Successful Seed Starts

Updated 3/27/23

In case you missed my first Spring Planting Issue...

Now that is almost 5 weeks from Mother's Day, it's time to start more seeds. Seeds are the most economical way to grow a garden. Not all seeds will germinate and some of the seeds that do germinate may have to be eliminated to give your chosen sprouts a strong start. Along with seed germination, there are later issues you need to avoid, so today I'm giving you the best practices to create strong young plants to transplant into your garden.

Some potential problems include weak, leggy seedlings, mold growth that kills your seedlings by 'damping off,' yellow and brown leaves and small plants. If you follow the basics listed below, you should be able to avoid most of the issues.

First, build a nice place to rest your trays or buy a shelf, clean your trays and use quality planting medium. Why clean your trays? If you're reusing old trays, then cleaning them will help you prevent some lingering mold from the previous year or from storage. Using well-draining soil or use a fan to keep good air flow once your seedlings sprout and grow to prevent mold. Don't overwater and water from the bottom. The seedlings are dropping their tapping roots first, so the top doesn't matter that much if it's dry.

Temper the seedlings by lowering the temperature over the next weeks. This create hardy plants. Start at 72 degrees with your lid on, then take off the lid to allow for air circulation. Then add a small fan on low to create strength in the stems, but keep using your grow lights. You can also move your trays lower on the shelf to cool them down once the seeds seem established.

Thin your seedlings either by just clipping off the smaller ones or transplanting the extra seed into another tray. This will give more room for each with less competition for each for sun and nutrients.

Some new seedlings can turn brown if overwatered or burned by fertilizer. Use natural, organic fertilizer and follow the instructions on the package. New seedlings not used to the sun can get sunburned also when brought outside too suddenly and for too long. Again, plants need to be introduced to lower temperatures and sunlight for short periods of time to harden them off then gradually add more time outdoors.

Grow lights can help prevent the leggy seedlings. You can find so many online with a variety of methods to hang them and connect them to your shelving units. Also overcrowded seeds can cause some leggy seedlings, so again, cut the weak ones off.

In summary, start with clean trays and high quality soil and seeds. Keep them warm and covered until sprouting is in full swing. Take off the lid and slowly cool the area around the seedlings from 72 - 68 - 64 etc..., clip out the weaklings, add a fan to help harden the plants, use grow lights, use organic fertilizer, bottom water and transplant into bigger pots when the time is right or straight into the garden.

Once your new plants are put into the garden (with loads of organic matter). Keep some plastic sheeting and frames or large gallon plastic jugs around to use to protect from those late frosts.

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