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Sow seeds of joy in pots
Here's a soil-less mix specially-formulated to provide seeds the
ideal environment they need to start right. Homegrown Seed-starting Mix is like
'Gerber for your plants'! It's a baby-mild formulation that gives delicate
plant roots the right blend of nutrients delivering a high-germination rate in a
healthful, sterile formula.
Its ultra fine texture also ensures good
contact between the seeds and the potting mixture. Its high moisture
retention properties also help prevent your pots and seedling trays from
drying out easily. Here's a
simple step-by-step guide on how to grow seeds yourself easily with
Homegrown. Purchase Good Seed Seeds should have been stored where they weren't constantly exposed to sunlight or extreme shifts in temperature. Many salespeople or store keepers aren't gardeners themselves so they don't know that how they store, transport or display the seed packets for sale actually affect the seeds' viability. Check expiration dates as well.
Before Planting
If you’re not planting your seeds right away, the best place to store them
is in a cool, dry place. In our hot and humid country, that means an airtight container in the vegetable crisper of your refrigerator. Heat can greatly shorten
the “shelf life” of your seeds. Leftover seeds should be sealed tightly in
their packs and returned inside the airtight container, preferably with
bags of desiccants (simply collect the tiny bags you find in medicine
bottles).
Water Thoroughly Level the surface but do not tamp down or compress. Water the mix and allow it to drain thoroughly before sowing the seeds. How
Deep to Sow The No.1 reason seeds don’t germinate is that they
were sown too deeply. Sow seeds to the recommended depth (check the seed
packet), then gently firm
Mark What You Sow Don't forget to write down
Keep the Moisture In Cover the
pots or trays with a clear plastic sheet or wet newspaper to increase the
humidity. As soon as the seeds germinate, remove the covering to allow
room for growth. If the surface of the mix does dry out, water gently. Moistening the surface with a spray bottle may be all that’s needed provided you’re careful not to dislodge the seeds. Watering from underneath (by dipping the bottom of the pot or tray in a pan of water) is another choice. Heat Helps Most seeds germinate well under warm temperatures. Bottom heating even hastens germination so laying your seedling tray on a surface that gets warm would actually be good. (Same principle as incubating eggs.) But once the seedlings have broken the surface of the soil, the plants should be grown at slightly cooler temperatures. High temperatures can cause weak, leggy growth. Some seeds require light to germinate (for these, you should use clear plastic to cover the seedling tray instead of a wet newspaper) while others prefer total darkness. Once germinated, all seedlings need light to develop into strong, healthy plants. Make sure your seedlings receive enough light or they will tend to stretch.
Care After Germination The care you give your seedlings in the
weeks following germination is critical. Keep the potting mix moist, but
not
HOMEGROWN
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Copyright 2008 GreenHearts The Garden Shop |
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[A
tip to speed up growth: You may prefer to first fill the small pots
or seedling trays halfway with the potting mix you will use for the grown
plant. For ornamentals, you can fill halfway with Plantastic
Low-maintenance Mix; for edible plants use Enrico or Mediterranea. Then
fill the remaining top half of your containers with Homegrown
Seed-Starting Mix. This way, you conveniently give your seedlings a boost
of nutrients once the roots are long and strong enough.]
the
growing mix to ensure good contact between seeds and seed-starting mix.
The general rule is they should not go deeper than the thickness of the
seed itself. Super fine seeds should not even be buried and should just be
pressed firmly onto the surface.
the name of the plants you've sown and what date you planted them. If you
end up an avid gardener, you can soon get confused on what it is that's
growing where!
As long as the seed-starting mix is well moistened when you sow the seeds,
you probably won’t need to water until the seedlings emerge. (Too much
moisture will cause the seeds to rot.)
soggy. Small pots and trays dry out quickly, so check them often. If
your seedlings are growing in a windowsill, turn the containers every few
days to encourage straight stems. The first two leaves you will see on the
plant are not true leaves but food storage cells called cotyledons. Once
the first true leaves have developed, it’s time to start fertilizing. Use
a weak solution once a week. You can transplant your seedlings as soon as
they get their second set of true leaves.
