“Where you always get the help you need”

“Seed Starting & Early Spring Vegetable

Gardening”
February 13, 2010

Presented by

Leslie Boss

1051 US Highway 202, Ringoes, NJ 08551 (908) 788-2600

 A good gardener
always plants
three seeds. One
for the bugs, one
for the weather
and one for
himself. – Leo
Aikman

Seed starting has many benefits. Not only does it give you the first
opportunity to get your hands back in soil, but it can be a very gratifying
experience as well. Watching a seed sprout into a seedling, nurturing it until
you can transplant it outside and eventually harvesting vegetables from your
efforts, or for some, cutting a beautiful flower is a most gratifying
experience. If you have children, it’s even more exciting for them to plant
seeds and watch what happens to them with proper care.

What’s the difference between direct seeding and early seed

starting?

Direct Seeding: Seeds that do not require starting early and are best when
directly planted in the prepared soil outside. Some examples of these would
be beans, beets, carrots, greens, onions, radishes, spinach, and potatoes. All
root vegetables are to be direct seeded.

Early seed starting: These seeds are typically plants that are often slower
growing or need a head start before the season begins. Examples of these
plants would be basil, parsley, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage,
cauliflower, chives, leeks, peppers, and tomatoes. Annual plants such as
alyssum, cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias. Perennials such as Shasta daises,
columbines and hollyhocks, malva are perfect for early seed starting.

When do you start your seeds?

The timing of when to start your seeds is important as you don’t want to
start them too early as it will be difficult for you to manage them once
they’ve started producing multiple leaves and their root systems need more
space. You will notice that stores will start selling seeds and seed starting
products by mid-February, as that’s when most gardeners will start thinking
about starting their seeds. Following the manufacturer’s directions on the
back of seeds is a great place to start planning your seed-starting project.
Take note of the seed-starting chart I have attached. Next year, when
thinking about when to start your seeds go to this website and change the
date of the last frost-free date in your area, the excel sheet will recalculate
the proper seed starting date for you.
http://www.yougrowgirl.com/grow/seedstart_chart_v2.0.xls

Take note of some seeds that can take much longer than others to
germinate:

Parsley – Peppers – Eggplants – Petunia

The general rule of thumb is to start seeds six to eight weeks before the last
frost date in your area. If you don’t need to plant as many seeds as there
are in a package, not to worry, with many plants such as lettuce and
cabbages, you can plant in succession. Plant some now and save the seeds
for a later date when you can plant again in the season (the second time
would more than likely then be a direct seeding). Keep your reserved seeds
in a cool, dry place.

Is it a dud or is my seed alive?

While there are various things that can happen to a seed once planted that
would prohibit the seed from germinating there are ways that you can test to
see if the seeds you want to plant are viable. This would more often be in the
case where you have saved seeds from a previous year or were given seeds
from a friend. With larger seeds such as string beans, moonflowers, etc, you
can place your seeds in a cup of water, if the seed sinks to the bottom, your
seed is alive, if it floats to the top, more than likely the seed is a dud. Seeds
germinate from allowing moisture into its casing, thus if the hard shell does
not allow moisture to pass through, the seed is more than likely not a viable
seed. Typically, this will not work with small seeds as their casing is much
thinner and they are lighter thus they will typically always float.
 Have very large seeds that you want to quickly germinate? Try
“scarifying” your seed. This means to roughen the seed coat so it will absorb
moisture better. Some ways to do this are rubbing the outside of the seed
with a piece of sandpaper, or chipping or nicking the seed. Just be careful not
to apply too much pressure or you will break the seed.

Looking for some unique seeds? Visit these websites for some
unique, hard to find seeds.

www.tomatogrowers.com - Sells heirloom tomatoes, peppers, eggplants

www.seedsavers.org - A good resource for hard to find,

rare garden seeds including heirlooms,
vegetables & flowers.

What do you start your seeds in?

While there are many types of seed starting products available for
purchase, there a number of containers you probably have in your
home that can be used for starting seeds. Here are some ideas:

- Chinese takeout plastic containers

- Fresh produce plastic see through containers, those that hold fresh
strawberries, blueberries, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

- Yogurt cups, styro-foam egg cartons and cups

- A previous years seed starting kit or nursery flat

- Ready made peat pots

Wide, shallow containers often work best as they prevent overcrowding of

seedlings and allow air to flow around them better.
When using any recycled plastic container from your home, just be sure to
punch out holes in the bottom for drainage.

Starting off with a clean container is always best, including those seed
starting kits you are reusing from a previous year. Sanitize first for better
seed germination! To do this, soak it in a 10% bleach solution for 15 minutes
and let it air dry. If you are sensitive to bleach, distilled white vinegar will
work as well.

Seed Starter – A soil less mixture

When starting your seeds it’s best to use “seed starter”. This is a mixture of
equal parts of perlite, vermiculite and peat moss. Do you notice there is no
soil in this mix? Seeds need a sterile environment or medium to germinate.
Thus, growing in a soil less medium is always recommended. Pre mixed
seed starter is readily available, or you can mix your own by adding all three
components together and adding ¼ teaspoon lime to each gallon of mix you
make to neutralize the acidity of the peat moss.
Time to transplant a seedling? Use the seed starter again, but this time, add
a small amount of compost to your mix giving them a healthy beginning to
their new home.

Often you will notice when filling your containers with seed starter it
will fly away due to static electricity, or after you fill your containers and
water them, the top starter will float and disturb your planted seeds. A good
practice to follow is to pre-mix your seed starter in a large container with
water first, then scoop the starter into your containers or peat pots. You’ll
want to add just enough water to the seed starter so that it feels like a well
wrung out sponge. Not soaking wet.

Let’s start planting some seeds!

Now that you’ve got your containers filled
with seed starter, let’s sow some seeds. You’ll
first want to tamp down the seed starter a
little so that the soil is slightly firm to the
touch. Next drop seeds onto the surface of
the mix, spacing them as evenly as possible.
Often, new gardeners will tend to plant seeds
too deep. Follow the directions on the seed
packet for the recommended depth, and even
a little less as watering will often shift the soil
around the seed.

Once you’ve placed the seeds on the mixture, tamped the seeds down again
lightly so they are matted into the mix. You can do this either by hand or use
the bottom of a glass cup.
Once your seeds are sown, cover the seeds to a depth of 3 times the
thickness of the seeds.

There are some seeds that should be left uncovered. They are:
ageratum, alyssum, impatiens, petunias and snapdragons. These seeds need
more light to germinate thus leaving uncovered with soil is best.

Topping off your seeds with a light coating of milled sphagnum moss which is
a natural fungicide, will help against dampening off.

“Dampening off” is a fungal disease that rots

seeds and seedlings. It is a white mold that forms in
the top of the soil and on the leaves of your new
seedlings. It flourishes in cold, wet damp weather
along with little sunshine. It is a quick spreading
fungus that will kill the viability of a seed or seedling.

There are some things you can do to control this and

if caught soon enough you can stop the threat of it. For example:

- Move your seedling to a sunnier location to help dry out the soil.

- Stop watering until the surface is very dry.

- Water only from the bottom

- Stir the top of the soil lightly, avoid going too deep as not to disturb
tender roots,

- Increase the air circulation by your containers by placing a small fan

nearby.

- While many gardeners will start seeds in their basements, avoid

leaving your seedlings unattended to for long periods of time, as the
moisture in basements is often the perfect ground for the disease to
begin.

Keeping your plants cozy with covers will help in their germination
process!
 Cover your newly seeded containers with
plastic lids or saran wrap. Covering them will
aid in keeping your seedlings moist and
warm. Place your seed containers near a
heat vent, on top of a warm windowsill or any
warm environment. Heat mats are
commercially available also.

The most important factor in germinating seeds is to have your seeds in an

environment, which is between 65-75 degrees.

Misting, Watering and Fertilizing,

When & How
The best method of watering is misting with a
spray bottle. This way you’re not disturbing the
newly planted seeds. You can also bottom water
your containers by placing them in larger
containers and filling it with water. Let the water
wick up into the seed containers for about 15 minutes then remove any left
over water. Do not leave them sitting in water filled trays.

The best time of day to water your seeds/seedlings is in the morning, never
at night. In general, you will want to mist your seeds every two-three days
depending on the amount of moisture is in the container.

After your seeds have germinated and they produce their first true set of
leaves, you will want to feed them with a half-strength fertilizer such as
fish/seaweed fertilizer. If you do not have that, than a general all-purpose
fertilizer will do.

You’ve got leaves now what?

Congratulations! Your seed starting effort
has germinated and now you’re ready to
nurture it to a full grown plant. At this
point, you’ll
want to
fertilize your
new seedling
as described above, and you’ll want to move your seedlings to more light. If
you have a sunny southern window you’ll profit from moving your seedlings
there. Turning your seedling containers every other day will help make them
strong and they won’t need to stretch for the sun as much. You will want to
leave the tops off your containers more so the leaves can have air circulate
around them, which also helps to prevent “Dampening off” disease. Misting
your plants to keep them sufficiently moist, but not overly wet continues
also. When your seedlings begin producing healthy, large second and third
leaves you will begin to look towards repotting your plants into individual
homes. The root systems will have already proven to be strong, often you
will see white roots coming out of the bottoms of your containers. This is a
good thing! If you’ve started your seeds in peat pots, great! You can just
move your peat pot into a larger container without having to take it out of its
existing pot, as the peat will break down in its new home. If you have planted
in plastic containers, taking a small spoon and breaking the soil up around
the seedlings will suffice. Gently divide the seedlings and place them in a
larger container filled with more seed starter mix, but this time, add some
compost to make them even stronger.

Ruffling your seedlings and thinning out..

Lightly ruffling your seedlings once or twice a day with your hand or
cardboard helps them to grow strong.

Believe it or not, it is a proven fact that playing classical music in the room
where you are starting seeds helps the seedlings grow stronger.

Thinning out of seedlings while very hard to do

emotionally because we think “the more the better”
is often not the case when growing seedlings. This
especially holds true with tomatoes. If you have
more than one seedling in a cell pack or there are
two seedlings growing very close together, you will want to snip one off. The
chances that both seedlings flourishing and gaining strength are minimal,
thus, snipping one off will make the other prosper.

”Hardening Off” your new seedlings

Your seedlings are almost ready to go outside
now as they have become large, strong and
have produced many new leaves. About one
week before your plants are ready to go
outside, you will need to start acclimating your
plants. On a warm spring day, move your
containers outside to a shaded, protected area
for a few hours. Then, bring them back inside.
Every day bring them back outside gradually increasing the plants exposure
to sun and breeze. At the end of one week, leave them out overnight. During
this entire process, continue to check on the watering of your seedlings, as
they will tend to dry out faster outside. After they have been left outdoors for
one full evening, your seedlings are now ready to be transplanted into your
garden.

Careful transplanting into your soil will be key in order to ensure continual
growth and strength. If you used peat pots, you will want to carefully loosen
the bottom off of the pot in order for the roots to grow into the ground. If
you’ve planted in plastic containers, gently left the seedlings and their soil
up out of the container and gently plant into the ground making sure not to
transplant them too deep. A light watering of the soil afterwards will help to
settle the soil around them.

Protect your new seedlings in

harsh weather
Protecting your newly transplanted
seedlings during harsh weather such as
heavy rains, light frosts, windy days are important. There are many
commercially ready covers available as are “cloches” which is a term used
for a plastic or glass cover especially manufactured for the protection of
seedlings.

Money Saving Tip! You can use empty gallon milk containers with the
spout cut off or the bottom half of a soda bottle to do the same thing!

“Cool season vegetable crops”

There are some vegetable crops that will thrive in cold weather, their season
only lasts while the temperatures are cooler, thus planting them early will
increase the longevity of produce you will yield.

Peas
Peas can be planted while there is still snow on the ground! You can begin
planting them up to two months before the average frost-free date.

Spinach
Direct seeding of spinach can be done four to six weeks before the average
frost-free date.
Beets
Beets actually taste better when grown in a cooler environment. When it
gets too warm, beets will often get tough and woody and produce flowers,
which are non-edible. For a great tasting beet, plant them outside up to one
month before the average frost-free date. Most beets will mature within 45-
60 days. After six weeks, scrape some soil away from the beets to see how
large the roots are. For a better tasting beet, don’t let the roots grow larger
than two inches across.

Carrots
Carrots are a fun plant to grow, but can be frustrating too! They take a long
time to germinate and their soil preference is sandier than other vegetables.
If the soil condition is not conducive the carrots will often split or have a
strange shape. Thus, plant more carrot seeds than you want to end up with
so that it increases your chances of a successful carrot crop. Direct seeding
of carrot seeds can be done up to one month before the average frost-free
date. Also, if you are buying carrot seeds from a retailer, look for the ‘seed
tapes’ as they are quite helpful in carrot germination. Seed tapes are
decomposable paper strips that have seeds adhered on to them for easy
sowing. It takes the question out of “how far apart do I need to plant my
seeds?”

Lettuce
Lettuce is a fun, fast and healthy plant to grow. They are easy to grow, and
also heavy feeders. Leaf lettuce is easier to grow than ‘head’ types.
Regardless of the type of lettuce you plan on growing, careful watering will
be an important factor. While they like to be kept on the moist side, over
watering will lead to fungus and root rot. You can plant lettuce seeds
directly in your garden up to six weeks before the average last frost date.

Radishes

Radishes are a cool-season crop and do not do well in the hot summer
months. Radishes, which can grow in partial shade, require very little
room and mature quickly. They are well suited to small gardens,
flowerbeds and containers. They are best planted as soon as the soil
can be worked in early spring.
 Growing Potatoes

Potatoes are another cold weather

crop. You can order seed potatoes
through mail order garden companies.
(You could use supermarket potatoes,
but be aware they have probably been
treated with chemicals to inhibit
sprouting, so they may not grow well.)
Store your seed potatoes in the
refrigerator. The earliest you should
plant seed potatoes is two weeks before your last anticipated freeze
date of 28 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. About a week before your
planting-out date, bring the seed out of the fridge and place it in a
bright warm window for about a week. This will help break the spuds'
dormancy and assure they will grow quickly when you put them into
the still-cool spring soil.

Cole Crops
Broccoli, Cauliflower, Cabbage, Brussel
Sprouts, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Swiss
Chard, Mustard Greens, Turnips & Water
Cress
Cole Crops are defined as various plants belonging
to the Cruciferae or mustard family.

This group of cole crops enjoy cool seasons and are somewhat cold
tolerant. Cabbage for instance can withstand frost down to 20 degrees
or even 15 degrees F. Cauliflower and chard are more sensitive to cold
than broccoli, collards, kale, kohlrabi, or mustard. The conditioning of
the plants as influenced by weather conditions prior to exposure to
cold temperatures determine plant survival. Maturity of the plant also
has much to do with the amount of cold which cole crops can survive.
When broccoli plants have produced buds, even a light frost may cause
considerable damage since clusters freeze, turn brown and ultimately
rot. Thus, covering your crops would serve you well to protect the
buds. Generally, cole crops will grow best between 60-70 degrees.