Growing from seed has economic benefits
As well as the economic benefits of growing plants from seed, many people enjoy producing delicious vegetables, fruits and herbs from their own garden.
There are other advantages beyond taste and freshness. Growing your seeds organically ensures a source of food grown without pesticides and chemicals. Almost all plants can be grown from seed with careful planning.
Vegetables that are easy to grow from seed include tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, radishes, green beans, carrots, cucumbers and aubergines. Cantaloupe melons and strawberries are easily grown fruits. Seed packets normally provide all the necessary planting and growing information you need.
Seed supplies
When growing plants from seeds, a few simple and easily obtainable items are necessary, which can either be purchased or recycled from around the home. Different seeds have different requirements for planting and growing, but all seeds have some basic elements in common. Start by reading the seed packages for the various manufacturers’ instructions in order to get the best possible results.
First decide in what type of container you will plant your seeds. If you have purchased new seed trays, then all that’s needed is to fill them with the proper soil, or peat mix. Empty containers from yogurt or puddings can be used after thorough washing & rinsing. If reusing pots from other plants, they should be washed and then soaked in a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part bleach, to disinfect them.
Soil selection
Next, decide what you will use to fill your containers. While you certainly can use soil from the garden, it’s worth investing in some fresh potting soil or compost to give your plants the best start. Garden soil tends to pack down and become solid, making it harder for little shoots to push up through the surface. Also, there could be disease spores in garden soil, seeds from weeds, and insects that will eat your little plants. Buying a good grade of commercial compost will eliminate all of those woes.
Potting compost is mostly peat moss, but there are other ingredients that can be added, such as bark, coir, a by-product of coconut fiber, and perlite, a volcanic mineral. Altogether, this makes a lovely mixture that will retain moisture and at the same time provide good drainage to keep seeds from drowning.
Preparation and planting
Check the information on your seed packets to see if your seeds need any special preparation before planting. Some seeds may need to be soaked, or even kept in the freezer for a time. When your seeds are ready, whatever soil or compost you are using should be thoroughly dampened with water that has been held at room temperature. The trays or other containers should be filled to about one quarter inch from the top of each container or section of tray.
As a general rule of thumb, larger seeds need more soil cover than very small seeds. Give medium sized seeds about a quarter inch of soil to cover them, and plant larger seeds a little deeper. This will ensure their roots are undisturbed until it’s time to transplant them to the garden.
