The Basics: Starting Seeds Indoor

There are some obstacles you can run into when starting seeds indoors. From root rot and bugs, to seeds never sprouting at all. Here are the basics of what you need to know.

1. Containers:

• Containers should have very good drainage. Poke additional holes in your container if you aren't sure.
• Transplanting: are you able to transplant the starts into your garden without disrupting the roots on your plant? 
• Material: do not use anything that has been treated, such as stained wood or treated metal. Try using old plastic bottles, milk cartons, tofu containers, or egg cartons. 
• Make sure to disinfect containers that have had plants in them before. I rinse any old pots or containers with a watered down bleach solution. 

2. Heat:

• Seeds need an average of 65-75 degrees to germinate (this is soil temperature).
• Heat from the bottom works the best.
• If your seeds are taking a long time to sprout, one reason may be the soil temperature.
• You can purchase a heat mat for seeds, they are a little expensive but I find worth the $20. Other options: place near your heater, place under a lamp, on top of an appliance such as a dryer or refrigerator. Once the seeds sprout you can move the seeds to a more "discrete" location.

These shop lights are perfect for keeping the soil warm and providing extra light. I purchased mine for $7 at a hardware store.

3. Humidity:

• Your seeds need humidity to germinate quickly.
• Light is not necessary at this point, so don't be concerned that you are blocking the light with your cover. Try plastic grocery bags, storage lids, sandwich bags, plastic bins, you could even use a glass baking dish upside down. 
• Make sure your humidity cover is a few inches off the dirt to allow the seed to sprout. 
• Once the seed sprouts, remove the "humidity" cover.

4. Air flow:

• Find/buy a small fan and set it to oscillate (on low) across your starts.
• This will help prevent bugs and root rot.
• The "wind" blowing across the start will also make your starts stronger, preparing them to be transplanted outside.

5. Water

• I recommend watering your indoor starts from the bottom. You will avoid drowning your seeds and plants this way.
• Make sure that your soil stays damp. A big mistake is either over or under watering during the early stages of the seeds development. Once the plant is more established it will be more forgiving. 

6. Soil selection:

• I do not recommend using standard potting soil as you can run into some problems with this (bacteria, and large particles in the soil can cause the problems).
• Search for dirt that says it is for starting seeds. 

7. Light:

• You'll need to get your plants some Vitamin D (and if you are in Seattle, maybe you need some too).
• Your seedlings do not actually need sunlight until they have developed their "true leaves" (the second pair of leaves that grow) which are the leaves that are able to do photosynthesis. That means you have a few weeks to figure out how you are going to provide your seeds with enough light.
• I do recommend a grow light, which sounds scary, but I will cover this in another post. 

Phew. Lots of typing and not many photos. But hopefully useful. 

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Starting Seeds

It's March! Spring is just around the corner and it's time to start those seeds!

Why should you start seeds indoors?

1. When you have a short growing season like we do here in Seattle, it's necessary to give your plants a head start to have a full, successful garden. If you wait until May, which is the time when it is safe to start your garden, it's too late for many of your veggies to amount to anything before the season is over.
2. There is something extremely satisfying about planting seeds, nurturing it into a full plant, and then consuming it.
3. It's easier than you think. I promise. I'll share all my tips with you.

Here are some seeds that you could start in preparation for transplanting later this spring:

1. Peas (once these sprout I will move them to the garden early on). Many people say not to start these indoors but I disagree, it's always worked out for me.
2. Letteuce, spinach, arugula
3. Chard and Kale
4. Broccoli, cauliflower
5. Herbs
6. Tomatoes (these will stay inside your house a little longer than the rest so you will need a grow light if you want to plant these now)
7. Onions
8. Leeks

Seeds you should only directly plant in your garden:
1. Carrots
2. Radishes
4. Beets

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Tomato Tuesday: Buying Starts

Growing tomatoes from seed is rewarding, but getting the timing right can be difficult. If you start your seeds too early your plant may outgrow its container and be ready to move outside when the weather is not ready.

If you plant too late, you run the risk of your tomato plant not having enough time to fully mature and produce fruit!

So why not let someone else figure it out and buy some starts!

When choosing which tomato plants to buy, here is what you should look for:

• Consistent dark green leaves. Avoid plants with pale leaves or spots. 

• Thicker, sturdier stems and base. Plants that have been started indoors can sometimes be wimpy. You want a tough plant that can withstand wind and rain. 

• Don't pick the plant that already has flowers. I know it's tempting, but this is a sign that the plant is stressed. The plant needs to concentrate on getting bigger, not producing tomatoes yet.

• Shorter plants are best. Long or "leggy" plants have been deprived of sun. 

(The plant on the right is the better option)

Photo credit http://extension.missouri.edu/news/DisplayStory.aspx?N=1087


If you are in the Pacific Northwest, it's still not time to plant your tomatoes, you can buy your starts but make sure to bring them in at night!

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Growing Radishes

Let's talk radishes. 

Why grow them?

• They are a cool weather veggie that can be planted BEFORE your last frost date.
• When temperatures haven't warmed up, radishes will keep you motivated because:
• They germinate and grow quickly!

How to grow radishes:

• Sow them directly into your garden. There is no point in buying starts as they grow quickly. Only 30 days until they will be ready for harvest! 
• Once they have sprouted, thin them out so they are about 2-3 inches apart. 
• Try planting a few new seeds every week so you don't end up with all your radishes ready for harvest at once.
• Keep them moist to avoid losing that "radish crunch".

What about insects?

• I'm afraid that worms do love radishes. 
• You may find holes in your radish leaves, or in the actual radish. A few holes in the leaves isn't a problem, holes in your radish is.
• To prevent this you can try covering your radishes with a "floating row cover". This will also keep your radishes from over-heating. You can find a floating row cover at most garden stores (click the image to view more info. You could also try using cheesecloth. 

• Other tips: when planting the seeds use epsom salt, wood ash, or coffee grounds, and place in the row next to the seeds. 

Tips on growing radishes:

• They have shallow roots,  so that you can grow them in containers.
• They do not like temperatures above 75 degrees. If you're a lucky duck soaking up 75 degree weather, you should grow your radishes in a location that receives a "cooler" sun (morning or partial sun). 
• You can harvest radishes whenever they look ready. The longer you leave them in the soil the more spicy (but spongy) they will become.
• If your radish "bolts" or shoots up a long stem with a flower, you've lost her. This most likely happened because the weather was too warm or you did not provide enough water. 

What got me on a radish kick? Check out this post from SeattleSeedling.com about a homemade butter she made to have on her just-picked radishes:

Check out her blog to find out how to do it:

http://seattleseedling.com/2011/05/butter-doesnt-count/

Yum!

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Hotkaps and Cloches

It's an abnormally cold year. 

I've seen empty garden beds, drooping tomato plants in windowsills, and rusty garden tools.

Well La Nina, you are not stopping me. Time to talk cloches (the purpose of a cloche is to protect a plant from frost, winds, or heavy rain). 

I found these at the local garden store and have successfully been using them on my lettuce and strawberries. 

Here is how you can use them:

• Place over newly planted seeds, it will keep them warm and toasty. They will also prevent your seeds from drowning in the case of a rainstorm.
• Place over transplants, this will help them adjust to being outside.
• Keep around the base of tomato plants, if you ever get to plant them. 

Here are some things I have learned by trial and error from using HotKaps or other cloches. 

• They need some sort of ventilation to keep your plant from suffocating or getting too humid. I cut holes in the HotKaps:

• With HotKaps you can rip open the top to allow the plant to keep growing while keeping the base warm (similar to the tomato picture above).
• If your cloche seems like it won't allow much sun in, you may want to take off the cloche during the day and put it back on at night. 

Here are some other cloche ideas:

Remember these bottles from this post?

This is a top from a leftover seed starter kit:

What else could you use as a cloche?

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Creative Containers

  If you want to get a head start on your garden without the preparation I have mentioned in earlier posts, I have a solution for you! These are so great for getting a head start on your garden. I became addicted, after realizing how easy these are. It took me about 2 minutes and I was able to recycle our plastic bottles.

The best part about these little buggers is that they are self watering, and maintain a humid atmosphere for the seeds.

How to make your own:

1. Find a plastic bottle (2 liter is what I use, but you can use any plastic bottle). Peel off the label on your bottle. I'm not picky about getting all the glue off of my bottle, but I've heard Goo Gone, or nail polish remover will do the trick.

2. Sterilize the bottle with a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), swirl the mixture around, and make sure to rinse well afterwards. I have heard of people using hot water, but I don't believe you can get the water hot enough to kill bacteria without melting the plastic. Hot water and plastic also release hazardous BPA's which are not good for us, or our little plants!

3. Cut your bottle about 1/3 from the Neck side. Then trim an additional 2 inches or so from the base side. Your goal is the have the neck of the bottle almost touch the bottom inside the base. The left picture is what you want. The right picture is what it looks like if you do not trim the additional 2 inches

4. Poke several holes in the bottle near the neck to help water seep into your dirt

5. Place a strip of paper towel covering the hole near the neck of the bottle to keep dirt from escaping.

6. Fill your base with water about 2 inches from the top. And your top with seed starter.

7. Plant your seeds (anything you want, lettuce, tomatoes, peas to name a few), spray the top of the dirt to get the ball rolling, and place in a sunny south (or west) facing window.

Voilà!

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Soil for Seeds

When starting seeds indoors, make sure your soil comes from a sealed bag, or has been sterilized. Do not transport dirt from your outdoor garden, you will bring in all sorts of critters,  possible diseases, and weed seeds!

I suggest buying "seed starter" at your local gardening store:

Thank you Vanna.

You can make your own mix, but I find this time consuming and expensive.

A few tips on dirt and planting your seeds:

• Pack your dirt down in your container, this will give the roots a more firm structure to grab on to, despite the soil being generally light and fluffy.
• Plant your seeds according to the directions on the back of your seed packet.
• Remove the large white "pebbles" from the top of the dirt, this is most likely perlite, which is great for allowing air to circulate underneath the soil, but can be difficult for seeds to sprout past.

• Place your trays in about an inch of water to start. Always water seeds from the bottom up to avoid drowning your seeds.
• Spray the top of your seeds with a water bottle to keep the seeds moist, not soaked. Do not let the soil on top dry out!

• Add heat! 70 degrees is ideal. You can either place the seeds next to a heater, place your container on a heating pad on low (be careful! water and electricity do not mix well), or I have splurged and bought heat mats that I set under my trays and can use each year:  

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Containers for Starting Seeds

You can be really creative when finding containers to start your seeds. The only requirements are that the container is sterilized, and there are drainage holes in the bottom. I generally just use seed starting trays that I purchase at the garden store, I like to use the larger 3X3 cells so I can allow my plants to grow larger in case the weather isn't quite ready for transplanting.

Here are some suggestions for creative containers you can find around your home:

Make sure to sterilize with a diluted bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water), and to poke several holes in the bottom of your container for proper drainage!

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Starting Seeds!

The moment I have been waiting for all winter! I'd like to throw a party, but I'm afraid the only one that would attend would be Mason. Time to start those seeds! My best advice for those of you interested in exploring starting your own seeds is to buy a starter kit. They are cheap and cover many of the basics in seed starting.

Starting seeds indoors can require some time, its a commitment. If you don't think you can devote daily attention to your seeds then I suggest buying some starts in a month or so. However, if you can spend a few minutes a day ensuring water supply is adequate, and checking for any problems, it's worth it! There is a lot to go over here, so I plan to break my posts up by day. I will cover: containers, soil, planting, heat/watering, problems and how to correct them, preparing for the move outside, and transplanting.

The reasons I enjoy starting my own seeds are: it allows me to plant some unique vegetables, it's cheaper, you tend to have hardier plants, and with heirloom vegetables I can save seeds from the vegetable, and replant the next year ensuring some hardy veggies that can adapt to my garden's conditions and climate! Not sure if any of my veggies can adapt to this though:

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