How to Get a Jump on Spring - Start seeds indoors

If you are chafing under the imposed indoor confinement of winter and yearn for being out in the garden, you aren't the only one. The good news is that you can get a jump on spring and start seeds indoors.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
    
   Start seeds indoors

   If you start seeds indoors, you not only get a chance to start exercising that green thumb, but you can get a jump on spring planting. By growing your own seeds you can save money on plants, grow wonderful varieties unavailable in your local garden centers and let nature start her work early so plants will be big enough to plant soon after the last frost.

2. The first part of the project is really fun: choosing the seeds you want to grow. Check seed catalogs, the internet or retail stores. Stores will offer a greater assortment of seeds than they will carry in plants later in the season.

3. 
    
   Set up for growing seeds indoors

   There are many ways to start seeds indoors. You can buy whole seed-starting systems or put together your own. Essentially, you will need a tray to keep runoff water from dribbling all over the place, containers in which you'll plant your seed and sterile soil. From this point on, you can add plastic domes to regulate humidity and warming mats to generate bottom heat. You can even find systems with capillary action that are virtually self watering. And containers for seeds can be anything from plain pots, to peat pots that can be planted whole, or seed planting trays. Other handy tools for growing seeds indoors are a water spray bottle, grow lights and, possibly fungicide.

4. 
    
   Don't let seedlings dry out, but don't over water either.

   The important necessities to grow seeds well are good light, reasonable warmth and water that keeps soil moist but not wet.

5. 
    
   Plant seedlings up into pots.

   If springtime is taking too long and your seedlings are filling up their growing containers, you can plant them up into pots using the garden soil where they will be growing. Lift them gently out of their growing spaces and plant them in their larger temporary homes. If your plants are in peat pots, just plant the whole peat pot directly in the soil-filled pot. Make sure no peat pot rim is above the soil level or it can dry out. Water well. Then give them as much light as possible to grow on to a larger size until the weather allows them to be planted outside.

6. It's fun and easy to get a jump on spring and start seeds indoors. For more on the subject, please check the Resources below.

Resources

• All about seed trays
• Garden designs and growing information and ideas

[Traqqer]

on 3/6/2009 Good idea...so simple, but hadn't thought of starting the plants indoors first...duh!