I just got my first batch of seeds for indoor transplants in. Yea! I had a request for a how-to. There is actually a lot of methods and variations in steps. Google can tell you more (or if you are more old-school you can actually look in a book).  I’ll just share how I do mine, and say why as well.

Step 1:

Find a place. An extremely sunny window might work. But usually even sunny windows really aren’t getting that much light. So you will need artificial light. I made my setup two years ago with old metal shelves and shop lights. It is currently shoved into my laundry room. The laundry room is actually a happy place because it is equipped with a drain for water spills,  it stays warm and more humid due to the dryer and heater/water heater, and it is the only place in the house that is off limits to the kids. One little guy likes to eat anything he can get his hands on, so this was a must. I did it in my bedroom before, on the carpet (which was protected by plastic). If you aren’t in a smallish rental, you probably have more options.

You do not need to buy more expensive grow lights. It won’t help that much. If you are only doing a few, a compact fluorescence bulb and lamb might work. Just stay away from incandescent because they produce too much heat.

Step 2:

Get some seeds. Most of mine are from Johnny’s, Burpee’s and the grocery store. I’m not opposed to cheap seeds, but mail order certainly has more and cooler varieties.

Step 3:

Prepare the seeding mixture. I use a seeding/cutting mix because it has a finer texture and is excellent for new roots to grow in. It was very dry, so I added lots of  water in a bucket and mixed.

Then I spread it out in a tray and let it drain.

Step 4:

Label the row, and then make a furrow for the seeds. The seed depth is listed on the package, or about twice the diameter of the seed.

Step 5:

Sprinkle seeds in furrow. Cover. 

Step 6:

Ensure the soil is moist, but not sopping wet. A spray bottle is much better than a watering can, because you want to mist the seeds, not drown them.

Step 7:

Put a cover on. I used a garbage bag. They make cool plastic covers. A garbage bag is much cheaper.

If you have a heat mat, use it. Seeds will germinate better in warmer temperatures. I’m too cheap at the moment to get one.

So this might be a bit different than other methods, because I just sowed about a hundred seeds in a single flat. My rationale behind this is a) it is a lot easier to prepare one flat at the moment, b) I only have to worry about one flat and germinating seedlings need special care, c)I am more sure to not have gaps when I transfer to a larger container, and d) I remember doing it when I worked in the greenhouse forever ago.

I will leave them in this set-up until they produce one true leaf, and then it is transplanting time.

 

I bought a bunch of seeds two years ago, and have a few more that I have gathered up from the past five years. I have not stored them carefully. They were thrown in a cardboard box and placed in my grandma’s bomb shelter basement while I was in Georgia. Lately, they have been in a plastic bin outside.

I decided to test the viability of the seeds. It’s pretty easy. It turns out I have quite a batch of seeds and it took a while. Here is what I did.

I placed 10 seeds in a wet paper towel, placed that in a fold-top sandwich bag and put it on my water heater.

A week and half later I checked it all. I shouldn’t have waited that long, I just forgot. Ideally, I should have been checking them every 2-3 days.

Vegetable seeds germinate quickly and have a high viability rate. And most last 2-5 years just fine. My germination tests resulted in 90-100% for the majority of the seeds. Only a few varieties didn’t have a high rate of germination, some of which were moldy and hence need a re-test.

I’m getting excited for spring…the snow is almost melted, the weather is warming up. I’ve been pruning shrubs and found a bluemist shrub that had self-propagated a beautiful layered cutting. I re-planted it in my own garden.  The seed shelf has been constructed, and I’m planning on starting some vegetable starts soon.

I’m still alive. After a long hiatus, I am gardening again. My family has moved back to Utah and my husband has a job. We are renting this year, but actually found a rental with a garden plot.

A couple of nice warm days (it actually hit 38 degrees), and now I am thinking it is almost spring. I even have proof:

In reality, snow is still coming and temperatures are not getting over 40. Spring might be a while away, but it is a good time to start gardening. Yesterday I spent the day pruning in my parents’ orchard, and today I sorted through my garden supplies that made it through far too many moves. Tasks on my list include:

• Planning out the garden
• Pruning hardy fruit trees
• Sorting through my seed collection and testing for germination percentage
• Setting up the shelves for seed starting
• Starting early vegetable seeds
• Sort through gardening information to get ready for coaching/teaching during the season

Are you itching for spring as much as I am?