It’s the perfect time to get a head start on spring by starting your own seed indoors. Starting your seed is super easy and it’s a great way to add variety and save money while you’re at it. Plus, your plants will produce fruits and veggies sooner which will extend their season in your garden. So let’s get started!
What you’ll need:
-Seed packs of your preferred vegetables
-Seed starting mix
-Seed starting tray
-Labels or popsicle sticks
-Grow light (optional)
How to start:
-Fill your seed starting tray with seed starting mix.
-Slowly add water so until the soil becomes moist but not soggy.
-Create a furrow about 1/4 inch deep with your finger or the tip of a pencil and place 1-3 seeds per unit. Gently cover each furrow.
-Don’t forget to label as you go! Many seedlings are challenging to identify at a spry age so take the time to make tags whether you make your own with the kids’ leftover popsicle sticks or purchase them at your local garden center.
-Cover with the transparent lid and place grow light above your tray or place your tray near a window that will provide bright light.
-Keep a close eye on your soil. Water carefully to keep the soil semi-moist but not wet.
-If you’re not using a grow light, turn your tray every couple days once your seeds sprout so that your plants will grow straight up rather than towards the window.
-After your sprouts develop their first two leaves, you can remove the transparent cover for goodto prevent mold and rot.
-Once your plants appear to have sturdy stems and have grown two to three inches tall, carefully transplant each into it’s own small pot. You can also reuse plastic containers you’d otherwise toss in the recycling bin. Just be sure to poke holes in the bottoms so that water doesn’t get trapped and cause root rot. Cool season plants such as lettuce, kale, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, carrots, cabbage, collards, sugar snaps and snap peas can actually be planted in the ground at this time so long as the ground isn’t frozen. We suggest keeping the veggies in their pots that require a little more heat until about two weeks after the last expected spring frost.
Want to learn more about starting your own seed? Join us at 10am on March 10 for our free Cool Season Veggies class. Please call 919.460.7747 to register.