Garden SeedsEverything you need to know to get you started to grow flowers from garden seeds.Oh oh. Garden seeds. It's that time of year again......the seed catalogs are coming through the mail fast and furious. It marks the beginning of the is the "dreaming" stage of garden design in my household. <<>> My mental garden (when I'm dreaming )is larger than my actual garden and I usually buy way too many seeds.You know how it is. Sometimes I buy them really early and then forget where I put them; usually I find them the next year. Do you wonder if these seeds are still good? Well, they might be.Even though they’re past season- if the garden seeds have been kept dry, and not been subjected to heat or humidity, then they may still be good to plant. Seeds stored properly can be good for up to 2 -3 years. (Go to the bottom of the page for storage tips.) Still have last years seeds? To see if your old seeds will sprout in your garden, wrap a few of them up in a moist paper towel and keep in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for 4-7 days. If they germinate- there is a good chance that the packet of seeds will be good. Another test that works on many kinds of seeds is to soak them in a glass of water. If they sink, they’re probably good. Growing From Seed Is Easy! If you haven’t tried growing flowers from seed, you may be surprised by how easy it is. Seedlings need a bit of babysitting, but it’s worth the effort to get a head start on the garden season (Especially in the northern climate with a shorter growing season) Planting seeds also saves money. One $2.00 seed packet can yield many many plants that you’d spend a lot of money on if you buy them at a nursery or garden center. Another reason for growing flowers from garden seeds is that the selection and variety of the flowers is much better in seed form, than the flowering plants that you’ll find at the garden center. Sometimes the seeds are on the market a few years ahead of the blooms at the nursery. It’s fun to be a garden trend setter! Growing your own vegetables and herbs from seeds means that you know if any chemicals are used or not, and you can feel good about the food you eat. Gorgeous Gardens Begin at JacksonandPerkins.com This rest of this article is all about flower garden seeds; when to plant, what to plant, and how to plant garden seeds. Most of the information applies to vegetable and herb seeds too. Getting Started; the basics for growing a flower garden from seeds.
Timing is Everything Plant your seeds about 6-8 weeks before the last average frost date. Each seed packet will give specific instructions on when to plant indoors for transplantation outdoors, so use the information as your guide. Use the frost date for your planting zone and count backwards; that is a guide to when you should start the seeds indoors. Choosing Garden Seeds Carefully Choose your seeds wisely. Don’t get fooled by the elegant pictures in the seed catalogs. Use seeds that are appropriate to grow in
your garden zone.
A good rule of thumb for success is to plant flowers for a zone that is one zone less than yours. For example- I’m in Zone 4- any seed that’s listed for Zone 3 or 4 should be fine. Zone 5 may be difficult to grow for me and anything that is listed greater than Zone 5 is most likely not a good bet. Next, you will need to start thinking about your garden plans and decide what you want to plant. Choose flower seeds for height, color, light requirements and purpose. You may want a butterfly garden and grow zinnia or cosmos. Or this might be the year to grow herbs from seed. The shade in your yard might determine that you plant lots of hostas or
coleus. There are numerous seed catalogs out that offer a wide variety of high quality disease resistant seeds that you can order. These catalogs are great to get ideas from.
Planting Seeds in Pots or Containers Indoors If you're going to use old garden planters, you should clean them first to make sure that they’re free of fungus and insects. Sterilizing with 1 part bleach and 10 parts water should do the trick. You can use almost any clean container that has drainage holes to start your seeds in. Bottom halves of milk cartons are what we used in grade school to plan our green beans, and you can use yogurt or applesauce cups if you poke drain holes. Natural paper egg carton cups are too small and dry out pretty easily so I don't recommend that . A 3-4” container works well for holding moisture and not drying out too fast. Use a pot that's large enough so that 2 or 3 seedlings can develop with enough room for the roots to grow. Using a divided tray with cells helps keep the seedling roots from tangling too, and it will be easier to divide later. Another reason for keeping seeds separate is that if one cell gets infected with disease or fungus, it can be pulled out before affecting the other seeds. I like to use the organic pots that I can transplant the pot and all right into the garden. This helps soften the blow and is less shocking to the seedlings. Soil Mix Choosing the the right potting soil is extremely important for seed planting success. Use a sterile organic potting medium that is made for starting seeds in. This mix has the right density to hold moisture, enough aeration, and the best formula to promote strong root development. **Don't use garden soil to start the garden seeds. It’s too heavy . Soil-less potting medium for seed starting can be purchased at any nursery or home improvement garden center. You can make you own by combining equal parts of peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite found at the garden centers. Moisten the mix, let it drain, and then it’s ready to use in your planting containers. How to Plant Seeds Step by Step Using a tray makes the task of watering easy. Add water in the bottom of the tray and it will be soaked up by the pots from the bottom up. This is especially good for the smaller seeds that would drown or wash to the sides if watered from the top. A spray bottle used to mist the tops of the seeds will work too. Many flower seeds need warmer soil temperatures and there are warming mats that you can buy just for this purpose. You can also place the seeds in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. This is where the babysitting comes in. The soil needs to stay moist, but not too wet for proper germination. Dry is disastrous too; so it needs to be checked everyday. Seedlings Ahhh- finally. The flower garden seeds are sprouting and you begin to believe! They still need lots of TLC at this point, but you’re on your way to a grand garden. The ideal room temperature at this stage is anywhere between 65-75 degrees. Remember, the plants need oxygen to grow so make sure the plastic is off. Getting enough light is now critical. A south facing window is perfect- or you can use florescent tube lighting hung on chains. The cool white or natural daylight tubes work well. Keep the light tubes no more than 4-5” above the seedlings. If your plants are getting tall and skinny- that’s an indicator that they need more light. 12-15 hours of light is ideal, but most plants need a dark period just like in nature to develop right. Make a habit to turn the plants often so that they will grow straight, and not lean towards the light. Fertilize Now is the time to give your seedlings some vitamins. Fertilize with a weak fertilizer mixture only after several sets of leaves have developed. Use an all purpose liquid fertilizer at one fourth strength once week, and watch them thrive. Transplant Your Seedlings After 6- 8 weeks of carefully caring for your seedlings, and about 2 weeks after the last average frost date, it is now time to bring your seedlings outside.
Transplant into the garden late in the afternoon or on a cloudy day so there isn’t much stress from the hot sun. Storing Garden Seeds Garden seeds can be used for up to about 3 years if stored correctly. They need to be kept in a dry spot with low humidity and out of direct sunlight. Airtight containers like mason jars, heavy duty plastic freezer bags, or homemade paper packets will work. Remember to label and mark the kinds of seeds they are and add any other planting information for next year’s planting. Congratulations! Hopefully most of your garden seeds have sprouted and the seedlings thrived well enough to plant outside where they’ll give you beautiful blooms all summer long and into the fall. It’s a great feeling of accomplishment isn’t it?. Avoid These Common Mistakes
Watering too much- Don’t over water your new seedlings; be sure to provide good air circulation and ventilation,so the tops of the seedlings stay dry and standing moisture is minimal.If your seedlings suddenly collapse and die, something called “damping off” may be happening. This is one of the fungal diseases that causes "seed rot". Sorry - There's nothing you can do to revive the plant when this happens- but remove the diseased plant so the fungus doesn’t spread. Watering garden seeds too little- this is an obvious one- the plants need enough water to survive. Planting the seed too deep-This is a mistake that can be avoided if the seed packet directions are followed.Follow the seed packet directions!
Related ArticlesTry Easy to Grow Annuals From Seeds Growing Herbs from Garden Seeds From Garden Seeds to home-garden-ideas Homepage
|
If it’s not marked for your zone- don’t waste your time. 
