Seed Growing Lessons - Spring 2021 Edition
It seems simple enough. Put seeds in dirt. Water. Watch grow. Unfortunately, those steps alone don’t always produce bounteous results. At least for me. My efforts have failed more often than I would like to admit. Poor germination rates, critters scarfing down tiny tips, leggy growth, sudden die offs. I’ve been there. But undeterred, I’ve tried again, and seem to be having much better success getting seeds to sprout, grow compactly, and transition to the outdoors. So here’s what I’ve learned from the process this year:
- Start seeds indoors. Even the ones that don’t like to be transplanted. (More on that in a separate post.) Doing so allows better control of the range of growing conditions. Also provides a head start on our shorter PNW season.
- Use grow lights. In this location, there’s just not enough sunlight streaming through my windows in Spring to help plants get going, let alone grow straight. The lights should be on once the seeds sprout for about 10 hours/day. Here’s the set I invested in after doing research on appropriate light spectrums, energy use, and value. I’ve been impressed with how well they have worked.
- Use grow lights properly. Meaning use enough of them to cast light evenly over the seed trays from about 3-4 inches above. I’ve tried being cheap, hanging only one light strip above a flat of seeds, but soon discovered the seedlings along the center grow fast and leggy, while the ones on the edges struggle. To suspend lights over trays, rig up PVC stands or use a shelving unit such as this.
- Adjust grow lights up as the plants mature lest they get fried. Yes, I’ve done that. Adjustable chain link, or zip ties work well. Another option, use books to raiserthe height of trays.
- Use a soil starting mix with a wetting agent. So much easier to work with and keep soil from floating away.
- Use a squeeze-type bicycle water bottle to keep the little sprouts watered. Works much better and with more control than a watering can. Better than a spray bottle, too, as it won’t get little leaves wet.
- Don’t let soil dry out. Check daily that seed soil is moist, or you won’t have germination (yes, I’ve been there, too).
- Keep soil warm. Place seed trays over warm air vents, on top of refrigerators or radiators, or special seed heating mats (which are also useful for proofing breads & croissants!). A 70 degree room is optimal.
- When seedlings grow their first set of true leaves, it’s time to pot them on into a bigger container. More on that in a subsequent post.
These steps have made seed starting so much more successful for me this year. Feel free to add your own tips in the comments section for all our benefit.