Getting Seeds Started In Your Garden

Naturally gardeners want to be timely in planting for the summer harvest and there are things one can do to be on schedule. Besides making a list of things you want in your garden, you will need to know how much space each one take. Plants like carrots and beets make most of their growth underground while summer squash can take a couple of feet for one plant.

If you’re starting from seed the spacing requirements likely will be found on the instructions on the back of the packet. A good thing to do would be to list all the things you want to grow and then in the column next to it put amounts desired and a column space in rows, row width,& planting dates. Next look on the seed packet to see how long it takes to grow a plant to transplant date. You will then be ready to sow your seeds.

To make the job easier and grow a sturdier plant the system above can accomplish this for you. Pictured on the left above is heat mat that will hold the germinating flat and on the right a light set up that will keep your plants growing with out stretching. Most plants respond to bottom heat to germinate at soil temps of about 70 degrees. In your window or basement it may not be that temperature consistently, or you may run your home cooler than that. Once the plants are germinated it is important to get them into good light so they don't stretch. The light should be about 8 to 10 inches above the plants for best results.

Water sparingly but don't let the seedlings dry out, and once the seedlings are up keep them just slightly moist so the roots will go down for moisture. Once established the water can be reduced and temperatures cooled down to keep the plants sturdy and growing.

Bulk Seeds Heirloom Seeds Unusual seeds
You may be an organic garden and want to use organic seeds. They are available in the Burpee selection of our seed dept. Some to-go-withs are shown below for early gardeners.

Red, Yellow & White Sets Jiffy pots and other pots Shallots and garlic
With seven seed companies providing seeds, one should be able to find just what they need but if something is missing ask Greg and he will try to get it for you. Gardening vegetables was our forte about fifty years ago and we are glad to share any ideas or information you may need to be successful in your garden. And if you don't have time to grow your own plants our greenhouse will be filled with plants in April May and June to make your work easier.

THINK SPRING
Visit our Springtime Greenhouse