Growing Your Own Plants From Seed

I know it is early November but I am already planning the vegetable garden for next spring. It is a quiet time now and we have a bit of reprieve from the hustle and bustle of working in the gardens outdoors. It is a good time to reflect on the harvest from this year and determine what I can do better next year. I've saved some seed from the heritage type vegetables and thought maybe you would like to know how to utilize the seed you may have saved (or bought) to get an early start on your garden for the upcoming spring. Feel free to print this and keep it handy for reference.

You'll save money and get a real sense of satisfaction at the same time if you grow your garden plants from seed. Seeing healthy seedlings sprout from your soil is exciting. To ensure you don't lose the seeds you've gone to so much trouble to save and sow, here are some tips to consider.

Prepare small pots or cell packs, as they are sometimes called, with a good quality potting mix. (I like the clear dome style trays because they diffuse the light for proper germination and I don't have to search for something to make a cover that fits.) You can make your own mix if you prefer, using equal parts of coarse river sand, garden soil and vermiculite. Vermiculite is especially good because the tiny roots of your seedlings can penetrate the soft, water-holding grains and so when they are transplanted, they take their moisture with them. This helps to prevent transplant shock.

Make rows or indentions for the seed by pressing a pencil or piece of dowel into the mixture. Sprinkle the seed in and cover lightly with sand. Using warm water, gently water well with a spray bottle. Keep covered and damp until the seeds have sprouted. I place planted trays under flourescent lights in the house so the seeds will have sufficient heat and light to germinate. You can put specially designed heatmats (NOT a heating pad) under the trays to help maintain an even temperature. Remove the cover when the very first seedling appears. If you wait until all the seeds have sprouted, you'll end up killing the first ones that came up because they will overheat. Be sure to keep the seedlings damp while they are continuing to grow but don't over water. If they are too wet, they may not grow at all.

There are some variations on the above tips. You could use a cardboard egg carton (no styrofoam) and sow one seed in each segment. Then, when they are large enough to transplant into a larger container, cut the segments apart with a craft knife and plant the whole thing. The cardboard will soon rot away and in any case, the roots can penetrate it while it is damp. I use the small peat pots for this and plant everything into the garden so I don't disturb the delicate roots. Almost any seed can be sown in this manner, but it is especially good for vegetables if you want to get a jumpstart on the garden. One caveat. Not all vegetables (corn for example) transplant well. The garden books or the seed pack will tell you if the seed is best planted directly into the garden or if it should be started indoors. For a terrific book on this subject,you might want to check out The Vegetable Gardner's Bible by Edward C. Smith.

If you have saved seedling containers from previous purchases, you can re-use them. I recommend washing them in hot soapy water first and let them dry in the sun to sterilize them. It is easier to transplant from the sectioned containers since the plant roots aren't all tangled together.

You can use seed sprouting to get your plants started as well. This is particularly helpful for larger perennials and trees that take a long time to germinate. Soak the seeds in hand-hot water for 3-4 hours. Once it has started to swell, place it gently in a clear plastic bag with some barely damp sphagnum moss. Seal the bag and leave in filtered light until you see the roots growing. Transplant into a 3" pot and allow to grow until the size dictates an even larger container. Some seeds, such as beans and peas, require darkness to germinate. These can be placed in a cupboard. (It is best to only sprout beans and peas a day or two before you plan to plant them into the garden. The full-sized plants do not transplant well.) Delicate seeds can also be sprouted on a damp paper towel that has been sealed in a plastic bag. Be sure to keep them out of direct sunlight so you don't cook them! As soon as they have sprouted, transplant into growing medium and keep covered and warm until the first seedlings appear as above. I use the small peat pots for this so I don't have to handle the plants any more often than necessary.

Purchased seeds are usually sprinkled with fungicide, so if you are growing your own, watch to make sure no mold develops. If it does and the seed is too small to wipe the mold off, you may have to start over. Mold only develops if there is too much moisture in the bag.

Next time we'll talk about plant rotation and planning the garden bed. Until then, have fun thinking about your next garden!

Arlene Kaye