Growing Concerns: Starting seeds indoors fun and rewarding (2024)

It’s time to start your seeds indoors. Seeds are a great way to increase the number of plants you have for your garden and they are a lot less expensive than buying more mature plants.

There could be an early spring this year. The snowdrops and crocus have already bloomed and I saw a forsythia bush in bloom so the ground is warming. But we could still have heavy frost for a few more months.

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There are so many seeds and ways to start them that we often get overwhelmed with what we need and where to start.

The easiest thing I can suggest is to start simple. You can plant seeds in just about any container from egg cartons to individual pudding or yogurt cups.

The most important thing is to use the right soil. Seed-starting soil is the best you can use to start seeds. The seed-starting mix will hold the right amount of moisture and it is light and loose enough for all good root growth and better success with your propagation of plants.

Light is very important to seed germination so double check the information on your seed packages as to whether or not to cover the seeds with soil and just how much. Many folks use grow lights or simply change light bulbs in already existing lights. For the best success, the light should be no more than 6 inches above the leaves. This will help to stop the plants from stretching for the light. Plants do best when they receive about 16 hours of light. Timers come in handy to keep light levels at a constant amount of time.

Keep the soil moist but not saturated to help with the germination. A light mist works best as you do not want to wash the seeds out of the container or cause them to bunch up in one corner. Too much water will cause the stems to rot at soil level and you will lose your plants. Some gardeners use a fan on low setting to help with air movement around the plants to prevent rot at soil level.

Seed starting can be fun. Just relax and use it as a learning experience. I have tried many different seeds and not always have had success. But when I do, it is so rewarding.

Denise Hodgins is a professional gardening coach in London. Send your questions to coaching@diggendirtdesigns.com

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