March's
Tip of the Month
Sprouting Seeds
Spring is in sight and it's time to get a head start on those flowers and vegetables. It can be very satisfying to cheer on little seedlings to grow, just like a parent cheers on a child at a little league game. Starting plants from seed is the true essence of gardening. But there is a reason why garden centers sell flats of annuals and veggie, because it can be very tricky to grow from seed. However, I hope to explain some of the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.
Tip #1
Pre-sprout in a moist paper Towel
Moisten a paper towel and spread the seeds out evenly, then sandwich with another moist towel. Roll up or fold the towel and put it in a plastic bag. Now the key is to slightly warm the seeds. Chances are very good that if you are reading this you have a computer moniter, place the bag on the top of the moniter, another good place is on top of your hot water heater or refrigerator, that should provide just enough heat. Depending on the variety of seed, germination should start within a week or days. As soon as the seed breaks, place in moist soil. For small seeds(impatiens, pansies) just lay the sprouts on the surface, for largeer seeds (beans, corn) bury according to the packages instructions.
Tip #2
Use sphagnum moss as a fungicide
Damping-off can be a big problem with seedlings. Damping-off is when a fungus attacks seeds or sprouts. The most coomon type will attack the plant just above the soil level and rot the plant till it falls over and dies. However, sphagnum moss can fight against fungus development. Sphagnum moss is the coarse material alot of people use to line wire hanging-baskets. It is also the stuff drooping from trees in the southeast US. The acidity of the moss helps to prevent fungal growth. A light covering of 1/8" -1/4" should be sufficeint. One other useful tip to prevent damping-off is to increase air-flow as early as possible. One way to do that is to fill the seed flats completely to the top with soil mix. Important, it may be hard to do but allow the top 1/4" of the soil to dry out inbetween
Tip #3
Success with bright lights.
Of course there is no substitute for the sun, but starting indoors under false lighting is sufficeint for plant growth. Flourescents are probably the best choice. Local garden centers sell special bulbs for plant growth, I highly recommend them over a regular shop light. The grow bulbs offer a wider spectrum of light, emphasising the ends of the spectrum(the blues and reds). When seedlings are young keep lights within 3" inches of the top of the plant (this is very important because it prevents spindly, weak growth) As the plant grows, gradually move the light farther away until it is a foot away.
*Be careful of using windows for a light source, even though the sun is the best source of light. The young plants will stretch to the light. This means the plants most be rotated 90 degrees almost daily. Windows are also an unstable enviroment, with wild temperature extremes throughout the day. I do suggest using windows but you will have to pay close attention to the plants for any signs of stress.
One other source of light are the High Intensity Discharge lamps which have a very high lumen capacity. The two most common HID lamps are High Pressure Sodium and Meatal Halide. The Mercury Vapor lamp is also a HID lamp but I am not sure on it's effeciency for plant growth. The HID has it's pros and cons. On the positive side they provide an incredible amount of light intensity. Just like the sun you would not want to look directly at a 1000watt HPS bulb. They also radiate a wider range of light waves than the average flourescent or incandecent bulb. The negatives to HID: a large intial payment, produces alot of heat, uses alot of electricty. HID come in various sizes from 175-1000watts. If you are serious about gardening I would recommend getting a 175 or 400watt HPS or MH,(Check prices at Worm'sWay) otherwise flourescents are sufficient for the average hobbist.
Incandescents, even the grow- type or not very effective. I use them to extend the day length, but would not use them as the prominent light source. They just barely provide the light range needed to maintain normal plant functions. A plant probably wouldn't die under an incandescent, but it wouldn't grow either.
Tip #4
A homemade greenhouse 
This is a favorite of mine.
An empty and clean 2 liter bottle makes the perfect mini greenhouse. Cut the bottle in half, about 4" above that black base thing. Then you need to make 4 small holes in the bottom. If you have a drill that's great, otherwise you'll have to use your imagination. Fill and plant. Slide the top of the bottle over the bottom piece (or use the bottom of another bottle, see picture). This can be tricky because they have the same diameter, but it is possible. I prefer using the top piece because the mouth can be used as a vent. When condensation builds up remove cover for awhile. Obviously this only works with clear bottles (sorry seven-up fans). Adult supervision is advised.
Most seeds do just fine as long as they are kept moist and warm, but some seeds need light and others need darkness, and some need to be frozen. .Most seed packs come with instructions but here is a very short list:
We like to be covered:
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Chard
- Cucumbers
- Melons
- Onions
- Parsley
- Peas
- Radishes
- Spinach
We like it on top of the soil:
- Shasta Daisy
- Coleus
- Coreopsis
- Yarrows
- Mexican Sunflower
- Balloon Flower
- Petunia
- Impatiens
- Ornamental cabbage and peppers
- Lettuce
- Dill
A few more tips:
-
Start seeds in empty egg cartons.* Don't fertilize until the second, entire, sets of leaves appear, and never fertilize dry soil.
* Always water well after a transplanting.
* It is a great temptation to go out on a nice sunny day to transplant seedlings, however plants wouldn't agree with you. They would prefer a cloudy and dreary day so that they can adjust to their new surroundings without worry of drying out.
* I personally use small cubes of soilless mix to germinate seeds. It provides a consistent moist enviroment for germination. Once the plant takes off I up-pot to regular potting soil. Soilless mix is hard to find, even in large cities. Look in the phone book under garden centers or indoor gardening, or order thru Worm'sWay. It is more expensive then potting soil (I only use it for germination) but you get what you pay for. Going into the advantages of soilless mix is a whole new topic for another month.
February 1997 Tip Keeping a Poinsetta alive until the next holiday season.
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