Great Advice For Home Garden Seeds

Introduction

Gardeners are always on the lookout for tips about anything garden related including home garden seeds. If a special method or system makes seeds start faster, grow stronger or produces better vegetables, gardeners are ready to listen. Check out these suggestions for selecting containers, when to start seeds and which seeds do best indoors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 1

Decide early in the season whether you want to direct seed in the garden or start seeds indoors and transfer them to the garden after there is no more frost. Starting home garden seeds indoors will require containers, soil and lighting. Direct seeding outdoors requires preparing the garden beds with compost and soil amendments. Some people choose to plant some seed varieties indoors and some outside.

Step 2

Sowing seeds indoors is an excellent way to get a head start on the spring growing season. It saves a lot of money compared to purchasing seedlings at the nursery. When home garden seeds are started indoors, you can get about four to six weeks growing time on plants before they need transplanting outdoors.

Step 3

Choose the best varieties of vegetable seeds for starting indoors. Ideal seed candidates are those plants that you know transplant well. Consider tiny seeds, which can be difficult to get started in outdoor beds and some home garden seeds that are hard to germinate requiring careful moisture and temperature control. Tomatoes, parsley, onions, peppers, celery, leeks and eggplant are all good home garden seeds to start indoors. Many people also like to get a head start on Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

Step 4

Avoid trying to germinate many of the vegetables that do not accept transplanting well. Most root crops like parsnips, beets, carrots, turnips and potatoes should be direct planted outdoors. Peas, beans and corn seedlings are not root crops, but can be difficult to transplant.

Step 5

Choose affordable planting containers to start home garden seeds. You can purchase four and six-pack seedling containers from nurseries and online websites. However, you can also save a couple of dollars by starting seeds in used egg cartons. Old yogurt containers can be saved throughout the winter and used to plant home garden seeds that need more soil space. Poke a couple of holes through the bottom for drainage and you have a nice sized pot. Starting seeds from peat pellets is a common practice and then transfer them into biodegradable pots. Make a slit in the side of the biodegradable pots so the roots can escape and put the hole pot right into the ground.

Step 6

Try to find out when the last frost date occurs in your region. Start indoor home garden seeds about four to six weeks before this date so they will be strong and healthy for planting outdoors.

 

Tips

Watering seeds or new seedlings from the bottom with a dish underneath the pot is less disruptive to young plant roots and delicate home garden seeds. The windows in most people's homes do not provide sufficient light for starting home garden seeds. You may have to invest in incandescent grow bulbs to give new seeds a healthy growing environment. Plan on running a light at least 12 hours a day.

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