The seed starting essentials
 

Even though the Midwest and East Coasts are completely buried in snow and ice with the worst storm of the season, most gardeners can already feel the anticipation of spring. Their catalogs are already dog-eared and orders for their favorite seeds have already been placed - or soon will be! How can you find your own breath of spring? Start planting your seeds now. There is nothing like working in a warm and cozy greenhouse even when the wind is howling outside. No greenhouse yet? No problem - you can get a few tomatoes going now in a sunny window.

Here's what you'll need:

Containers
There are many containers available from plastic cell starters to peat moss containers that allow the entire pot to be transplanted. Cow pots are fairly new on the market and work very well. The important thing is that the containers be clean and disease free. A mild bleach solution will sterilize reusable pots. Just dip and rinse the pots before adding the growing medium. If you are using peat or cow pots, soak them first to keep the dry pots from taking moisture away from the seedlings. There are also mini-hot house kits available that provide you with nearly everything you need to begin growing!

To soil or not to soil  
If you want to get your seedlings off to the healthiest start possible consider using a soilless mixture. The advantages:

• No worries about weeds, pests or disease that may be present in your existing garden soil
• Better aeration. Garden soil can be too heavy. Soilless mixes are much lighter giving your seedlings excellent circulation and drainage.
• Coco coir works great to provide drainage and water retention. One of our coco bricks expands to fill a full gallon bucket when soaked in water. Simply hydrate the coir and fill your seed trays. You want the coir to be loose and damp, but not soggy.

Fertilizer
 The seedlings won't need fertilizer until they produce the 2nd leaf also known as the 'true leaf' stage. At that point, you will want to provide regular feedings of fertilizer. We recommend a good, organic liquid fertilizer. Compost tea is easy to use as well as the offerings from Fox Farm and Fish Pharm. Seedlings are babies so make sure your solution is fairly dilute.  You can also use a granular organic fertilizer mixed into the soil when you transplant your seedlings into larger pots.

Keeping the soil warm
Just like all babies, seedlings needs to stay warm and dry.  Whether you are starting your seedlings indoors in the window or in your greenhouse, an easy way to keep them at the right temperature is to use a seedling heat mat. If you are starting your seedlings in the greenhouse, using a seedling heat mat reduces the need to heat the entire greenhouse.

The right light
The last piece of the basic seed starting puzzle is to be sure your plants will have sufficient light and that the light is placed at the right height. If the light source is too far away the plants will get too "leggy" trying to reach for the light. The stems grow long and thin resulting in an unhealthy plant. If the light source is too close, it could burn the delicate seedlings.  There are many great full spectrum lighting options available that are easy to use and will keep your seedlings happily growing!

Seedling Supplies >>