Starting Seeds Indoors

liliesofthefield

18 years ago

What seeds can I start indoors right now? How about bunching onions? Herbs? Thanks!

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Comments (4)

Annie
18 years ago
liliesofthefield,

Take a look at this site. Trudi Davidoff, who lives in NY., is a GW friend of mine. She came up with this method for Winter Sowing seeds outdoors in containers. Before you decide if you want to mess with starting seeds indoors, you just gotta go read what she has written!
I know you are going to love it!
It is fun and 'sow' easy, and it really works!

Happy Gardening!
~ Annie

Here is a link that might be useful: How to Winter Sow seeds outdoors
susanlynne48
18 years ago
Whoo-hoo! I've been winter sowing since the first of January! So far, I have 71 containers outside, and tons still to go! It is great fun!

Susan
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I can tell you why I do not direct sow many things at this time of year and instead start with pots (although they are outside). Number one, there are some things I need to get started now, even though their space is not clear. For my climate, the time to start fall crops like Brussel sprouts, cauliflower, etc, is right now. However, the places I may want to plan those are currently occupied. I use a lot less water when I germinate seeds in seedling trays than if I were to use the hose in the garden proper (rain is great but cannot be counted on me for me). Also, when I have all of my seedlings together on the porch, it is easier for me to monitor them whereas if a day is quite busy, when I am doing my round of the garden, I might overlook the new seedlings. It is also easier for me to protect the seedlings from birds if they are on my porch or somewhere consolidated than spreading out row cover fabric all over the place.
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I use 4 T12s per shelf using 2 "lights of america" shop light fixtures per shelf which seems to work fine altough they are the specific plant and aquarium rated tubes(I have a variety of all top 3 brands. Phillips, GE, and Sylvania). My shelves are also 4ft by about 18 and the back side thats towards the wall has foil with the reflective side facing the plants. Rather than use CFLs it would work a lot better if you can find some 2 foot fixure or multiple fixtures that would hold 4 to 6 24" plant/aquarium lights. I pondered the idea of having a smaller 2 foot unit like yours when I started running out of room on my 4 foot shelf but after trying to research fixtures and bulbs I found it difficult to find this sized light fixtures in local stores. I could order them and pay a lot for shipping but not readily easily found in my local stores. I could find plenty of 4 foot and 18 inch lights and fixtures but not 24 so I just ended up getting a 2nd 4 foot mini green house. I suppose thats for the better since I still have another 4 feet length worth of shelving to expand even more in the future :) and I can fit 4 trays on each shelf
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Shop lights are exactly the right solution. Don't waste money on fancy grow-lux bulbs or fancy fixtures. Just use cheap cool/warm bulbs. If you were doing hydroponics, where the plants spent their whole life under bulbs, fancy fluorescent bulbs might be nice. BUT, be sure to keep the bulbs within a few inches of the plants. Seriously. This isn't about looking at the plants, it's about stuffing them full of light. Just prop up the fixture on some boxes or 2x4s. With one standard 48-inch two-bulb T12 fixture, I'm not sure if you'll have room for 32 4x4 inch pots. Maybe just 2 rows of 12. You could seed the plants that can get transplanted earlier first, and do the rest when those are done and out the door. Or use smaller pots. Not sure where you are, but you'll want to keep everyone warm. I wouldn't bother with a heat pad underneath. I just throw a light tarp over the whole thing (lights and plants), and the fluorescent bulbs keep everything under it warm. 60 watts makes a nice mild heater. Regulate the temperature by throwing the tarp back a bit. You're shooting for 70-75F. In addition to the shop fixture, you'll want to invest in a cheap digital thermometer that will allow you to keep an eye on the temp. Might get a cheap dial timer that will turn the fixture on for 15-18 hours at a time. That $10 for the fixture. $10 for two bulbs, $10 for the thermometer, and $10 for the timer. $40, and you're set for many years.
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susanlynne48
18 years ago
To continue this saga, you can start any of your perennial herbs in containers outside right now - like lavendar, sage, thyme, fennel (bulb), rue, marjoram, parsley, chives, winter savory, rosemary, mints. I would think you could start onions, too.

I use 2-litre soda bottles, washed with a very small amount of clorox to sterilize; fill with potting soil, soak and drain. Make sure after draining you have at least 4" of soil in the jug. Sow your seeds, put the top on the bottle (I cut mine so that there is about 1/3 for the top, and 2/3 for the bottom, poke holes in the bottom for drainage, make a slice in the top so you can fold over the edge of the bottom part of the top to fit it inside the bottom, and leave off the lid). Put it outside in sun or part sun. When your seedlings appear, if you haven't used fertilized potting soil, you will need to start fertilizing with a weak solution of fertilizer. Check your container to make sure it doesn't dry out, or that it isn't too wet (we haven't had to worry too much about that as of late). As it starts to get warmer, you may need to make additional ventilation slits in the top portion of the bottle.

That's it. Other people use milk jugs, roasting pans with plastic covers, all kinds of recyclables. It's so much fun.

Susan
Annie
18 years ago
To answer your question 'liliesofthefield', you can start your veggies like tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, onions, leeks, and peppers right now indoors in a sunny window.

If you have the window space and plenty of sunlight, you can start perennial herbs and perennial flowers, too.

You can plant garden pea seeds and snow pea seeds directly out in the garden right now.

Hope this helps. ~ Annie

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Starting Seeds Indoors

Comments (4)

Annie

susanlynne48

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susanlynne48

Annie

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