Panel data provided by Madison's Canadian Lumber Reporter.

Start Planting Those Seeds

By Jos Van Hage

If you are one of those gardeners who like to start from scratch, meaning starting plants from seed then this is the time of year to get started on some things. Flowers such as geraniums, salvia, snapdragons, pansies, petunias and any other flower variety that requires a long growing season should be started now if you want to be able to enjoy the flowers throughout the summer. Many perennials should be started now as well as those vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers which need a long growing period. Starting seeds now will give you plants that are well on their way and able to be transplanted outdoors or in the greenhouse by mid May.

To start seeds indoors is not hard to do but for it to be done successfully you need to provide the right growing conditions. If you are not sure about what you need the first thing you need to do is get information either through books, internet or through a knowledgeable gardener or experienced garden center clerk. One thing that you will need is a bag of sterile starting mix which contains no soil, because soil contains fungus and bacteria. The other nice thing about starter mix is that it is light and ideal for starting seeds. The next thing is containers in which to place the starter mix and plant the seeds in. There are peat pots and peat pellets which work nice as the entire pot or pellet is later transplanted and so does not disturb the plants roots. Also available are plastic seed tray inserts which are what most bedding plants are sold in. These have drainage holes and come in various sizes all of which will fit into the seed tray. Seed trays come with either holes or no holes and if starting seeds in the home I prefer to use the trays with no holes as this means less mess. For most of us space is limited so planting a lot of seed in a 10-12 cell pack works well and then seedlings can be later transplanted into peat pots or single plastic cells or pots at a later date. If you have used containers or trays from previous years they can be used but should be sterilized first with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Humidity is also a factor when starting seeds and the seed trays have a clear plastic dome that can be bought seperately or as a kit and fit perfectly on top of the tray creating a ‘mini greenhouse’.

Heat is another important factor in starting seeds. Ideally the bottom temperature should be warmer than the room temperature and this is created by either placing seed trays on a hot water tank, top of fridge, heated floor, or by purchasing a ‘Heat Mat’ specially designed for this. Once seeds have germinated the bottom heat should be taken away and the young seedlings should be placed in a cooler location where they can grow slower and stronger.

Efficient light is another very important factor in healthy seedlings. Over the winter months most homes do not have sufficient light to sustain healthy plants so additional light needs to be brought in. There are grow lights available on adjustable stands and these work really well as you can move the light as the plants grow. The light should be hung 6-8 inches above the plants for the best results. If you are using a south window with good light remember to rotate plants weekly so that they do not grow towards the light resulting in uneven growth.

A very important thing to do just after the seeds have been planted is to spray the soils surface with a solution of ‘No Damp’ which is a fungicide that will prevent damping off. Damping off is when the young seedlings collapse, fall and then die due to fungus. One other important thing that needs to be given to young seedlings is fertilizer. The best one to start off with is the ‘Plant Prod 10-52-10’ which is the plant starter. Start feeding plants as soon as the seeds have germinated and continue on switching to 20-20-20 once the plants are well on their way.

-Jos

Jos Van Hage owns three Art Knapp's Garden Centres in the Prince George area
-Highway 97 North
-Highway 97 SOuth at the Old Cariboo Highway
-Highway 16 West
Previous Story - Next Story



Return to Home