How to Start Vegetable Plants From Seed

Starting vegetable plants from seed is an inexpensive, rewarding way to get your fall or spring garden underway and ready for in-ground planting on schedule. While garden-ready vegetable plants are easy to find in garden shops and co-ops during planting time, many people prefer to start their own vegetable plants from seed to save money and know the full history of the plant.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vegetable seeds Potting soil Small pots or starter kits Water

Timing

1. Obtain a planting timetable for your geographic area from your local co-op or online (see Resources below).

2. Using this timetable, choose which vegetable plants you would like to start from seed for the upcoming planting season.

3. Plan to plant the vegetable plant seeds approximately eight weeks before the plants should be placed in the ground in a garden. This time varies depending on climate, but for a spring garden most plants should go into the ground in March (or after the danger of frost) and should be started from seed beginning in mid to late January. Plants for fall gardens typically are placed in the ground in late August or September, so the seeds for the vegetable plants should be planted in late June to mid July.

Planting

4. Gather the small pots or starter kits that will be used for planting (see Resources below).

5. Fill them with a good quality potting soil. Any good potting soil will do, though soil with organic matter is ideal.

6. Follow the seed packet directions for planting. Most seed packets call for planting anywhere from one to several seeds in each pot, and generally the seeds should be planted one inch below the soil surface.

7. Water the soil thoroughly and place the vegetable seeds in a warm location, around 70 degrees. For most climates it is necessary to keep these seed pots inside for a spring planting.

8. Keep the soil moist at all times, watering daily or at least every other day.

9. Small vegetable plants started from seed will sprout in about two weeks and continue to grown during their eight weeks in pots.

Tips & Warnings

• Vegetable plants started from seed, while they can be placed indoors during their initial growth period, should receive sufficient light from natural or artificial sources. Vegetable plants started from seed can be planted in the ground in a vegetable garden eight weeks after they are initially planted in pots. Continue to water them thoroughly and follow the specific growing instructions for each vegetable.
• If the seeds do not sprout after three weeks, plant additional seeds and ensure that the soil is moist and the pots are placed in a warm location.

Resources

• Spring and Fall Vegetable Garden Planting Guide
• Seed Starter Kits