|
Planting Seeds Indoors
|
All the bits ready to go!You’ve gathered, soil and water and lights and seeds now what do you actually do with them
Little Plastic Pots?
Choose a container. You can use a single space tray or you can use trays divided up into little cells for individual seeds. I use both methods depending on the type of seeds. Onions, which will be happy all snuggled up with each other until it’s time to go outside, I spread thinly over one large seed tray.
Seed Seperately or Cozy
Tomatoes and peppers transplant readily as seedlings so you can use either method. Seeding individually takes more time but lets the seedlings grow in their cells longer before you have to transplant them. Communal seeding is quicker and takes less space but the transplanting will take longer and have to be done sooner.
Always Lonely
Large seeds such as Melons and Cucumbers that only need 2- 3 weeks to start, don’t like transplanting and should be started in large cells that they can stay in until they move to the garden.
Add Dirt & Seeds
Fill your chosen seed tray loosely with the soil mix and level it off. Do not pack it into the trays. You are making a soft gentle place for little seeds to grow, not troweling concrete. Distribute the seeds evenly over the top of the soil. Now comes one of the tricky bits.
How Deep
Most seeds like to buried and the rule of thumb is, about 4 times their diameter. Too deep is usually too bad! I use a wire sieve that I ‘borrowed’ from the kitchen to sprinkle some soil over the seeds, adding soil until I cannot see the seeds. I then compress the soil with its buried seed, using a wide flat surface. Pushing with the tips of you fingers exerts far too much pressure. You are simply trying to make sure that each seed is in firm contact, all around, with the soil from which it is going to obtain water.
Who's Who?
STOP now! They all look the same when they germinate! LABEL each seed tray!
Soak It Up
When they are seeded and labeled put them a tray of water until their soil surface is wet. They are now ready for the heat and light show.
Dallying In The Dirt
Regular Tips and Smiles from Ken’s Gardening Activities
return from Planting Seeds to Seed Starting main page
