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The Tucson Gardener |
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Real Gardeners Plant Seeds It's easy to get awe struck walking past a freshly stocked table of blooming bedding plants or sturdy looking bell pepper, tomato or herb plant. Why not, much of the work is done? All you've got to do is tap the plants out of their plastic packs, maybe loosen the root ball and stick them in the ground or pot. And most of the time the bedding plants are already blooming. There's nothing like instant gratification when it comes to gardening.
On the other hand, with a little planning, a little care and admittedly, an occasional failure or two, you can start some trees and shrubs from seed you collect. Bedding plants and vegetables can be grown from a large selection of seed available from nurseries and mail order. With success, then you can honestly say, "I grew that."
Know When to Grow
Some seed packages give you an indication of when you can plant the seeds in the garden using a zone map. The package may also say you can start the seeds six to eight weeks before it's time to put the plants in the garden. That means starting seeds in a protected environment in January or February so you can have healthy young plants to place in the garden in the spring after all signs of cold weather are past. For some gardeners that indicates one thing - too much trouble. For others, it's a challenge and maybe the hopes of having the first fresh from the garden vine ripe tomatoes before the neighbor does.
Fresh Seed and a Good Planting Mix Choose an appropriate container to start your seeds. That means just about anything that can hold a soil mix and can be modified to drain water. If you're gardening on a budget, old milk or egg cartons, aluminum foil pans, cleaned plastic tubs your margarine came in and anything else you can think of including the recycled six celled plastic containers last season's bedding plants came in will work. Just make sure everything is spic and span before you use it or dipped in a mild bleach solution.
For the less cost conscious there is a variety of seed starting paraphernalia including wood, plastic or fiber flats. There are Styrofoam containers that have clear plastic humidity and heat holding domes and watering trays with water absorbent mats. For some plants one use peat pots or expanding peat pellets are convenient ways to start seeds and transplant the plants into the garden. If you look around you'll find many other seed starting gardening supplies available from mail order or local nurseries. Use a sterile planting medium for starting the seeds. That means don't plan on starting your plants grown in containers using regular garden soil. However, when your seeds are sown directly in the garden then you'll be using the available garden soil. And many seeds do quite well grown in the garden. Seeds grown in containers are usually the ones started early to get a head start on the season. You want your plants to look similar to the ones you'd be purchasing in a nursery when it comes time to transplant into the garden. Most of the potting mixes you find at your garden center will be adequate for starting the seeds or you can try making your own using equal parts peat moss, either perlite or vermiculite and sand.
The sterile growing medium should help prevent the pitfalls of seed starting such as damping off. That's when the seeds germinate, start to grow, then suddenly topple over from a weak stem. That weak, damaged stem is damping off that's caused by one organism or another found in soil. Plant your seeds at the recommended depth which is usually printed on the seed packet. One rule of thumb is to plant at a depth equal to twice the seed's diameter. Keep in mind there are some seeds that shouldn't be covered with soil at all. Others may require soaking in warm water before being planted. Some seed might need scarification to penetrate the tough outer layer to better ensure germination. So make sure you know your seed's planting requirements and read package labels before you get started.
Moisture, Warmth and Light Warmth in our desert climate is certainly not hard to find except for those chilly December and January nights. Some people claim the top of a refrigerator is a good spot for germinating seeds. But where you find the warmth you also need plenty of light so the plants grow strong stems and not spindly which happens when they have to reach for the light from a nearby window. Artificial light will work using grow lights or two fluorescent bulbs, one warm white, one cool white and as long as they are only a few inches above the seed bed and left on for at least ten hours. As the plants grow the lights will need to be raised. Once the seeds have germinated, which can be anywhere from a few days to sometimes never, and the seedlings emerge they'll need to be thinned or transplanted when their second set of true leaves have developed. The seedlings will need plenty of room for their roots to develop. Once the plants are large enough for the garden or pots and the climate outside is appropriate for the plants you should acclimate or harden off the plants before planting. That means moving the plants to a shady spot for a few days so they can get used to the change in environment before moving them directly into the harsh sun. Plants in containers, especially small ones like the six packs or four-inch pots, dry out quickly outside and need to be watched closely so they don't become water stressed. Morning or late afternoon are good times to transplant into the garden to give the plants a chance to get used to their new home before it gets too warm during mid day. If you've got the time, space, resources and desire, growing your plants from seeds can be fun and challenging. Don't be afraid to give it a try. (1998) |
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