There are many gardeners who enjoy starting their own seeds. There is something satisfying about growing your own plants from a tiny seed that you cared for and nourished and watched it grow to a mature plant.

One benefit to starting plants from seed is the selection of seeds far out numbers the choice of bedding plants.

Where there may be 3-4 different varieties of cabbage as bedding plants, there can be as many as 15-20 different varieties and types of cabbage seed.

By starting your own seeds, you can select a variety that is more geared to your wants. Also available in the seed racks, are organic seeds. These are good for gardeners who want to grow organically. It is very difficult to find organically grown bedding plants.

You don't have to be a master gardener to start your own seeds. If you have never started your own seeds before, start with something easy.

Most of the vegetable varieties and many of the flower varieties do not require a lot of experience to start. When looking through the seed racks read the planting/growing instructions that are given on the seed packet. Some seed companies will even note the degree of difficulty for starting and growing that particular variety. There are some seed varieties that gardeners plant directly into the outdoor garden such as carrots, radishes, beets, spinach, peas, lettuce, and beans. There are other seed varieties that benefit from a head start by being started indoors and then transplanted outside when the temperatures warm up (mid-late May).

If you are starting seeds indoors to be transplanted outside, timing is important. You don't want to start your seeds too early because then you are going to end up with overgrown plants that have become leggy. A general rule of thumb is to count back, 4-6 weeks before the last spring frost. In our area that tends to be mid-late May, so many of the seeds would be started in April.

Seed varieties that should be started earlier than 6 weeks include, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, geraniums, salvia, snapdragons, pansies, petunias, impatiens, and perennials. These are started 10-12 weeks before the last frost. Onions and leeks can be started in March as the seeds can take a long time to germinate.

Seeds started indoors, are planted in new or properly cleaned containers that are filled with a moistened, sterile starter mix. When we start our seeds, we use tray inserts that are placed inside a tray with no holes and then a plastic dome is placed on top. Sow the seeds as to the directions given on the seed packet. Be careful when watering. We prefer to pour slightly warm water in the bottom of the tray and allow the soil to soak it up. Moisture is important, but do not keep the soil soggy.

When the seeds are sown and the soil/starter mix is moistened put a label in the container with the plant information written on it, and then place the clear plastic dome on top. The plastic dome helps with the humidity and keeps the soil/starter mix moist. Place the planted seeds on a heat mat or in a warm area to quicken the germination. Most seeds need heat and moisture to germinate.

Once the seeds have germinated, take the plastic dome off the seed tray. It is important that there is good air circulation to help prevent 'damping off' a fungal disease that can kill young plants. Also remove the heat mat and place the sprouted seeds in a slightly cooler well lit area, to slow down the growth, so that the plants can become strong and stocky.

Providing enough light can be a problem. A south facing window is good but you have to make sure that the seed tray is turned every other day to provide even lighting. An easier and more effective way to give the young seedlings enough light is to use an adjustable light stand, which is placed 15-20 cm above the seedlings. The lights can be moved up as the young seedlings grow.

To help the seedlings grow, fertilize with 10-52-10, plant starter fertilizer. When the seedlings have formed their first set of 'true leaves' which is the leaves that come after the 'seed leaves' they can be transplanted. Switch to an all purpose 20-20-20 fertilizer when the plants have become established. Before planting the seedlings outdoors, harden them off by placing them outdoors during the day and bring them in at night. Do this for 7-10 days  before you plant them out. This will get the plants acclimatized to the weather. For plants that are not frost tolerant, do not place them outdoors until all risk of frost has passed, which can be the end of May or the beginning of June, depending on the area. 

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns and operates two Art Knapp Home and Garden centres in Prince George:

• Highway 16 west at Kimball Road
• Highway 97 north at Northwood Pulpmill Road.