by Amy Galblum
Though spring has barely begun and temperatures remain uncertain, I am already starting my summer vegetable garden. My first step: starting seedlings indoors. Why bother to start seeds, when seedlings of all varieties are available later in the spring? Emily Wheelwright of Jamaica Plain explains “gardeners just start getting antsy in January and want to be doing something – anything – akin to gardening when they can’t get outside.”
Seamus O’Kelly, a veteran seed starter from Sudbury, said that he starts seedlings “for the challenge of growing your own, and for a sense of achievement.” He says that he “enjoys watching seeds grow into tall plants. There is a great sense of satisfaction in that.” Starting his own seeds also allows him to grow varieties that are not widely available; such as the ‘Cosmonaut Volkov’ tomato he grows yearly. “I also like to be able to share plants with friends,” he says. Seed starters usually end up with more plants than they need.
Starting seeds at home is easy and requires only a few items: seed trays and pots, soil, seeds, and a light. There are many methods, and you can’t go wrong as long as you give your indoor garden attention, light, and water. My routine is as follows.
Start with the large (12 x 18 inch), solid, plastic trays that garden centers provide for carrying seedlings home (be sure they are solid and will hold water). Into the trays go leftover (or new) plastic plant six packs, in which seedlings are universally sold. These will nestle into the seed trays perfectly. You can also use plastic yogurt or cottage cheese containers, 3 or 4 inch plastic plant pots or half-gallon milk cartons cut lengthwise, all with drainage holes punched in the bottoms. Fill the containers with potting soil – either purchased, or concocted at home with half garden soil and half compost. Gently tap down the soil in each container, and voila! they are ready to plant.
Tomato seeds are usually started in March in our area since they take around 8 weeks to mature for planting out in the garden. Interesting varieties can be found in seed catalogues, at garden centers, hardware stores, or even grocery stores. Be sure they are labeled, “Packaged for 2012,” to ensure the best chance that the enclosed seeds will germinate. Put 2 or 3 seeds into each container, burying the seeds just under the surface. Label all your varieties.
Fill the trays with water about one half inch deep. The water will be pulled up through the soil without dislodging the seeds as might happen if they were watered from the top.
Cover the containers with a plastic bag to keep the soil moist, and put them in a warm place. Remove the covering as soon as the first seedlings begin to sprout. If you are like me, you will be examining the trays carefully every day with great anticipation.
It will take only a week or so for the tomatoes to push their way out of the soil, stem first and bent in half, followed by early leaves. It takes another week for the first true leaves that look like tomato foliage to develop.
A sunny south window might provide adequate light, but a florescent fixture will supply more reliable light and promote nice, bushy plants. An inexpensive shop light (around $10) can be hung from a bar suspended between two chairs. Hang it directly over the seed trays, only inches away from the tops of the plants and raise it as the seedlings grow. Alternatively, raise your plants under the florescent light on your kitchen counter – elevated on books.
Keep your plants well watered – bouts of dryness and wilting can impede their later productivity. When seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall and have several sets of true leaves, transplant them to larger containers or individual pots so they have room to grow. When several seeds have sprouted in a container, I thin them by pulling all but one, or transplant the extras to new pots.
Tomato seedlings grown in the house need to be acclimated to the outdoors at least a few days before you plant them outside. “Harden off” seedlings by putting them outside in a protected shady spot for a half day, then gradually move them into full sun, starting with mornings.
Using the same routine, other plants that are great to start indoors are broccoli (or other plants in the broccoli family), peppers (start in early March), and flowers such as zinnias, marigolds, and nasturtiums.
Happy gardening!
Learn more about starting seeds and participate in our “seed swap” at the next GreeningRozzie meeting: Wednesday, March 21st from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Roslindale Community Center, 6 Cummins Highway in Roslindale Square.
This article first appeared in the Roslindale Transcript.
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