Starting Seeds

Starting Seeds is a simple task, but with a little up front knowledge it can be more successful than just tossing some seeds out and hoping for the best.

Recently plant hardiness maps have been updated and revised in some areas. Knowing your zone is the first order of business. Once you know that study the chart below to figure out the zone’s first and last frost dates so you’ll know when it is safe to start seeds outside.

USDA Hardiness Zone	First Frost Date	Last Frost Date
1	July 15th	June 15th
2	August 15th	May 15th
3	September 15th	May 15th
4	September 15th	May 15th
5	October 15th	April 15th
6	October 15th	April 15th
7	October 15th	April 15th
8	November 15th	March 15th
9	December 15th	February 15th
10	December 15th	January 31st (sometimes earlier)
11	No frost.	No frost.

Now get out your calendar and read your seed package very carefully. There is not one formula for planting all your seeds. Each seed has it’s own requirements and using a one size fits all formula is actually a formula for disappointment.

If you have several packages of seeds to plant it might be helpful to read all the packages and make notes right on your calendar. 
Once you’ve done that you’ll have created a pretty organized chart of when to plant what.

Some seeds you’ll want to start inside several weeks before your last frost date so that they’ll be ready to put outside when your garden is warm enough to accept them.

Others don’t transplant well and you’re better off sowing them directly into your garden when the time is right, but the timing is important because if the soil is still too wet and cold, the seeds may die before they ever germinate.

Some seeds, though actually need a cold treatment so you might be told to sow as soon as you are able in the spring or even in the fall if your growing season is long and the winter is mild.

Now to complicate it even further, some seeds need darkness to germinate and some won’t germinate at all in the dark. So if it gives directions on your seed package about planting depth follow it carefully. If it says to scatter on top of the soil and gently rake the surface that’s because those seeds probably need light to germinate.

If it says to dig a small trench and cover with an inch of soil do that- beware though an inch doesn’t mean 3-6 inches. Bury your seeds too deeply and they might not ever grow either.

Most vegetable are annuals and complete a whole life cycle within a season, so starting them from seeds is practical, but flowers can be annual, biannual or perennial so starting them all from seed can be a very slow laborious process- especially if we’re talking perennials. 

Annual flowers are the easiest to grow from seed and of those there some that when sown directly into the garden will reward you with flowers in about two months.

The longer it takes a plant to germinate seeds and grow to maturity, the more benefit there is in starting them inside so that you can enjoy them flowering for a longer time in your garden.

Some of my favorite annual flowers that grow easily from seeds are amaranth, zinnias, snapdragons, larkspur, nasturtiums, sunflowers, California poppies, cosmos, and cleome. All of these mature in a relatively short period of time and are fun to watch grow.

Cardinal climber, Black-eyed Susan vine, and morning glory are all vines that grow easily from seed.  Plant them where you want them to grow and you won’t have to worry about transplanting them.

Many bedding plants like petunias, begonias, and impatiens can be bought as seeds but you’re better off buying plants because they take a longer time to reach maturity and if the growing season is only about three months you won’t be getting flowers until pretty late into the season.

So with all the pitfalls of starting seeds what are some good reasons for doing it.  Well for one thing it can be less expensive.  It’s not , though, if you have to invest in peat pots, shelves, lights and heat mats, but those are usually one time investments and if you plan on starting seeds every year it’s well worth the price.

Starting seeds might become a hobby, and if you enjoy doing it and have the time and space to do it right, it’s a great hobby.  It does take time and space though and if you’re very busy, or lacking space, it might not be your best option.

Heirloom seeds are seeds that have retained their original characteristics even after many, many generations and some people start plant from seeds because they want to preserve these heirloom qualities.

Sometimes you might want a particular color or variety of plant and the only way you can find it is in a seed package. Or perhaps it’s just an adventure, and when it is dark, cold and gloomy outside watching tiny seeds emerge from the dirt is a hopeful, joyous thing to do.

Maybe you have small children in your life and starting seeds is akin to starting a life long love of all things green. (One of the best reasons ever for starting seeds!)

Or if you’re like me you have absolutely no will power when it comes to leaving the delightful packages sitting forlornly in the plant rack.  They all really deserve to come home with me…today!

These are all very good reasons (well maybe not the last one, but you get the idea) for starting seeds and worth risking the pitfalls that might occur.  Have fun with your seed adventures this spring.

Just Julie