Growing a Garden from Seeds
Growing your vegetables, flowers, and herbs from seeds is a great way to have a beautiful and productive garden while being very cost effective. However, the process of growing seeds is an art. There are challenges that new and experienced gardeners will face when starting from seed. A lot of the challenges we face with starting seeds can be solved by picking the right seeds.
It’s important that when you are growing from seed, to choose a company that you can trust. That’s why 43 Farms carries seeds from Botanical Interests, a prestigious American seed company whose main focus is ensuring quality. Botanical Interests seeds are the choice of the world’s leading gardening influencer who you may be familiar with, Epic Gardening, with over 15 million followers. Their seeds are tested every 6 months to guarantee that the germination rates are steady. In addition to high germination rates, they also make sure to fill the seeds packs up as much as they can in order to provide value to the customer. No fillers and no skimping on seeds, you get more than what you pay for. By picking the right seeds, you give yourself the best chance for success.
In addition to the excellent quality and value exhibited by Botanical Interests seeds, they provide more than just seeds. The packets are printed with a soy-based ink, are water-resistant, and curbside-recyclable for an eco-friendly packaging. Not only are the seed packets more environmentally conscience than other companies, but on the back of the packs for vegetables there are culinary recipes to transform your garden harvests into delicious meals 0r snacks. The packets also contain a cut out plant label, and all sorts of helpful tips and tricks. Botanical Interests seed packets are more informative, and eco-friendly than their competitors. If that wasn’t enough, they even donate all seeds that don’t sell at the end of a season to charities. Providing those in need with seeds to sow a better world.
Once you’ve decided which seeds from 43 Farms x Botanical Interests you want to grow, then it’s time to plan when you will sow them. Check the Botanical Interests seed packet to see when to plant the seeds. You may need to look up the last frost date and plan around the weather. Some plants like kale, peas, or cosmos can tolerate and prefer slightly cooler temperatures. Some plants like tomatoes, zinnias, or cucumbers need much warmer temperatures to survive outdoors. Also, some plants need much more time to grow from seed. Peppers should be started in late winter to make sure they have enough time to fruit. Beans can be sowed and ready to go outside in a matter of 10-14 days. So make sure to plan accordingly based on mother nature and the rate of growth for each plant.
After you’ve planned what you’ll grow and when, then you’ll need to prepare your seed starting station. Firstly, fill your seed starting cells with a high-quality organic seed starter. We prefer Coast of Maine Sprout Island for the best results. That mix contains worm castings and mycorrhizae to give you seeds the nutrients needed while young. It also has plenty of perlite for excellent drainage. Fill up your cells and moisten the soil. Then plant the seeds in the cells per the instructions on the seed packet. MAKE SURE TO LABEL YOUR SEEDS! When I grow seeds, I like to put two seeds in each cell. That way if one doesn’t grow for some reason, the other should. This method will be not as optimal for growing each and every seed in the packet, since you’ll have to cut one out if both grow.
Seeds need 5 things to germinate and grow successfully indoors. In order to germinate, they need water, humidity, and warmth. You can use the clear plastic dome that comes with your seed starting kit to keep the humidity high. Once the seeds have sprouted this can be removed. To provide warmth, the best method is a heat mat. Heat mats will warm the soil and bring it to 68F-85F. The soil needs to be warm for germination. Try to avoid using heaters that blow dry air. Be sure to keep the soil consistently moist before the seeds sprout, but once they sprout make sure to only water if the soil is dry. It’s very easy to overwater young seedlings and cause rot or mold. Once sprouted it’s vital to add airflow and light to the mix also to avoid this issue. The airflow is important to prevent bacterial growth, and to help build sturdy stems. The light is the most important part. With too little light, the stems will stretch and become weak. Make sure to use an LED full spectrum light and place it as close to the seedlings as possible. The LED will not burn unless the plant touches the light bulb for a sustained amount of time.
Notice how close the lights have to be for healthy growth
Once the seeds have germinated, the next step is preparing them for outdoors. This is done through a process called hardening off. First, make sure that the temperatures outside are suitable for the plants you’re transitioning. Do not transition plants if the weather does not call for it. Our young and tender seedlings do not know what it is like to be outside. They’ve been inside with ambient humidity, consistent temperatures, low airflow, low light, and consistent watering. Outside, there’s fluctuating temperatures and humidities, the winds can break the tender stems without proper care, and the sunlight can burn the plant tissue.
Hardening off can take some time. Start by bringing plants outside for 30 minutes and then bring them back inside. Each day, add 30-60 minutes more to the time they are outside, until eventually they can handle the extreme outdoor conditions without your help. This is when most people fall short of seed starting success. This is the process that can require the most patience. At this stage, many gardeners can get too excited and leave their seeds out too long or even skip the hardening off process all together. Make sure to take your time hardening off your seedlings before you plant them in the ground if you want to harvest the fruits of your labor. Anyone can start seeds and have a beautiful and bountiful garden with enough patience. Happy seed starting!
