Seedling time! It has been some time since I started seeds, so I had forgotten how cool it is. Seedlings are something that just about anyone can do, but there are a few things to know that will help you start on the right course.
One quick note, I'm going to be talking about starting seeds inside. Direct sowing is its own thing and we'll see if I get an opportunity to blog about that.
Location
First things first, where are you going to start your seedlings? A greenhouse would be ideal, but not everyone has one. You can buy plastic greenhouses, but they are cheap. Therefore, start looking around and strategize where you could grow your seedlings. They will need light, protection from outside elements, and airflow.
Many gardeners use window boxes or sunny mantles. Others use laundry rooms or offices. It is really up to you and where you are comfortable dedicating space for a couple of months.
Time
So, you may be thinking, "a couple months?!" Yes, seedlings can take some time for a couple of reasons. The first reason is that you may not start your seedlings all at the same time because you base your seed start date on the last frost date. Many seed packets state how many weeks ahead or after the last frost date to plant seeds. Each seed will have their own date, but some will have similarities and you can plant those seeds at the same time. For instance, squash and cucumbers have similar times and they are quick so you can start them 2 weeks before the last frost.
The second reason is that some seeds take longer. For example, tomatoes and peppers take longer to grow. We started our tomato seeds on March 8th. Our last frost date is April 14th, so I planned the tomatoes to be ready 5 to 10 days after April 14th. I'm giving the seedlings more time as 2023 has been a year of cold temps and storms in California. If it was a warmer year, I may not need to give that many days, but I will say...late frosts are not uncommon.
Supplies
Now let's take a look at some of the supplies you will need. These are things that are commonly used by gardeners and are going to get your seeds going in the right direction. Further in the blog, I will list some budget friendly alternatives.
Seed trays without Holes - Catches and controls the water. True Leaf Market has great supplies.
Plug Cell Trays - This is what the seeds are planted in. Epic Gardening has nice plug cells that can be reused long term. I just got them for this year and they are very nice and sturdy.
Dome
Seed Starting Soil - This is a must. Do not use regular potting soil or your seedlings will struggle. You can make your own mix, but a bag of seedling soil will work just fine.
Oscillating Fan with Low Settings
Oh wait, one more thing...you will need seeds! So, check out the supplies page for some seed companies, or visit your local garden store (ie: nursery, Lowe's, Ace).
Steps
Once you've figured out when and where as well as gathered your supplies, now it's time to plant some seeds!
1. If you are reusing plug trays or seed trays, sanitize them. This is a must to prevent damping off and mold. You can use warm water and soap, or alcohol. You will also want to sanitize any tools you use, although I pretty much use my hands.
2. Lay your plug cell trays out and begin filling them with the seed-starting soil. At this time, I put in worm castings in, depending on the size of the cells, it might be like a pinch. There should be more soil than castings. You can also add fertilizer for seedlings at this time as well.
3. Looking at the back of the package of seeds, determine the depth of planting you need to do for each seed. Usually, it is 1/8", 1/4", or 1/2".
4. Using your finger or a popsicle stick, make a little well in the soil of the cells you are going to plant.
5. Next drop two seeds in the well per cell and then cover. I would do one seed per cell if it is a squash or melon as those are big seeds. Place the cell trays in the seed tray without holes.
6. Lightly water the topsoil and fill the seed tray without holes with water. I only add a little water to the top to just moisten the soil a bit, but afterwards the best method of watering for seedlings is bottom watering. That is why using a seed tray is so helpful as you fill it and soil pulls the water up from the bottom of the plug cell tray.
7. Cover the trays with a dome. Keep the dome on until you see growth.
*Optional: You can use a heat mat for seeds, but it is not necessary as long as your location isn't too cold. We do use heat mats for peppers as they tend to respond to more heat.
That's it! Now it's time to be patient and wait for the seedlings to sprout. You will want to stay on top of watering (bottom watering). Once the dome is off due to sprouts, you will want to do the following:
Get the seedlings into the light. This is crucial. If you are using grow lights, make sure to get the seedlings 1 to 2 inches from the light, so you may need to put something under the tray.
Turn the fan on low and oscillate as this is also crucial. The fan is going to help with airflow and strengthen the seedling stocks as they grow. This also encourages growth.
At this point, continue to check water and development twice a day. The trays might need rotation depending on your light setup to make sure that all the cells get ample light. Also, you may need to "prune" one of your seedlings if your seeds all germinated in the same cell. I pick the strongest one and pull the other. This allows your one strong seedling to have space.
I will cover in another blog what to do once your seedlings are bigger as it means it is time to harden off and then transplant.
Issues
I wanted to include some issues that can arise during germination as I experienced two this year and had to go hunting down ways to handle them.
White "Mold" - This was something I encountered this year and I can tell you it is not the death of the seedling. The white mold is due to warm and wet conditions. This is why bottom watering is important. To fix, scrape the white mold as needed with a butter knife and lightly put cinnamon on the soil. Cinnamon (yes, the spice) is an antibacterial.
Damping Off - This occurs due to wet and cool conditions. This is again why you want to bottom water, but also make sure that you have enough warmth for your seedlings. The bottom of the seedlings will darken and the plant will eventually wilt. Unfortunately, once this happens there is nothing you can do except start over. Here is a blog I found on damping off.
Leggy Seedlings - Legginess looks like the seedlings are reaching with all their might towards the light with very thin stalks, and small leaf growth. They will be tallish and floppy. This occurs when you do not have the seedlings close to the light, crowding, and good airflow (fan). For quite a few seedlings, you can transplant into a deeper plug cell and plant the seedlings deeper. This may not work for all seedlings. I would add a little seed-starting fertilizer and worm castings with the seed-starting soil. Here is another blog I found on leggy seedlings.
Alternative Supplies
Below are some supply ideas that are more budget friendly.
Instead of Seed Trays - Any plastic tray with an inch-deep lip to catch and hold water. I’m reusing a salad greens container. I'm also using those salad green containers as risers for the seed trays to get them closer to the grow lights.
Instead of Plug Trays - Again you can reuse any plastic container from the grocery store to plant the seeds. One popular option is cutting a plastic bottle from water or soda and using the bottom. You could also use a tomato container. Just be sure to clean these containers. One last idea is solo cups (Dollar Tree) and you can even double cup to have one holding the soil with holes and then another cup to hold the water for bottom watering.
Instead of Domes - You need something to contain the moisture until the seeds sprout. I’m using the lid from the salad greens container.
Instead of Fan - You can lightly brush with your hand over the top of the seedlings 3-4 times a day, but I highly recommend a fan to create regular airflow.
Instead of Grow Lights - Use a bright South facing window sill or a small greenhouse. Keep in mind that window sills may not have the strongest light. If the outside has a porch or major overhang, it will block the light.
Instead of Label Tags - Use painter's tape (although can be pricey), or popsicle sticks (Dollar Tree). I use popsicle sticks a lot. I've also used clothes pins in the past.
Hope these were helpful notes for your planting season! If you haven't checked it out, here is a blog on planning your garden.
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