Location: WI
Living in Wisconsin means dealing with a short growing season and there is nothing I like better than eating fresh vegetables I’ve grown in my own garden… So I start them indoors from seeds.
There are so many advantages to starting garden seeds indoors. You’ll control your harvest from seed to table . . . no potential of bringing home problems from the nursery and you’ll know your plants are absolutely organic. You’ll save money by buying seeds instead of live plants. And you’ll be able to try a wider variety of produce. Best of all, you’ll be the first one harvesting tomatoes!
The process of starting seeds can range from easy to difficult (and quite expensive.) Some gardeners choose to go all out with a complete nursery set-up with grow lights, watering systems and pallets of plants. But really all you need is a consistently sunny spot and some patience.
The best plants I’ve found to start ahead are cukes, squashes and other melons; tomatoes; beans; eggplant and most annual flowers like geraniums, petunias and marigolds. Browse through your garden catalogs and pick a wide variety of seeds. To get started, you’ll need containers and a good seed-starting mix. I prefer to use the little peat pots sold at garden centers because you can plant these right into the garden without disturbing the roots of your baby plants. These can get a little spendy, though, so it’s perfectly okay to use small plastic containers like yogurt cups. Just be sure to clean them with 10% bleach solution and poke holes in the bottom after they’ve air-dried.
Another important step is to keep your pots warm. Place them in the sun during the day and near a heat register (but out of the draft) at night. Some people even place a loose piece of cellophane over the pots to keep the moisture and warmth in. Of course, your plants will need water but be very careful not to overwater – it’s best to use a spritzer or place the pots in a shallow pan of water.
When they start poking through the soil, carefully thin to one plant per pot. After a few weeks (and once the temps are warm enough) you can “harden off” your seedlings. Start by placing them outside in the morning sunlight (but out of the wind) for a couple hours and then gradually increase their time outside over the week. Once you’ve done this you can plant in your garden and watch your seedlings grow.
A Super Fun Kid Idea
Last year my son’s kindergarten class tried this seed idea and it worked really well. We actually carved the pumpkin that grew from his seed! Here’s what you’ll need:
Clear plastic glove (like those used at sandwich shops)
Seeds (bigger seeds work best like beans or pumpkin)
Cotton balls
Wet the cotton ball and wrap around each seed. Push each cotton ball into the fingers of the glove. Tape the glove in a sunny window. Within a week your seed will sprout and start to grow up the glove. Your kids will love it and you’ll be able to plant it in your garden when it warms up.
