People like to talk about gardens. I ran into a friend at the pool on the weekend who was eagerly telling me about all the seeds he had started as we grabbed a breather between lengths. Starting seeds indoors is the best way for keen gardeners to beat the winter doldrums and begin to dream about spring.If you are a discerning gardener, starting seeds enables you to grow seedlings and varieties that aren't available in local garden centers. After a long winter of perusing seed catalogues it is time to get planting and growing.First you need a container. Plastic flats work well but truthfully any container will do if it holds five to 7.5 cm deep of growing space. You will however need drainage. Soggy roots equal instant death to most tender seedlings, so drainage holes are mandatory for the excess water to flow through.Please don't use soil from your garden to start seeds. Unless you want to bake it in the oven for days on end, garden soil is not sterilized and will be teeming with bacteria, insect larvae and soil born diseases. Contrary to popular belief, sand is not a great choice either. Go to a garden or hardware store to find asterilized seed starting mixture. This will get your seeds off to a great start.Moisten your seed-starting medium. As a general rule of thumb, most seeds should be sown to a depth of twice their size, but read the instructions on the back of the package. Some seeds, like impatiens, require light to germinate so you just gently press them into the surface of the soil. Read the instructions first to find out what specific needs your seeds may have.The next steps include humidity, temperature and light. You can create a humid environment by covering the container with plastic. This traps in moisture and prevents evaporation. As soon as your seedling pops up and you see the first set of true leaves, you need to remove the plastic as the seedlings will be in danger of dampening off.
When watering seedlings, use spray bottles and mist lightly. Don't ever drench them.Bottom head is great for seedlings. If you want to get fancy you can buy tray warmers, coils or heating mats, but often the top of your fridge will work as well. Seeds germinate faster with bottom heat, but just remember that once the germination occurs, the tiny plants need to be moved to a bright location.Seedlings need six to eight contiguous hours of light a day. Florescent lights are best, but if you have a really sunny south or west-facing window, you might get lucky.The next step in caring for your growing seedlings are transplanting. Once the seedlings are seven to nine-centimetres high, it is time to move them into larger pots. Continue with the light and water and remember to be ruthless when you transplant. How many tiny tomato plants do you really need? Choose the best-looking plants with strong developed roots and you will end up with healthy plants.At some point your carefully nurtured seedlings will be ready to greet the real world. About two weeks before you are ready to transplant them into the garden, start to acclimatize the plants by putting them in a sunny location outside for a few hours a day and bringing them in at night. Over a week or so, they will begin to get accustomed to the outside world and will transplant into the ground with less shock after all signs of frost are gone.Happy planting.
