Germinating Seeds- seed starting for beginners
It’s getting late into the summer now with being near the middle of August. Though the day’s are blistering around 100° - 106°, I stand out in the evenings with goats before tucking them away and notice how the air around me is no longer the same as it was several weeks ago. The smell of hot dry grass no longer hovers in the still of the absence of wind. The breeze a bit cooler when you walk down the little hill road near the garden. Late Summer season means time for planning and planting out your Fall garden. Once you’ve decided what grows in your zone, what will work best for your family and how much you need, you can begin starting up seeds. Not all seeds need to be started early, for example- most root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, turnips etc. do quite well being sewn directly into their bed or ground. I’ve also noticed quite a few “blogs” out there that say there is an actual list of veggies NOT to start indoors, but I saw hogwash. On that list is beans and squash and what are the photos of in this article? Beans and squash. They did great. They transplanted great. Everything is fine.
Lets get you seeding
WHY DO WE START SEEDS INDOORS?
The biggest benefit to starting seeds indoors, is that you can give the seed // plant a fighting start at surviving outside during colder weather or frost. Where as a seed may grow out of the ground outdoors a bit of the way, if you get a sudden frost, your plant runs the risk of burning and dying. Transplanting a much older seedling now pretty much a young plant, it’s root system is now stronger and more able to grasp the nutrients in your soil, and take be able to withstand the harsher weathers.
Sometimes it’s not even about the weather. If you are new to gardening or maybe you just weren’t born with that green thumb your mother was (raising a hand over here) starting the seed ensures you just don’t kill the damn thing when you put them in the ground in your garden.
METHODS OF GERMINATION
There are two methods that I know of and personally use both. One is cheaper than the other, but one will be superior in means of nutrients and time should you decide to walk a bit of an extra mile
The first method is what Matthew calls the “paper towel” method.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
.01 Cookie Sheet
.02 Unbleached // Recycled Natural Paper Towels (personal preference)
.03 Spray Bottle (optional)
Ever seen a stark white tree? Neither have I. Most paper towel companies use harsh and harmful chemicals during the cutting process and then use bleach additives to get the paper white. plant will be absorbing whatever is in the items you use- you consume the plant or product of the plant, in turn you absorb the chemicals.
Take you cookie sheet and lay it out. Take enough paper towels to cover the inside of the cookie sheet and spray it down very well with a spray bottle until the paper is quite wet. It doesn’t need to be sopping but very moist.
lay out your seeds and space them out accordingly. Take another row of paper towels and soak those quite well, setting it right on top of the seeds. Put in a room temp - warm area and check in several days. You should start to see root growth within the week.
Photo examples
paper towel seed germination method
GERMINATION METHOD 2
I feel that this is a superior method, the only downside- if you would even call it that- is that it involves you purchasing something either online or via a Hydroponics store.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
.02 Plug Trays
I’ve talked about these plugs on my Instagram in the past, but now that my following has grown quite a bit, I’m happy to be sharing about them again because they are a game changer in germinating seeds. They are packed full of organic starter nutrients, encourage the plant with all it needs to grow strong and quickly, come premoistened (however if you do happen to get a lemon bag that for some reason is dried out, you can just give them a quick pass through under a stream of water).
Take your seed and place it into the center of the plug
Take a long object like a pencil (eraser side down) or a chop stick
Push the seed down into the middle of the plug
Set plug into it’s cell in the plug tray
I like to set them in a green house container with a humidity dome.
To check for root growth, just gently pick up your plugs out of the cells and look underneath. Your roots will be looking immaculate. When you feel the roots have grown out a significant amount - they are ready for transplant in your garden.
Photo examples
I hope this started you off in the right direction.
I’m the type of person that naturally assumes everyone knows the same information I do - so if you have any questions that I may have left out, please feel free to comment them down below
xoxo
