Oh, what joy can be found in growing your own seedlings for your garden! To be able to watch a seemingly inert dry seed spring to life as it emerges from the ground is truly amazing. There are many advantages to starting your own seedlings and an opportunity to enjoy the springing forth of life while it is still winter. And if you are anything like me, seed starting is such a joy in the heart of winter.
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Where to start
The first step on your journey is to figure out what you would like to grow. I like to start by making a list of vegetables that I know that I enjoy eating. This will point you in the direction of what seeds to purchase and hopefully make your gardening experience more enjoyable. There are many excellent seed companies to choose from. Baker Creek has some lovely heirloom varieties, Johnny Seeds has great diversity and seed quality, and High Mowing Seeds has fantastic organic seeds to name just a few. One thing to be mindful of is most seed companies are selling out quickly or offering limited purchasing options as there has been an unprecedented increase in seed sales this past year.
How many plants to start?
Once you have the seeds you desire to grow, the next step is to determine how many of each type to plant. I have made the mistake of planting 12 zucchini plants just to find out that 2 plants would have been more than enough! That year, I was giving zucchinis away by the bag full to neighbors and friends alike. Here is a helpful link to determine how many of each vegetable to plant for you and your family.
Germination Rate
Once I figure the number of each type of seed to plant, there are 2 things I take into consideration. Germination rate and environmental factors that may impact yield. Every seed packet has a germination rate stamped on it. This is very helpful as it tells us how viable the seeds are. For example, if you have a packet of 100 seeds and there is an 87% germination rate, you know that an average 87 seeds out of the 100 seeds will grow.
I use the germination rate to determine how many seeds to plant per hole. If the germination is under 50%, I usually do not purchase the seed unless it is on sale to compensate for the loss in growth. For 51-70% germination, I like to plant 3 seeds per hole. For 71-90% germination, 2 seeds per hole. And if the germination is over 90%, 1-2 seeds is sufficient. The goal here is to eliminate as many empty cells as possible to eliminate waste and decrease cost.
Now that germination is taken care of, there are so many other free radicals that can affect the plants in the garden. Whether it is too wet, too dry, too many bugs, the deer enjoy a salad bowl, or there’s not enough sunlight. The factors go on and on. For this reason, I like to plant about 25% extra to ensure that there is enough to feed the critters in nature and myself. For example, if I determined that 4 tomato plants is enough for my growing needs, I generally plant a 5th just to have an extra buffer in case something happens along the way to disrupt production.
Supply Gathering
Now that you know how many seedlings you need to grow, we can begin to look at what supplies to acquire and in what quantity. It is easy to do this step first, and I have done so in the past. But half the time what I have found happens is I either over-purchase and have too many supplies or under-purchase and have to run back out to the store. The supplies you purchase may differ slightly depending on if you are starting your plants inside under grow lights or in a greenhouse or sunny windowsill. It is also beneficial to purchase clear domes for the flats as well to maintain an even moisture level for the seedlings.
For greenhouses
For greenhouse growing, I like to use pots that are a little larger to decrease the amount of transplanting and handling needed. This is due to the extra space and free light energy from the sun. For salad greens or root crops, I like to grow in either 48 cell flats in the fall or 72 cell pots in the spring and summer. There are 2 considerations to take into account when buying the flats. Are you planning on using them once or twice? Or would you like a product that lasts time after time? For the former, these 48 cell flats are inexpensive, but flimsy and good for 1 or 2 uses. For something that lasts longer, it is hard to go wrong with Bootstrap Farmer trays. They are more expensive but will last for years to come.
For inside
If you are growing inside using grow lights, space is a premium and costs are higher due to electricity for grow lights. This is where planting in smaller trays and transplanting to larger trays as needed can save a lot of space and decrease costs. My go-to flat is a 128 cell flat. These enable to you grow up to 2-3 times the seedlings in the same area as the larger trays. Plus it enables you to have less growing media as you start. The cell size may not be an issue for you if you are growing in a small space. But for us, as we grow almost all of the produce that we eat, space conservation is highly valuable.
The nice thing with most pots that you purchase, they are almost all designed to fit a standard 10”X20” flat. This is important as all the pots have holes in the bottom to allow drainage. This isn’t an issue in a greenhouse. But if you are growing inside, the last thing we want is water leaking onto our floors. This is one area in which I do not skimp on the quality of the product. I have gone too many years of purchasing the inexpensive flats available at garden centers, and the vast majority end up springing a leak within the first year. To mitigate this risk, I go straight to Bootstrap Farmer Flats. They are heavy-duty and I have yet to have one leak on me.
What soil is best?
When it comes to seed starting, it can be tempting to go outside and use the soil from the garden to start. I suggest not doing this as there are some risks involved with this option. For starters, you do not know if there are bugs or bug eggs that may eat your tender seedlings. Secondly, it is hard to have the perfect soil needed for growing quality transplants. If it is too heavy, the young roots will have a hard time penetrating the soil and growing. And if it is too loose and sandy, there may not be enough nutrition or moisture holding capacity for your seedlings.
This is where I like to delve into the propagation soil mix for seed starting. This is a different soil blend than topsoil or garden soil mix as it has a finer balance of the composition to ensure it has a good balance of water holding capacity and nutrition for your young seedlings. I have had great success with the Coast of Maine brand, but most any organic blend from your local garden center will work great.
Lighting
The last supply to consider is artificial lighting if you are seed starting indoors. You have probably seen the expensive LED purple grow lights marketed for seedlings, and I have tried a couple of different ones out. The challenging as a homesteader or home gardener is the cost is often too great to consider. I have found through experimentation that a standard t8 fluorescent shop light works just as good, if not better! And they are a fraction of the cost to boot!
Most Lowes or Home Depots will have 2 bulb or 4 bulb units readily available. If you are growing 4 flats under 1 light, I like to use the 4 bulb unit. And for 2 flats, the 2 bulb unit is about perfect. It works out to be about 32 watts worth of fluorescent light per flat of plants. When buying the bulb, make sure to get the full spectrum to ensure that the right light spectrum is being emitted for your seedlings. I like 4100K and 6400k bulbs in particular.
When using just artificial lighting, I like to mimic nature as much as possible for seed starting. Until the plants start to emerge from the soil, you can keep the growing area dark. This mimics the seed growing underground until it reaches the surface of the soil. Once emergence has occurred, 12 hours of light is about perfect for the plants. For ease of use, there are helpful timers you can purchase so that you do not have to try and remember to turn on and off the lights.
Time to plant!
The time has come to begin your seed starting! To begin, I like to moisten the soil before placing them in the pots that you have purchased. This helps ensure that there are no dry spots in the soil, which can deter root growth. Secondly, I like to fill the flats almost to the top of the pot, leaving about ¼ of an inch of space. Very lightly compress the soil to eliminate voids in the pots. Now the time to seed has begin! Based on the germination of the seed mentioned above, place the number of seeds needed in each pot. Press them into the soil very lightly and cover fill the last ¼ inch of the tray with more soil.
Transitioning the trays
Next, you can bring your flats of planted pots into your greenhouse or inside into your growing area. At this point, I like to place the clear domes on top of each flat to trap in the humidity while keeping the soil evenly moist. Little watering is needed at this time unless you see that the surface of the soil is drying out. In this case, I like to use a spray bottle to mist the surface of the soil so as to prevent any disturbance of the tender seeds. As soon as the seedlings emerge from the soil, remove the clear domes and turn on the lights. Let the growing begin!
As the seedlings begin to grow, I like to water as little as possible on the surface of the soil as this can injure the tender seedlings or destroy their roots. Rather, I like to water directly into the 10”X20” flat keeping around ¾ of an inch of water in the bottom of the tray. This will ensure that the seedlings do not run out of water while they begin their journey of life while also reducing the amount of time for watering for yourself.
Last notes
When using city water, it is important to let the water breath before using so as to eliminate as much chlorine as possible for seed starting. Letting the watering can or jug sit for a few hours is usually sufficient.
If you are growing seedlings that are going to be in a pot for longer than 4 weeks, nutrition is important to take into consideration. I love to use fish emulsion or kelp, which you can find out how to use here!
If you see diseased seedlings, it is important to remove them from the environment and disinfect the area as fast as possible from your seed starting area. Otherwise, the disease may spread to your other seedlings, compromising your whole crop. If it is a reoccurring problem, you can also mist the surface of the soil with hydrogen peroxide to help eradicate some molds, mildews, and certain plant diseases.
We hope you have great success with your seed starting and enjoy the journey towards success!