The success of starting seeds for the vegetable garden
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By Andrew Holsinger | Extension Educator-Horticulture
Gardeners face the challenges of replicating the natural process of seed germination indoors. Starting seeds indoors allows for the selection of the strongest seedlings for growing on into transplants outdoors.
There are many different types of vegetables to choose from when growing from seed. Alliums and brassicas are good choices for utilizing transplants. Warm season crops of tomato and pepper are common choices to shorten the field time in which they are grown. Though growing your own seeds is an enjoyable effort if you have the time to dedicate, cultivar options may be limited.
It is especially important to start with quality seeds from a reputable source. Use good sanitation when starting seeds. Whatever sized tray is used, be sure that it is clean and if previously used an appropriate sanitation process completed. Typically a 10% bleach solution can be used. A germination test may be needed if you have saved seeds from previous years to ensure a good rate of germination.
Soil blocks offer an alternative to containers as they provide adequate space for root development, proper drainage, and the advantage of root pruning to prevent circling roots from occurring.
A lightweight soil-less seed starting mix is a good prevention for the introduction of potential insects or diseases. Although sometimes diseases can develop or insects like fungus gnats occur if the medium is kept too moist. Temperature of the growing medium can be adjusted with a thermostatically controlled heat mat to achieve the warmth needed for specific crop requirements.
An important goal is to have adequate light and plant spacing to prevent stem elongation. Lights should be kept 3 to 6 inches away to keep the plants short and stocky. There are various types of lights (12 to 16 hours of light) that can produce the intensity needed including fluorescent or L.E.D. lights. Specific grow lights aren’t necessary but there are benefits of choosing the right light characteristics for your crop.
Water is necessary for success as the germination process starts with water entering the seed. Watering should be done gently with a fine mist or water can with fine holes to avoid displacing seeds. Water as uniformily as possible and start with a pre-moistened media before planting seeds in trays. Humidity can be moderated with a humidity dome to preserve some moisture.
Slowly add fertilizer to the transplants to provided the nutrients necessary for growth. Usually fertilizer isn’t needed when seeds are started, but when the seedlings have their first true leaves and are a couple inches tall.
Labelling your planted seeds will help with keeping records so you can stay on schedule in the production of your transplants. Schedule according to the ideal planting date outdoors.
Transplants will need hardening off to get ready for the outdoor environment. Watering and temperature will need to be reduced gradually usually over a period of two weeks.
