Starting Seeds

Starting Seeds

Sarah Bhimani 22 Apr 2010 22:02

Starting Seeds: Seeds you should NOT START indoors include: asparagus, carrots, corn, endive, lima beans, parsnips, radishes, snap beans, spinach, soybeans, Swiss chard, turnips, cilantro, dill, and summer savory. Seeds need water and warmth (75-90 degrees F) to germinate. Seedlings need less warmth (60-70 degrees F), but also need sunlight (16 hours of light is ideal).

Containers: You don’t need to buy flats/seed starting containers. You can make them! If you have access to wood and tools, you can make wooden flats (don’t make them too large to lift, and 2 or 3 inches deep is sufficient), or cut milk jugs/soda bottles in half and use the bottoms. You could also use old aluminum pans. Be creative! Just make sure to poke some holes in the bottom to allow for water drainage.

Transplanting: The first leaves that appear are not the plant’s “true” leaves. The plant’s true leaves are the second set that appears. If the plants appear to be crowded, either thin them (snip off some of the plants), and/or transplant them into separate, larger containers. When transplanting, make sure to plant the seedling at the same depth or a bit deeper.

Diseases: The most common issue with seedlings is damping-off, which is caused by a fungus that thrives in wet, poorly ventilated places. The telling symptom is when a healthy looking plant falls over and the stem near the soil looks pinched. Damping-off is easier to prevent than curing it. Keep good air circulation around your plants and don’t water too much. If only a few plants are affected, you can try to save the rest by removing those affected, improving air circulation and fix the drainage and spraying the remaining seedlings with chamomile or garlic tea.

Hardening Off: One or two weeks before your planting outside date (after danger of frost, usually), you need to toughen up your plants. Do this by watering less, keeping them cooler, and not fertilizing. Start setting your plants outside, first only for ½ a day in a sheltered place, and then work the plants up to a full day in full sun and all night (if there is danger of frost, make sure to cover them!).

Planting Out: The ideal weather conditions for planting out are cloudy and damp. Make sure to water each transplant as you set it in the hole, and then cover the roots with loose soil.

Tips taken from Mother Earth News, Vol. 6, Spring 2010

Re: Starting Seeds

Sarah Bhimani 26 May 2010 20:25

Make your own potting soil
Making your own potting soil will save you money (North Americans spend more than $500 million each year on potting mixes and specialty soils!).

At least half of any potting soil is compost, but most commercial potting soils have some combo of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite, all of which are mined, processed, packaged, and shipped.
Peat moss can be replaced by composted tree bark or wood chips or leaf mold (rotted leaves) or a mixture. Just for reference, a 4’ x 5’ pile of chopped leaves will take about two year to decompose into leaf mold.
Vermiculite can also be replaced by rotted sawdust, leaf mold, or an abundance of organic matter in garden waste compost (side note: vermiculite mining is what caused the asbestos problem in Libby, MT).
Perlite ore can be replaced by clean sand. For a light mix of soil, add a handful of sand per quart. And to guard against slow drainage in the bottoms of flats/containers, use a thin layer of rotted leaves, sawdust, or sand.

To use live compost or active garden soil in potting mixes usually requires screening the compost (sifting the compost through a screen) and pasteurizing (heating) the material at 160 degrees F (but not hotter than 190 degrees F) for an hour (30 minutes at 180 degrees F). Pasteurizing kills most fungi and bacteria while preserving the biological integrity of the compost. If the temperature goes above 190 degrees F, compounds may be formed that interfere with plant growth.
To pasteurize compost in the oven:
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and put 3-4 quarts of screened, mature compost in a bucket and mix with enough water to make it lightly moist. Spread moistened material in a large metal or glass pan, but don’t pack it down (steam needs to be able to circulate). Cover tightly with aluminum foil, and poke a meat or oven thermometer into the center of the cover at a diagonal angle.
2. Place pan in the oven and check the temperature at 15 minute intervals. Turn off the oven when the thermometer shows 150 degrees F. Compost heats quickly (denser soils take longer). After oven is turned off, heat should rise to 170 degrees F (vent the oven if it gets to 180 degrees F). Sharp odors mean it’s gotten too hot. Allow the pan to sit in the warm oven for at least 30 minutes. When you remove the pan, wrap it in dry towels, as this will slow the cooling, giving a more thorough pasteurization.
3. When the pan is cool, dump the pasteurized compost into a bucket with a lid, and let it rest until you need it.
When dealing with transplants ready to go outside, you can use unpasteurized compost. It actually helps to harden off the plants and reduces transplant shock.

Information taken from Mother Earth News, Vol. 6, Spring 2010