Seed Starting in January
There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the
bite
of any winter.
One is the January thaw. The other is the seed
catalogues.
- Hal Borland
Mother nature has designed seeds to grow if their basic requirements are satisfied. Growing your own plants is immeasurably satisfying. Although some seeds are best sown directly in the ground, many annuals and vegetables, especially frost-sensitive ones, are ideal for starting indoors. Starting seeds early gives you a longer growing season and allows you to grow varieties that are not available locally. So why not start seeds indoors this winter? January is an excellent time to s tart planning!
Before starting you need to time plantings relative to the average date of the last spring frost in your area. Find out this date by consulting with neighboring gardeners, a county agricultural extension agent, or the local weatherman. Depending on the flower or vegetable crop, you can plant seeds anywhere from four to ten weeks before that frost date. Seed packets also contain this information — be sure to read them! Sowing seeds at the proper time indoors allows them to grow into robust seedlings ready to plant out into the garden when outdoor weather conditions are right in spring.
The first step in starting plants indoors is making sure you have an appropriate growing medium for your plants. Avoid starting seeds in garden soil, compost, or potting soil. These are generally too heavy, stay too wet, and may contain soil borne fungi. Your mix should stay light and friable. Experts recommend using mixtures of equal parts vermiculite, milled sphagnum moss and perlite or purchasing a good quality planting mix.
There are no requirements to containers except they must have drainage holes. Choose containers based on your needs and preferences. Cutoff milk cartons, deep-sided disposable aluminum pans or a stack of plastic cups in which you have punched several holes for drainage are cheap and do the trick. If you are reusing containers, scrub them and then kill any molds and funguses by soaking them for ten minutes in a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water. To avoid confusion later, make sure you always label seeds with the variety and the date sown.
Let’s get started sowing seeds:
- In a large bucket or tub, gradually add tepid water to the medium
until it is evenly moist but not wet.
- Cover the drainage holes of containers with a small piece of
newspaper, and fill containers to the top with moistened mix. Tamp
down mix so surface is firm and level, about 1/2 inch from the top.
- Using a dibble or pencil, make holes in mix, about twice as deep
as the seed is wide, and sow seeds at the depth and distance recommended
on the seed packet. Cover with more mix unless otherwise specified. Seeds
that require light to germinate can be sprinkled on the soil surface.
- Label pots with the type of seed and the date sown. Bottom-water
containers by setting them for 15 minutes in trays filled with an inch
of tepid water.
- Cover containers with clear plastic before placing them 2 to 3 inches below grow lights. For seeds that require darkness to germinate, use an opaque cover and set them in a warm spot such as on the top of a refrigerator.
Don’t put seed starting trays in a windowsill; it is almost always much too cool for good germination, particularly at night and the morning. Maintaining consistently warm temperatures, both day and night, signals the seeds to begin growing. Probably no other factor will speed up germination time more than a constant warm temperature. Seeds need to be kept constantly moist in order to germinate. Two key words here: constantly and moist. Never let the germination media dry out. Be sure to check every single day to see if any seeds are starting to sprout. If they are, immediately remove the cover so the seedlings can get some light and air circulation.
Once the seedlings are up and growing, begin watering them slightly less often. When seedlings are at least a few inches tall, it is okay to let the top half-inch or so of soil actually have a chance to dry out between waterings.
Six to eight weeks after germination, the seedlings should be vigorous and lush. If nature has cooperated, outdoor weather will be warm, the gardening season begun, and transplanting to the garden can begin — but only after a period of hardening.
Tender seedlings grown indoors under constant greenhouse conditions need to be gradually acclimated to the harsher outdoor environment so they can withstand exposure to direct sun, winds, and changing temperatures. This process is called "hardening off." When weather is warm and settled both day and night, set seedling containers outdoors in a lightly shaded, sheltered spot for 15 minutes. Gradually increase time outdoors until seedlings spend a half day, then a full 24 hours outside. Keeping seedlings well-watered and protected from winds, make the transition into direct sun. Begin with just a few minutes and increase to a half day, then several full days in the sun before transplanting seedlings to their permanent garden position. Make these transitions more slowly if the seedlings show signs of stress such as wilting. After seedlings are hardened off, the most satisfying task arrives: transplanting.
Call the UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center 's Info-Line toll-free at 1-877-3984769 for "Practical Solutions to Everyday Questions." Trained volunteers are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 9 am to 2 pm .
By Rachel Maccini, Coordinator, Family, Home & Garden Education Center,
UNH Cooperative Extension, Hillsborough County