotate the seedling trays so that the seedlings do not get spindly. Mirrors or aluminum foil can be used to reflect the light and give the seedlings the fullest benefit of the light available to them. Containers The only requirement of your seed-starting container is that it hold 1-2 inches of soil and has good drainage. Individual containers are preferable because the plant's roots systems will be less disturbed when they are transplanted to the soil. Square or rectangular flat containers make better use of space and moisture retention. Covers provide humidity and give a greenhouse effect. Growing mediums Growing mediums should be weed free and have the ability to retain moisture. Plain garden soil is not a good choice as it hardens and young seedlings cannot penetrate through it. You can make your own using materials like vermiculite, perlite, peat moss and sphagnum moss. Good planting mixes are also available. Seed Seed should be of good quality. Find a reputable seed supplier and stick with them. Read descriptions and choose cultivars with qualities that are important to you. Check seed packet information to find out whether the seed you want to grow has special care requirements. Trading seed is another way of getting the types of seed you desire. Make sure the packets are clearly labeled with type of seed and care requirements. What do you think of this story? Click here to send a message to the editor. Back to Home & Garden Home Page | Back to the top of the page