Tiny powerhouse plant embryos that are the starting point of our self-sufficient dreams. These little gems hold the power to create the ultimate veggie garden this spring and summer. They can crush our hopes of ever having an edible green thumb—no pressure, right? Honestly, though, don’t stress. There’s a significant margin for error when you’re starting your own seeds early indoors. Not to mention, the seeds themselves are quite inexpensive, so you can always start over. However, let’s lean to the positive and take the position that this is going to be our best gardening year yet because we started our seeds the right way. And to make sure that happens, let me show you everything that you need and need to know to start your own veggie seeds early indoors. So let’s get to it.
Overview
In temperate regions, seeds are started early indoors during the winter to get a jump on the coming growing season. That makes sense, and it’s why you start to see the endless supply of veggie starter plants every spring in every garden center and every home improvement store. When do you think they start those plants? Correct, right around now. Most seeds of most of our garden vegetables are started eight to ten weeks before our last spring frost.
Many people suggest many different things to get your own seeds started early indoors, but in truth, you only need four to get started. You’ll, of course, need your containers or pots or trays. You’re gonna need a proper seeding soil mix. You’ll want a way to get proper light to your seedlings once they do germinate and sprout. And of course, you’re gonna need the seeds themselves. Now, those are the basics and items list, if you will, of what’s necessary to successfully create your own veggie starter plants indoors. But to ensure our success, let’s dive deeper and divide this article up into the six specific sections that we need to conquer to become seed-starting masters.
Initially, we’ll talk about the seeds themselves. Let’s just get it out of the way first—there are some seeds you direct sow, and there are some seeds that you need to start early indoors. Let’s discuss which is which and why. Next, we’ll talk about timing. When do we start our seeds? Do all seeds start at the same time? If I’m a week late, am I going to have no garden? Don’t fret; we’ll cover it all. After that, we’ll go over what makes a seed-starting soil. What’s the difference between it and regular potting soil, and why do we need it? Then we’ll discuss our containers and the transition from plugs to larger pots. Next, we’ll look at watering and how we can be sure that our seeds and our seedlings have access to adequate moisture. Finally, we’ll look at planting techniques. How do we actually plant these seeds to maximize not only germination but also our space and time?
Initially, we’ll talk about the seeds themselves. There are some seeds you direct sow, and there are some seeds that you need to start early indoors. Let’s discuss which is which and why. Next, we’ll talk about timing. When do we start our seeds? Do all seeds start at the same time? If I’m a week late, am I going to have no garden? Don’t fret; we’ll cover it all. After that, we’ll go over what makes a seed-starting soil. What’s the difference between it and regular potting soil, and why do we need it? Then we’ll discuss our containers and the transition from plugs to larger pots. Next, we’ll look at watering and how we can be sure that our seeds and our seedlings have access to adequate moisture. Finally, we’ll look at planting techniques. How do we actually plant these seeds to maximize not only germination but also our space and time?
One reason is some plants simply don’t transplant well—they hate their roots being disturbed, and they don’t like being moved early on in their life. Things such as peas, beans, and some melons—they just have a much higher rate of transplant shock and they’re really not suitable for starting early indoors. The second reason that some plants are not suitable for this is that they’re sown in such large amounts that hand planting them is just logistically impossible. Things like carrots and beets—these guys are just not something that you can start early indoors and then expect to plant outside individually later on. Careful planning and strategy will ensure that you’re starting the seeds early that need to be started early.
Timing
Timing is everything, and with beginning seeds inside with a particular aim to establish them outside at a particular time, it truly is significant. The best window of season of when to begin sowing your seeds inside is eight to ten weeks before the last ice date in the spring. This is planned with the goal that the plants are laid out and grown to the point of being established in your nursery outside. If you start your plants too late, you won’t be able to get a head start. If you start them too soon, you might end up with specimens that are dependent on the indoor environment and overgrown, lush, and difficult to transplant outside.
Soil
Growing and developing your plants inside might begin with your seeds, yet it could end assuming you pick some unacceptable soil. The foundation for a successful seed-starting project is the environment you grow in. Yes, seeds can sprout in almost anything; in fact, paper towels can sprout seeds. Be that as it may, we should choose the proper medium to augment our germination rate and early development achievement. Seed-beginning soil isn’t entirely different from fertilized soil, however it is altogether different from the dirt in your nursery. It should be airy, light, free of debris, neutral in pH, and capable of fairly effectively retaining moisture. For these reasons, the majority of commercial seed-starting mixes combine perlite, compost, and peat. You can buy your own; They are easily available almost all year long. Be that as it may, you can likewise make it; To make mine, I mix about 40% compost with 60% coconut fiber. I’ll screen that mix to get rid of any big pieces, and I won’t add anything at this point. Sprouting seeds don’t actually require preparation, as most seeds contain all they need to develop for the early piece of their life.
Containers
Once we have our seeds and our soil picked out and we’ve determined that it’s the right window of time to plant, we can now focus on our containers. What I have in front of me is the overwhelming choice for most growers to start their seeds in. It’s known as a plug or seedling tray. You can use little cups, small pots, really anything that can hold soil and drain water. But the plug trays show that you mean business and that you’re serious about indoor seed starting. The ones I use are a 10×20 dimension and fit nicely inside a holding tray, which will come in handy later in the next section.
I often get asked why I don’t just seed directly into larger pots, and there’s a few reasons why. One is space—a 72 or 98 cell plug tray is the same size as 18 four-inch pots. That’s five to six times as many seedlings in the same amount of space. And think of the soil saved—at least 70-80% savings in seed-starting mix, which, you know, in all honesty, is quite likely the most expensive type of soil that you can buy. And the benefit of being able to start so many seeds, even if you only need a few, is that you get to cherry-pick the best ones. If you need 10 cucumbers and you plant 12 in larger pots but 4 aren’t so good, you could be left with sub-par plants to start your garden. Seeds are cheap, and while they’re not free, certainly cheaper than having to start all over again.
Watering
Seeds, like the plants they grow into, require water. Imbibition is the process by which they take in water, which is what causes the seed coat to burst and allows germination to begin in the first place. They need water to germinate. It can be difficult to water seeds, and you need to be careful about how much you water them. An excessive amount of water and you risk the climate becoming anaerobic and harmful to the seeds, yet too little water and it won’t be wet enough for germination to happen by any stretch of the imagination. Utilizing those plate that we referenced previously, seeds and their compartments are best watered from beneath. This will keep the seeds from being washed away from fiery top-watering while at the same time giving a pleasant, even dispersion of dampness. The 10×20 cell trays seem to take two liters of water perfectly, and if you use the clear dome covers, you won’t need to water them again until well after they have sprouted.
Planting
We finally have planting. It shouldn’t be too hard to plant your seeds.The direction are given on the rear of basically every seed pack. I’ll water the plate from under and thusly let it sit for a couple of hours to really hold. By boring a little opening, you can either put the seed inside those phones or push it down to the suggested establishing profundity by putting it straightforwardly on top of the dirt. Genuinely basic stuff.
Certain plants like tomatoes and peppers can be made a stride further in that they can be multi-cultivated. What that involves is really putting different seeds per cell — as many as at least seven seeds for some uncertain tomato assortments. The plants can then be grown separately when they are mature enough to move on to larger pots. It goes without saying that the cost and space savings are not real, but not all plants can be used in this way.
Certain plants like tomatoes and peppers can be taken a step further in that they can be multi-seeded. What that entails is actually putting multiple seeds per cell—upwards of seven or more seeds for some indeterminate tomato varieties. Then when the plants are at the stage to move on to larger pots, they can be separated and grown individually. It goes without saying that the space and cost savings are unreal, but it can’t be done with all plants.
And if you’re at this level of planting, then quite likely you’re creating starter plants for sale or you’re already a commercial operation. To maximize your germination success, most of our seeds will require supplemental heat. The ideal temperature range for seed sprouting is between 80 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. This is usually accomplished with a low-wattage heat mat designed for seedlings. Most of your seeds will begin to sprout within a week, especially at the warmer range of temperatures. It’s at this point that those plants are going to need light—a sunny window, a solarium, or if you’re lucky, a greenhouse. If that’s not an option, you’ll have to use artificial lights. LED grow lights are the best, but they’re also the most expensive.
The key here to remember is that you need to provide enough light at the right spectrum. If your plants are growing long and leggy and spindly, they’re telling you that they simply don’t have enough light. Definitely correct this as it’s gonna be a long two months until they can be planted outside.
Starting seeds early indoors is a privilege that allows us temperate gardeners to grow crops we otherwise couldn’t. It’s a great way to break up the often overwhelming responsibility of spring that we all face, and really, it’s just nice to be able to cultivate and grow at a time of year when we’re all itching to get started.
