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Fertilizer helps, but half strength please. These are babies. Most balanced fertilizers will work, either liquid (diluted 1/4 to 1/2 strength) or slow release pellets. Compost in the soil also helps. Granular fertilizers may burn delicate new roots unless buried a couple of inches deep. Be careful though. Too much fertilizer, especially nitrogen, will cause to weak, rapid growth. Ideally, a good seedling should be short and sturdy.
When to start different seedlings. For slow growing varieties, calculate how long it will take to get a sturdy 4-6 inch seedling. It's not so easy to calculate this. Why is it that the more complex a task, the more we cherish the result ?
Growth rate is affected by light, heat, moisture and more. Here are the number of weeks ahead to sow some common seeds before the date you expect to plant them outdoors in your area.
Timetable for vegetables:
4-6 WEEKS Leaf Lettuce
6-8 WEEKS Basil, Broccoli, Tomatoes
8-10 WEEKS Cucumber, Pepper, Eggplant
Timetable for easy-to-grow annuals
6-8 WEEKS Cleome, Cosmos, Gaillardia, Marigold, Morning Glory, Sweet Alyssum, Zinnia
Anyone can push a bean in the soil and expect it to sprout within a few days, but not all seeds are so easy. If you tackle something slow and difficult (like many flowers) be patient. If you just want the fun of watching thing grow, pick easy ones.
Boring Technical Information:
Different seeds have different germination times, ranging from fast ones like marigolds at about a week to, gaillardia and lupine which can take 3 or 4 weeks just to sprout. Read the back of the seed packet.
Some seeds must be fresh, others have a long shelf life. To test old seeds, put some between wet paper towels and see if they sprout. When in doubt, buy fresh seeds. Seeds need good contact with the soil, , so the growing medium is often very lightly tamped down with a small board.
Bottom heat, supplied by an electric propagation mat or a warm (but not hot) radiator helps slow starters to germinate, especially perennials and herbs, even wildflowers. It's challenging to try these from seed, which is often a two year endeavor, but eminently satisfying.
Don't plant seed too close together. It's easier to separate the roots when they have enough space. Also it inhibits Damping off disease. (Seedlings fall over and wilt from a fungus infestation.)
To thin seedlings, cut the weak ones off with scissors. Pulling them out damages the delicate roots of those that remain.
When sowing very fine seed, water the soil from the bottom (by standing the pot or tray in water until the top becomes wet) then broadcast the seed over the top.
One expert greenhouse gardener I know covers the seeds with a layer of newspaper which is then kept moist by misting the paper so the seeds do not wash around. Works for small and large seeds as well. Most seeds germinate best in darkness which is why one lightly covers them, usually about 1/4 to 1/2 inch, depending on seed size. The bigger the seed the deeper one plants it.
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Text by Ruth S. Foster
© 2001 Mother's Garden
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