• Indoor Seed Starting Tips
• Testing Old Seed

Indoor Seed Starting Tips

1. Use sterile soil mixes, buy prepared or mix your own with equal amounts of sphagnum, vermiculite, and perlite.
2. Choose a warm location; windowsills are too cold. Provide light, no need for costly "grow lights." You can get equal results by using a combination of warm and cool flourescent tubes. Raise plants so they are within 2 inches of the light source, try using bricks or blocks of wood.
3. Be resourceful when choosing pots, anything that you can punch drainage holes into and is 3 inches deep is perfect. Try disposable aluminum pans, cutoff milk cartons, or purchase clean six-pack cells or peat pots. If you use old pots rinse them with a weak bleach and water solution.
4. Label those seedlings, unless you want a mystery garden! Be sure to use a permanent marker.
5. Plants cannot go directly from your house to the sunny garden. Put them in the shade for two days, moving them slowly toward the full sun.
6. If you use clear plastic to make a mini "greenhouse" be sure to remove it as soon as the new seedlings emerge from the soil. They need air! A small fan will provide air circulation, preventing fungal disease and strengthening roots.
7. For additional information, come down to the office, we have a reference library and lots of free fact sheets for you!

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Testing Old Seed

Most vegetable and flower seed remains viable for many years, so don't throw away your leftover seed. Instead, do a simple germination test to check whether it’s still good. Sprinkle some of the seeds in question on an absorbent medium like a paper towel that has been moistened well. Fold up the damp paper towel with the seeds inside and put it in a glass or plastic jar with a loose-fitting lid and place in a warm area (like the top of the refrigerator). Be sure to label each jar with seed type and date. Check daily for dryness and germination.

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