How to Start Seeds Indoors
When spring rolls around after a long winter, you don't want to waste a minute of that glorious warm weather for growing! Starting seeds indoors is a great way to get ahead of the season. With just a few dollars worth of seeds, you can grow a lot of plants very cheaply. Starting your own seeds allows you to try unusual and interesting varieties that you might not find at the local garden center. Here's what you need to know to successfully start seeds indoors to plant seeds in your garden once the temperatures warm.
Container options
Plastic seed trays and seed-starting kits are very easy to grow seeds indoors. But you can also dig out your recycling bin. Remember to drill a drainage hole in each container before planting. Cardboard egg cartons work well, but you can also reuse items like clean, cut-up milk jugs and yogurt cups. Or, you can make your own seed starter pots out of newspaper.
How to start seeds indoors
Although the planting instructions on the packet are different, you'll need the same supplies to start seeds indoors. Here's what you'll need:
A. Seed-starting pots with drainage holes (or DIY seed-starting pots).
B. Seed-starting mix
C. Labels
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1. Fill the pots.
Fill the pots with fresh, moistened seed-starting mix. Do not use garden soil, it is too heavy and may contain pests or diseases. Leave a half inch of room at the top.
2. Sow the seeds.
Follow the instructions on the seed packet to plant. Some recommend making a shallow hole in the center of the potting mix to put the seeds in, while others suggest adding the seeds to the surface. Add one seed to each pot or cell. Use the flap of the seed packet or place the seeds on a folding paper.
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3. Add water.
After you sow the seeds, mist each container just enough so that the potting mix is moist but not soaked with water. Water will help the potting mix settle around the seeds.
4. Label and cover.
Label each of your pots so you know what's growing in them. Cover the pots loosely with clear plastic wrap or a zip-top bag to help retain moisture and heat.
5. Keep the pots hot and running.
Keep your seed pots in a warm, draft-free location, but not in direct sunlight. The top of a refrigerator works well because it is out of the way and provides enough heat to help the seeds grow. The optimum temperature is around 75°F but no hotter than 90°F. As soon as small seedlings appear, remove the cover and move them to a sunny window. They need about 12 hours of light a day, so supplement with grow lights as needed.
1. Give them some air.
After the seeds have germinated, remove the plastic wrap or other covering to give them room to grow.
2. Thin the seedlings.
As seedlings make their presence known, they need their space. Only one plant per pot, keeping the healthy and strong ones.
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3. How to replant seedlings.
After they are two inches tall and have two sets of leaves, your seedlings should be primed. Transplant them into larger containers, this time in regular potting mix instead of seed-starting mix.
4. Mist seedlings.
Do not let the seedlings dry out. Sprinkling them is a great way to give them a drink. Do not place them under a faucet or faucet, because water pressure can wash them out of their containers.
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5. Harden off the seedlings.
Before moving your seedlings into the garden (keeping your frost-free date in mind), give them a few days to slowly acclimate to life outside. It's called hardening off your plants. To do this, put the seedlings outside for a while in a protected place (about an hour or two). Each day, increase the amount of time you leave them outside until they are outside all day.
Starting seeds indoors will allow you to have a lush, beautiful garden at a fraction of the cost of picking up fresh plants at your local garden center. After the last frost of the season has passed, your seedlings should be ready to go out into the garden. If you succeed, you'll soon have healthy, tall plants that don't look like tiny seeds
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