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In April, the long winter over, the garden finally requires some action on the part of its caretaker. Although practiced gardeners-from-seed (like Theresa Beaver, your previous In The Garden writer) were planting artichoke seeds under lights in January, we amateur gardeners have made our more main-stream choices from mail-order seed catalogs and the very fine rack in the produce department at the Co-op.
Each seed packet gives instructions for how many weeks prior to planting outdoors seeds can be started indoors. Be careful not to plant sooner than this date or you will end up with seedlings that arrive at the 'ready to be outdoors' stage too early. It is important that seedlings are kept growing robustly for them to be good producers in the garden. Some plants are cold hardy and can withstand a little frost; their packets will let you know when you can plant them outside and when to start them inside. Establishing the frost free date in our area is an imperfect science. The Latah County Extension Office at 522 S. Adams, Room 208, has some information that can help on the probability of freezing occurring by certain dates. The gardener decides how much risk she wants to take and plants her precious seedlings out accordingly. The University of Idaho Web site (http://info.ag.uidaho.edu/) provides a great deal of advice on specific gardening topics. If calculation and conjecture is not your style and you can live with a little risk, then use Mother's Day, mid-May, as the frost-free date. If your seedlings are tender then wait two more weeks, until Memorial Day, and your chances of frost-free temperatures are even better. The garden section of most hardware and building supply stores will provide the containers and supplies you need for starting seeds indoors. You can plant in individual pots or in flats. Try different methods and you will come up with a system that works best for you. There are a variety of seed planting mediums and every one has its proponents. If you use a soilless mixture you will need to provide nutrients when the first true leaves appear. Moisten the planting medium thoroughly before planting and keep it moist (covering with plastic wrap if necessary) until seeds sprout. Very small seeds can be placed on top of the planting medium but sprinkle (use a sieve) a small amount of soil over bigger seeds and seeds that need dark to germinate. Planting manuals say that most seeds germinate best between 75 and 90 degrees. I have been able to start seeds quite well on a shelf above my hot water heater and the temperature remains in the mid-60's, day and night. Seedlings need between 10 and 16 hours of light a day and, finally, this year I bought an inexpensive (under $10) fluorescent shop light, which I suspended over the hot water heater shelf. Makeshift, but it's working great! Once the true leaves appear, and if you used flats, then the seedlings will need to be placed in individual pots so there is no competition for nutrients. Two weeks before transplanting into the garden, harden off the young plants. Water less frequently and withhold fertilizer. One week later move the plants outdoors in the daytime for increasing lengths of time. This should be a spot protected from wind and sun. Within a week they can be planted outdoors permanently.
Holly Barnes excitedly checks on her seed starts several times a day and hopes that this cool spring starts warming up so she can begin planting out into the garden. |
