Giving them a Head StartGardeners in northern climates use a variety of means to cope with their short growing season. When the last frosty nights may come as late as May or early June, starting seed indoors must be delayed also. With a few quick to grow plants, this should not pose too much difficulty. Most food plants will benefit immensely from a little head start.
Starting seeds indoors can make a crucial difference for certain plants in cooler climates. Even as far south as Oklahoma, where we reside and where the last frost usually arrives in early April, getting an early start can make a big difference. Moonflower vine, Ipomoea alba, a tender perennial that was mentioned in the column on stratification, will not germinate until the average temperature is close to 70 degress F (21 degress C). This usually occurs in mid-to-late May. However, if I start it indoors I can transplant it outside several weeks earlier. This provides me almost another month of nightly blooms!
The Big ThreeSeeds started indoors demand the same basic conditions as those started outside and since their environment must be artificially created and maintained, it takes a bit more attention. The three basic requirements are soil, light and water. But in each planting there are special considerations.
Avoiding the FungiIt is essential that the soil you use be sterile. One of the great banes of seed growing is a fungus commonly known as Damping-off Disease. The spores of this fungi are ever present in soil and the conditions of indoor gardening seem particularly advantageous to its propagation. It can wipe out hours of hard work in a matter of days, killing off your nascent cornucopia before it's had a chance.
To avoid this scourge you must use a sterile soil or, even better, another sterile medium. Some gardeners like to use their own soil. This involves sifting out any larger clumps and stones and then sterilizing it in an oven. This is a lot of work and the results are probably no better than using a commercially available starting medium. These usually consist of some combination of vermiculite and peat moss and are often referred to as "soil-less."
If you want to make your own, here are a couple of good recipes:
|
Cornell Mix 4 quarts of shredded peat moss or sphagnum, 2 teaspoons ground limestone, 4 tablespoons compost. |
Simple Mix |
When buying a seed-starting medium, make sure it has been sterilized! This should be clearly indicated on the packaging. After it has been thoroughly moistened, the medium can be placed in flats, peat pots, toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, etc. The size of the container will depend on what type of plant you're growing... the larget the seed, the larget the seed starter container.
Keeping Them StoutWhen seedlings do not recieve enough light they become tall and spindly or "leggy." Seedlings need a lot of bright light. Even if you have a window that receives full sun, you might need to compliment natural sunlight with artificial light. If you are using only artificial light, you'll need a great deal of it. What we 'see' may seem like a lot, but it is impossible to duplicate the inensity of natural direct sunlight.
To compensate, much longer "growing days" are needed. Use bulbs that are specifically made for growing plants and place them just a foot or so above your seedlings. You'll want to keep these lights on at least 14 hours a day.Fluorescent tubes are ideal because they won't produce as much heat. Too much heat will quickly dry out your seedlings.
Keeping a Watch on MoistureThe third ingredient is moisture. Watering is the one that will require the most attention. You want to keep the medium moist, but not let it become wet or soggy. In general, it is best to water from below, allowing the medium to soak up the water like a sponge. To promote germination, you can cover the flats or pots with plastic wrap. This keeps the planting medium both warm and moist, but must be removed as soon as the plants sprout. Otherwise, you risk suffocating your young seedlings.
At this point you need to keep a close watch on things to maintain the proper moisture. If you have arranged a completely artificial setup you will probably be able to predict how often you'll need to water. If you're using a spot in a sunny window, you will need to watch more closely.
Placing the containers on a raised bed of gravel spread across the bottom of a large pan with a small amount of water can help create humidity and prevent your seedlings from drying out. Make sure the water level is below that of the gravel so that the plant containers rest on the gravel and not directly in the water.
When They're ReadyIt is important not to start seeds indoors too early. If they outgrow your flats or small pots you might try thinning them and transplanting the largest to bigger pots, but for the most part you want to plant them outside just as they become large enough to survive transplanting. This is generally four to six weeks after sowing, when they have at least two sets of true leaves.
Just count back... if you're planning to plant the first week of May,
you probably shouldn't be starting seeds any earlier then mid-March.
Just as your seedlings set on their first leaves, you may want to provide
them with a little soil support, worm castings or compost tea.
Again, experience, both yours
and others',
is the only sure guide to what will work for you. Always be willing to experiment.
And good luck on your harvest!
Join "Garden Notes" and plan for Harvest Success as you track and record your gardening progress. Your Free Personal Garden Journal has pages for jotting down notes on the seeds you start, your new plantings, when you fertilized, and even a graph to plot a new garden.
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