Regardless of what a certain rodent saw or didn’t see yesterday, we are six weeks away from the first day of spring. Though Jack Frost won’t be completely out of the picture until mid-April, however, it is not too early to plan for your summer garden.
I love to look through the new offerings in seed catalogs, and sometimes I find selections I must have in my garden. Not being certain of finding them in a local nursery, I start the plants from seed.
Seeds are a wonder of nature. Each one contains a plant embryo, a reservoir of food and a protective coating. The embryo remains dormant until conditions are favorable for it to germinate, that is, to begin active growth. In general, do not expect more than 65 to 80 percent of seeds in a packet to germinate. Of those, 60 to 75 percent should produce sturdy seedlings.
Four environmental factors are crucial to this process. Water must be available in an adequate, continuous supply. Light is known to stimulate or inhibit germination, so follow directions on the seed package to ensure your seed is in the right situation. Oxygen is necessary for respiration, so the planting medium should be loose and well aerated. Temperature affects the percentage and rate of germination. When soil temperature is mentioned in planting instructions, it usually refers to the optimum temperature for germination. Most summer annuals germinate within the range of 65 to 75 degrees.
(Seed illustrations from K8schoollessons.com.)
I confess to purchasing peat pellets in which to start my seeds. You can also purchase sterile planting media or make some yourself. The formula is 1/3 pasteurized soil, 1/3 peat and 1/3 vermiculite or sand. A lighter, soilless alternative is made up of half peat and half vermiculite; however, with this option one has to use diluted liquid fertilizer as the plants begin to grow. To sterilize soil, bake it in the oven at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes. The containers holding the mix must also be thoroughly cleaned with a 9:1 bleach solution.
Gosh, you may be thinking, the soil in your planting beds is teeming with microorganisms and seeds seem to sprout and grow there without problems. Well, starting seeds indoors is a very artificial business. All this fuss to remove potential pathogens is necessary to prevent the heartbreak of damping off, a fungal disease that will destroy every seedling in a day.
Once you have planted the seeds, gently water and cover them until you see some sprouts. Uncover the container and, using a gentle spray bottle, keep the sprouts moist and under florescent light 12 to 16 hours a day.
The first “leaves” your seeds produce are called cotyledons. They serve as solar panels so the embryo can begin photosynthesizing its own food.
After the true leaves appear, it is time to pot the seedlings in roomier containers so they can develop adequate root systems. One can repurpose plastic food packaging by running it through the dishwasher and making drainage holes. Or one can buy peat pots, which can be planted in the garden when warm weather arrives.
As temperatures rise above 45 degrees, the gardener begins to “harden off” the seedlings. After being inside, they must gradually get used to the sun, wind and temperature variations that come with outdoor living. This is when a cold fame comes in handy because it protects young plants from wind and can be closed to trap heat on chilly nights. I use my screen porch because it offers some protection from the elements while allowing me to increase the amount of sunlight each day.
Timing is critical. You do not want to start seeds too early or the little plants may decline before it is time to set them outside. Read the planting information about the time it takes the seeds to germinate and mature. Some selections may take 12 weeks and others only four.
Listen to master gardener Ann Bartlett and plant your seeds at precisely the right time. (As opposed to emulating The Planet and planting them when you can no longer hold off!)
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