Winter passes more quickly once seed catalogs arrive in my mailbox, signaling one of my favorite times of year: planning my spring and summer garden. I enjoy the challenge of planting seeds and watching seedlings emerge and I’m thrilled to have an eco-friendly hobby. My forty years of starting plants from seed has taught me to how to take some of the guesswork out of starting flowers and vegetables from seed.
Choosing Seeds
Choosing which varieties of seeds to plant is easier if you study the catalog description. Choose sun-loving seeds for hot spots and varieties that prefer cooler temperatures for shady spots. Many seed packets have a sun symbol that shows how much sun the plants will need.
Another important factor in starting seeds indoors is the amount of room you can designate in your home for raising seedlings. There are so many gorgeous flowers and yummy-looking vegetable varieties that knowing how much room you have for the plants helps you not get too carried away.
Setting Up an Eco-Friendly Indoor Nursery
There are many earth-friendly choices available for starting seeds. Planting pots made of compressed peat moss are biodegradable and come in many sizes. Peat pellets are the right size for starting smaller seeds like poppy or tomato.
Eco-friendly plant pot options that don’t cost a cent include using cardboard egg cartons, paper cups, or toilet paper rolls. Add a mixture of two-thirds organic topsoil and one-third sand for an excellent starting medium. These eco-friendly options also allow you to move your plants into the ground without disturbing the roots.
Place your pots into plastic trays and you’re ready to plant. Eco-friendly replacements for store bought plastic trays are plastic boxes from organic salad, the flat top part of Styrofoam egg cartons or rectangular glass baking dishes.
Equipment
Once your planting containers, soil, seeds, and trays are ready, you’ll need a source of light. Place one fluorescent grow light, available at major department stores, eight to twelve inches above each flat of seedlings. Once your seedlings have their first true leaves, place a few drops of organic fertilizer solution into the water.
If you start a lot of plants from seed, consider purchasing a mini greenhouse: a set of three or four shelves with a zippered plastic cover to create humidity to help the seeds grow.
Ready, Set, Plant!
Once you’re set up, you’re ready to plant your seeds. Plant small seeds in peat pellets or two-inch pots, larger seeds in two- to four-inch pots. Read the package instructions carefully to see how many seeds to plant in each pot. Cucumbers, for instance, are planted in hills of two or three seeds per four-inch pot, while cosmos are planted one seed per two-inch pot.
Keep your seedlings moist as your indoor garden grows.
Starting seeds inside is a rewarding and practical hobby. Watching your seedlings raise their little green heads is a constant reminder that spring isn’t far away!
