It's time for indoor seed planting

Whether you have a big backyard vegetable garden or a few planters on your balcony, this is the right time to start your seeds indoors. It is not complicated and you can save a lot of money by starting your favourite plants from seeds. 

I took advantage of today's cold weather and set up my seed planting operation in our basement. I gathered the seed starting containers I had bought; some were made of cardboard and some were made of coconut shells.  It still baffles me why natural biodegradable coconut seed trays would come wrapped in plastic.  We only bought a couple packs to try for that reason.  The cardboard ones did not come in plastic so we bought more of those.    

I used a tray to put them on to contain the mess.

I dumped the seed starter mix in a bucket and added water as recommended to moisten the soil before putting it into the seed trays.  This ensures the seed mix is moistened all the way through.  If you put it into the seed trays dry, it is hard to get the peat moss to absorb water.  Pouring the water in first and stirring it really made planting and watering easier.

I poured the soil into the containers then smoothed it out making sure each container was filled.

 I pressed the seeds in to the recommended depth on the back of the seed package. I put 2 to 5 seeds per container, depending on the type of seed, in case one or more of the seeds does not germinate.  If more than one germinate I will thin them or split them and transplant them into separate containers.  

I used popstickle sticks to write the names of the seeds on and mark their location. 

I gave them a last spray of water...

..and found a sunny window for them. For germination they need lots of warmth.  Once they sprout they will also need the maximum amount of light.

I will keep a close eye on them and keep them moist. These seedlings will be ready to be planted outside in about a month, around the last frost day. Today I planted cabbage, squash, sunflowers, tomatoes, herbs and flowers. I will give you an update on how well they do once we move them to the mud room to harden them off. If you have kids get them involved. They love helping and there is a lot they can do with this simple project.

Misha