More resistance to disease...
Has more nutritional value...
Is more delicious...
Fresher...
Can be harvested earlier...
Is less costly...
You have exercised and feel better...
You feel energized and finally satisfied.

I think you will agree these are reasons enough. So let's get started!

A seed is a marvelous self-contained fruit. It has its own stored food to sustain it until it can be planted and grow into a genetically programmed plant that bears fruit, reseeds and dies. This stored food nourishes the seed until dormancy is broken. By now you've made your choices of good quality seed, preferably organically grown. To break dormancy, place the seeds in your refrigerator or expose them to either continuous dim light or very bright flashes of light.

Next is your planting medium or soil. Materials must be free of weed seeds and able to absorb moisture. Air is an important ingredient in seed starting, so use a loose medium like vermiculite for starting your seeds. Add milled sphagnum moss, perlite and course sand for an ideal mixture. Adding potting soil also makes a good medium as long it doesn't crust over. Mix in some garden soil for larger seeds. When using garden soil, place your well moistened mixture in gallon metal pans and place in an oven at 150-175 degrees for about 40 minutes. This will destroy any bacteria or fungus present in the soil. When starting seeds the medium should be damp, not soaked.

You will need containers that are about 3 inches deep to hold the soil. Time to test your recycling skills. The containers can be made of milk cartons, loaf pans, clay pots or starter flats. Drainage holes are needed. Place the containers on a plastic sheet covered with old newspaper and fill with your starter mix.


Timing is important. If you start plants from seed too early, your seedling may become leggy and fall over. Wait until at least 5 to 12 weeks before the last frost in your planting zone. Check your packets for timing information. Using a pencil make holes in the soil for your seeds following the package directions for depth and number. Remember to keep some seeds for successive plantings later in the growing season. NOTE: Avoid starting vine plants in this manner. They prefer direct seeding into the garden.

Once the seeds are planted, cover the entire flat with a plastic bag or damp newspaper. Place in a warm, dark space between 75-90 degrees but away from heat vents which may dry out your soil too quickly. Check your flats once a day until you can see the tiny sprouts poking through the soil.

SEEDLINGS
Seedlings need at least 12 to 16 hours of light a day. Remove the covering and place at a window or under grow lights. If placed by a window, turn the plants one quarter turn a day. Also check often for moisture and, if needed, water gently from the top or preferably from the bottom if you've placed your pots or flats in solid trays.

Temperature should be lowered for seedlings to 50-60 degrees at night and 60-70 degrees during the day. Once the tiny plants have two true leaves, thin out the flat or pot using a small scissors to cut the unwanted plants at their base. Pulling up plants disturbs the root systems of the remaining ones.

It's also time to transplant to larger, deeper trays or pots. Tip: add shredded moss to the bottom of the container, moisten and press down. Then fill the pots with a richer soil to within an inch from the top of the pot or tray. Using that pencil again, lift the plant from the soil holding it gently at its base. Plant in the new pot spreading the roots and filling in until the roots are covered. Water and place back under the lights. If drooping occurs, place a newspaper tent over the plant and keep out of the sun for a day. Some vegetable and herb seeds do not like to be transplanted. Check your seed packet for information, visit our Plant Encyclopedia or e-mail us.

Water every 3 to 5 days. If soil dries out too fast, try placing containers on a bed of small stones and keep the water level half way up the stones. This will supply the seedlings with the necessary humidity.

Your seedlings will need fertilizer now. Use diluted fish emulsion twice a week. Follow the directions on the container.

Trouble in paradise! If you see the lower leaves yellowing or curling, dilute the fertilizer even more. Leaves dropping could be an alert to a leaky gas water heater or stove. Chamomile tea sprays can help prevent damping off, a condition that causes the plant to fall over. Check the stem at soil level. If it is withered, that's "damping off." Remove the plant. Do not over water.

So far you've nurtured your transplants with care and love (a most important ingredient) and are anxious to move them to the garden proper.

HARDENING
This is a gradual process. For a week before transplanting outdoors, water less, do not fertilize and lower the surrounding temperature. If in solid flats, use a sharp knife and cut the soil into a square around each plant - like cutting a pan of brownies. This will separate them for easier planting and increase root growth. This is called "hardening off." Then place your transplants outside under filtered sun for a few hours a day, increasing the time each day for about a week to ten days. Protect them from the wind and cold temperatures. Check outside for signs of spring - birds nesting or the blooming of the dogwood trees and other nature signs.

After you've prepared your garden soil to suit your transplants, its now time to finally place your tender plants into the ground. Dig the holes a little deeper and place compost in the bottom. Tap the bottom of the pot gently to loosen the root ball and slide the plant gently into the ground. Cover with loose soil and water gently. Cover these new plantings to protect them from the elements for about a week and especially at night. Allow uncovered time during the day for needed light. Remove the coverings once the outside temperature is constant.

Remember, your plants are now familiar with your presence, your voice and your care. Take a break and continue your friendship with them and they will respond with a feast of good food and flowers. Also remember the old adage, "When at first you don't succeed, try and try again!"