Growing plants from seeds can be both satisfying and cost-effective, and it may help stave off winter doldrums as we head towards spring. Plus, starting your seeds indoors now can extend your growing season so you can enjoy the fruits (and vegetables and flowers) of your labors that much sooner!
In this blog, we’ll talk about seed planning—how to plan your garden, prepare and nurture seeds and seedlings, and when and how to plant them outside for maximum results.
Planning Your Garden Beds
If you’re new to gardening, first figure out where your garden will thrive best in your landscape design. As the saying goes, “Location, location, location!” You’ll want to be sure you have an adequate environment with the right amount of shade and sunlight for your plants.
Whether you want a cut flower garden or vegetable garden (or both), once you know what kind of light your yard gets, you can choose a variety of plants that will thrive with your light conditions.
Purchasing Quality Supplies
There are many wonderful and reputable seed companies like Ed Hume’s Hume Seeds, Territorial Seed Company, Botanical Interests and others, so head to your local garden shop and stock up. While you’re there, get high-quality soil that will support healthy root growth. If you’re growing organic food, we specifically recommend getting GardenBlenz Soil – Organic, which is OMRI listed for organic use. If organic growing is not a priority, we recommend starting your seeds in Lenz’s Potting Mix.
Indoor germination doesn’t have to be expensive, find affordable reusable trays or plastic-free paper trays to host your seeds. Whatever you choose, make sure it is clean and has small drainage holes.
Starting Your Seedlings
Determine when to start your seeds by checking the seed packets for information regarding germination periods and seedling growth and add in a week or two to “harden” your sprouts (we’ll cover this later in the blog).
Some seeds like nasturtiums, lupine, milkweed and sweetpeas have hard outer coatings. To hasten germination, you can scarify (put a shallow nick in the coating being careful not to make too deep of a cut) and soak them in water which will signal to the seed it’s time to germinate and then move them to a damp paper towel and cover them to hold in the moisture. When you see sprouts, it’s time to plant them into your seed trays.
Fill your containers with your soil and mist them well with water before planting the seeds to the depth specified on your seed packet. Not all of your seeds will thrive so to increase the chances of successful growth, plant several seeds together in the same cup.
Once your seeds are in the soil, loosely cover the container with a clear plastic or glass top which will retain moisture and let light in and place your tray by a window that receives indirect sunlight. Most flowers and vegetable seeds prefer temperatures between 75° – 80° degrees, but check your seed packet to verify the right temperature.
The goal is to create a humid environment to foster growth, so keep the soil damp by misting your tray every few days, but don’t overdo it. The seed type determines how quickly it will sprout. Some seeds sprout in as little as 3 to 7 days, while other varieties can take several weeks to sprout.
When are Seedlings Big Enough?
Seedlings don’t produce leaves at first. Instead, you’ll see early growth called cotyledons, which provide stored food to the growing plant. Shaped like kidneys, they grow across from each other, and will be dark green with prominent veins, but don’t mistake it for leaves. True leaves will sprout shortly after the cotyledons appear. Check your seed packet to determine how tall your seedlings should be before transplanting, as this can vary based on the type of plant you’re growing. Ideally, your seedlings will have 2 to 3 sets of leaves before they are ready to be transplanted.
After you’ve transplanted your seedlings it’s time to “harden” your baby plants to help them thrive outside because plants grown indoors have no UV resistance and are accustomed to a stable microclimate. Gradually exposing your plants to their new environment helps protect them from the shock of sudden changes in light, wind and outdoor temperatures.
Overcast temperate weather conditions are ideal for hardening plants. Place them outdoors for short periods of time and allow them to acclimate. It’s recommended to leave them outside for one hour on the first day, two hours on the second day and so on. Continue the hardening process for 1 to 2 weeks. Given that Pacific Northwest springs can be unpredictable, avoid putting your plants out during a deluge of rain, or during a wind or snow storm.
Building Your Garden Beds
Once the last frost has passed, it’s time to get your garden beds ready for your new plants. If you want to build raised garden beds, we walk you through the steps in this article. But if you decide to opt for in-ground garden beds it’s helpful to understand the soil horizons as horizon A will be your area of focus. It’s made of topsoil and should include high levels of organic matter that is rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium which supports root growth and promotes the development of healthy plants.
After you’ve removed the sod, gently till the soil and remove all of the grass and weed roots, you want a minimum of 12 inches of soil so your roots can establish. It’s good to do a soil test to learn whether you have nutrient deficiencies to address. Or, you can bring in GardenBlenz Soil or GardenBlenz Soil Organic which is a specialty blend of loamy soil, GreenBlenz Compost or GreenBlenz Compost Organic and top mix sand that will provide the perfect foundation for growth.
Successful Transplanting
Once your garden beds are prepared, refer to the seed packet and plant your seedlings outside during the recommended month. If you’ve grown your seedlings in compostable containers, you can plant them right into moist soil because it will break down and add nutrients to the soil. Otherwise, create small holes in moist soil and carefully transplant your seedlings trying to keep the roots intact. Plant them deep enough so the leaves are just above the dirt and pack down the soil around it adding a little more to ensure no air gets to the roots. After your plants are in place, give your garden a deep watering.
If you notice wilted, curled, or dropped leaves, it could be transplant shock which is not uncommon. Your plants should bounce back after a few days. For the first few weeks, your seedlings will be prone to water stress, so it is crucial to keep the soil moist, but take care not to overwater. Too much water will lead to root rot and pest infestations.
Because spring weather is notoriously unpredictable, protect your new transplants from heavy rain storms, cold nights, and insects by using sun boxes, cloches, or other protective coverings.
Watching your plants grow from seed to fruit or flower is super fun and rewarding! After you go through the process the first time, you’ll discover you may want to do things differently the next time—which is part of the beauty of gardening. Keeping track of your progress in a journal can help you refine a system that works best for your environment and the plant varieties you’re growing!
Thanks for Reading!
If you found this article helpful, get to know us by following Lenz Enterprises on Facebook and Instagram. We regularly provide education about soil, compost, and Earth materials, gardening advice and plenty of humor too! If you’re located in western Washington and need soil, compost, mulch, sand, or gravel, give us a call 360-629-2933, we’re here to help.