It may only be January, but already the days are getting longer, and the recent mild temperatures have got us thinking about spring.

It is not too early to start planning, and planting the garden and landscape. We certainly are not able to plant outdoors yet, but there are a few things that can be started indoors, so that when spring finally does arrive, we have a head start on the garden. 

The seed racks are in the garden centre, and people are going through them looking for new varieties and old favourites. Starting your own seeds indoors is not as hard as many people may think. You don’t need a lot of equipment to begin with.

• A leak proof tray,
• containers such as an insert,
• dome to place over the tray,
• sowing medium such as starter mix, and
• a packet of seeds, are the bare essentials.

To that list you can add a heating mat, and an adjustable light to help the seeds germinate and grow evenly.

There are seed starter kits available at the garden centre that can get you started if you are just beginning and want to keep it easy and simple.

If you are reusing trays, inserts, containers and domes from previous years, it is important that everything gets a thorough wash, using a mild bleach solution, before starting seeds in them. The last thing you want to do is carry over any of last year’s problems to this year’s crop.

The first step, is to slightly moisten the starter mix enough so that it is damp. Next, place the cell inserts into the leak-proof tray and then fill with the dampened starter mix. Following the directions given on the seed packets, sow the seed. Slightly add a little more water to the bottom of the tray so that it is absorbed from the bottom of the insert, and place the plastic dome on top of the tray. The dome will keep the moisture in. Don’t forget to place a label in the sown tray with the variety name and date when sown. The tray is then placed on a heat mat that will help with the germination process.

Make sure that there is enough light. Light is a very important factor in growing strong, sturdy plants. An adjustable light stand with fluorescent lights works well. Place the light 8-10 cm over the tray. As soon as the seeds begin to germinate remove the plastic dome and the bottom heat. It is very important that the seedlings get enough air circulation to prevent ‘damp off”, which is a fungus that kills young seedings. Also do not keep them too wet. The seedlings should have 12-16 hours of uniform light each day. As the seedlings grow, raise the light source.

Young seedlings can be fertilized with a water soluble plant starter fertilizer such as 10-52-10. Once the seedlings have their first set of ‘true’ leaves they can be transplanted into individual containers.

When starting seeds indoors, it is important to know the right time to sow the seeds. Not all seeds need the same length of time to grow. If you start seeds too early indoors, you could end up with tall spindly seedlings. If you are not sure, check the seed packet as it will tell you how many days till harvest/maturity. It will also tell you how many weeks before the last frost to start the seeds and then count back. Some local knowledge as to the last frost date is beneficial when starting seeds as frost tender plants can’t  go outdoors until the last spring frost. For the Prince George area that is usually around the beginning of June.

Flower varieties such as Alyssum, Impatiens, Geraniums, Pansy, Petunia, and many of the perennials can be started over the next few weeks. Vegetable varieties include peppers, and tomatoes, followed by leeks and onions in March.

-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