Advantages of growing vegetables from seeds
- Local nurseries offer more seed varieties than transplants.
- It costs less.
- When you grow from seed, you get a known quality.
Starting indoors or outdoors?
- Some seeds are better planted directly in the ground, such as root crops (carrots, beets, turnips, and parsnips). Corn, beans, and peas also do better when planted in the ground and not transplanted.
- How much room do you have to start seeds indoors?
- Seeds started indoors have a higher survival rate, and you’ll get a jump on the season.
- Try growing seeds both ways.
- If indoors, you’ll need natural sunlight (a sunny windowsill) or a grow light.
Ready to go!
- Prepare by cleaning containers with a 10% bleach/90% water solution. Be sure you have drainage holes—line with a layer of newspaper.
- Also consider egg cartons, milk cartons, yogurt/cottage cheese containers.
- Fill with seed starting mix to within ¼ of the top.
- Plant only one variety of seeds per container to avoid mixing things up.
- Read the directions on the seed packet. Use a pencil marked with ¼” measurements or some other measuring device to get seeds into the correct depth.
- Label containers with the seed name, date, and expected germination date. You could also use a calendar for this.
- Water to moisten but not saturate the soil.
- Cover containers with plastic wrap or place them inside a plastic bag. Remove once the seeds have germinated.
Transplanting
- If starting indoors, “harden” plants by moving them outdoors for longer periods of time to get them used to the natural environment. Move them first into a shaded location, then filtered sunlight, then full morning sun. After about a week, they’ll be ready to transplant.
- Avoid the heat of the day.
- Dig a hole twice as wide as the plant and a bit deeper than the roots.
- Gently remove the plant from the container, holding the plant by the stem base.
- Gently massage the roots over the hole so that any loose soil falls into the hole.
- Place the plant into the hole; fill soil around the plant, patting it down.
- Form a watering “bowl” around the transplant and slowly fill the bowl with water.
- If you use biodegradable containers, you can put the container and plant into the soil as is.
- Be sure to label your plants after transplanting.