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| Mini-greenhouse with moistened pellets ready
for planting. |
Gardeners will tell you about the hazards of starting
seeds indoors, of leggy seedlings from insufficient
light, of damping off, and problems with germination.
They'll lead you to believe that there is some sort
of magic, or at least, arcane science to getting plants
to grow from seed on a windowsill. Well, I'm here
to tell you it ain't true. Anyone, with a little love
and attention, and a few simple items—some kind
of light, planting tray or pellets, soil starter,
and seeds—can grow great, healthy plants from
seed.
Why would you want to do this? Well, there's the
excitement of planting unusual
and fragrant varieties, heirlooms and herbs not
usually carried at the garden store, the pleasure
of nurturing plants and watching them develop the
recognizable features of their species, and the assurance
that, in all likelihood, your seed-grown plants will
do as well or better than store-bought plants. All
things considered, it's worth a try.
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| I use a moistened chopstick to grab tiny
seeds for planting. |
You will need a window and grow lights. Seedlings
really do need a lot of light. You can use fluorescent
lights, grow lights, or even large, shaded incandescent
bulbs. One should be plenty for one tray. Use your
judgement. Once mine sprout, I leave the lights on
at least 12 hours a day, to supplement the
sunshine.
You'll also need a container. You can use most any
flat container, provided it has some drainage
holes in the bottom. You can get mini-greenhouses
filled with 12 peat pellets that you moisten to inflate.
These work great, as do the larger 30 and 60 pellet
varieties (reusable and affordable). These are great
space savers too. Or you can go with flats, such as
you see in the garden center. For these you'll need
soilless seed starter mix, a fine, mostly peat
mixture especially made for seed starting.
If you really want happy seedlings, you can also
buy some seedling tea, or use a very weak fertilizer
solution diluted. Since most soil mixes for seedlings
are nutrient-free, your plants will need to be fed
by the time they have their second leaves.
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| Just touch the chopstick to the seed, and
then plant in the predrilled hole in the pellet
(or on the surface). |
Don't be afraid to try things. I've had no
trouble with perennials, annuals, vegetables, vines,
and herbs. I've successfully launched seeds requiring
darkness to germinate (plant seeds in pots and put
the pots in a cardboard box for a couple days). This
year I grew begonias which require strict sterilization
procedures and a couple weeks in a covered plastic
shoebox to get the required warmth and humidity to
germinate. Despite the many warnings, mine sprouted
quickly and are growing well, despite their tiny size.
In short, except for real tough cases like hellebores,
clematis, and the like, you should be able to start
most anything in the house. Just read and follow directions
on the seed packet.
The key is attention, which shouldn't be too hard
since watching seeds sprout is so exciting!
Keep moist until germination then water as needed.
Don't let plants overheat if they're in a greenhouse
tray (uncover on sunny days). Feed every couple weeks
after they have their second leaves. Make sure light
is adequate. And transplant them when they get to
the 4 leaf stage, either into 3" pots or out
in the garden in a protected area or cold frame.
Try it and see. You'll be amazed how easy it is to
grow healthy, hardy plants indoors for earlier blooms
and a longer growing season. As one gardener put it,
Seeds want to grow!
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