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Starting Seeds, Part 1 Starting Your Own Garden Seeds By Ron Dieter, Sunnyfield Greenhouse & Gardens February 2, 2000 The snow is several inches deep, the air is cold and crisp, and the mailbox is stuffed with garden catalogs. This can mean only one thing- it's planting time. Many gardeners enjoy starting their own vegetable and flower plants from seed. It can be a lot of fun and can be an educational opportunity for the whole family as well. Now is the time to start a few of the slower growers, such as fibrous begonias and many perennials. But it is way too early to be starting marigolds, tomatoes, or peppers. The middle of March is the time to be planting these rapid-start seeds. So what does it take to get started? The first step, of course, is to decide what you want to grow. Then head for that pile of seed catalogs next to your easy chair and get your seeds ordered. When the seeds arrive, you'll find the germination requirements listed on each packet. Some companies, such as Thompson and Morgan , send along an excellent booklet containing germination procedures and requirements. Some garden catalogs provide this information and it can also be found in a good number of garden books and websites as well. You'll find that some seeds need special treatment before sowing. For example, columbine, cleome, larkspur, and pansy seed need to be chilled for three or four weeks before sowing. Although most seeds like plenty of moisture to get started, annual verbena seed prefers drier conditions. Soak parsley, sweet peas, and garden peas for a couple days before sowing. Many seeds need strong light to get going, but pansies and bachelor buttons start best in the dark. Once they emerge, give them plenty of light. Timing is everything when it comes to growing plants from seed. For each variety, you need to know how long it takes from sowing date to grow the plant large enough to set outside. Determine when you want to set out the plants and count backward to the sowing date. It takes eight weeks for marigolds to germinate and grow to planting size. To plant them on May 15, count back eight weeks to find the sow date- March 20. As you can see, it's important to do your homework before you start planting. Otherwise you could have poor germination rates or your plants could be ready too soon or too late. The best time to thin your garden is when you're buying seeds. If this is your first try at starting seeds, I suggest you avoid the difficult ones such as begonias and petunias. Try just a few of the easier ones later this winter. Once you get the hang of it, then you can tackle the more challenging varieties. Next time I'll give you some tips on sowing seeds easily and show you how to provide adequate light, water, and heat to get the seeds off to a good start. |
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