Sowing Seeds and Saving

   

Adding plants to your garden does not have to be expensive.  Planting seeds is the most economical way to add flowers and vegetables to your garden.   There are two methods – direct sowing in the ground and starting seeds indoors. 

The advantage to starting inside is getting a little head start on spring. This can be a little tricky if you do not have a greenhouse.  The air in most houses is too dry for successful seed germination. Covering seed trays with a plastic cover or mini greenhouse will help, but this creates a second problem--poor air circulation. In commercial greenhouses, there are always fans running. Air movement prevents fungal diseases, so turn on your ceiling fan. Be sure to take off the plastic cover after the seeds have sprouted.

     If the weather is nice, one of the best places to start seeds is on a porch. The roof will keep the rain from washing away your seeds.  There will be plenty of fresh air and sunlight but bring the seed trays in at night to keep them warm.   Use a professional potting mix for seed starting. This should contain plenty of sphagnum peat moss and a little vermiculite.  One mistake beginner gardeners often make is planting seeds to deep.  Most seeds barely need covering, check the directions on the seed package. Some seeds require no covering of soil.  I like to use a plastic sand sifter (sold as a beach toy) to cover seeds with a light dusting of soil.

    Small seeds are best started indoors and larger seeds can be safely started in the ground.  Petunias, impatients, vinca, portulaca, salvia, alyssum and celosia are some flowers that can be started indoors.  Small seeded vegetables like peppers, tomatoes and basil should also be started indoors. 

When the soil has warmed up, seeds can be started directly in the garden.  Flowers with large seeds like marigolds, sunflowers and zinnias can easily be planted directly in the soil. Zinnias are surprisingly easy. If the soil is warm, they will germinate in 3 days. Large seeded vegetables and herbs like cucumbers, squash, dill and parsley can be sown directly outside.  The old rule of thumb is to plant a seed no deeper than the width of the seed. 

    When buying vegetable seeds select for disease resistance. ‘Big Beef’ is one of the most disease resistant tomatoes on the market.  ‘Spacemaster’ cucumber is great choice for small gardens or large containers.  Almost all types of peppers do well on James Island. My picks for flowers are any of the small types of sunflowers. Giant sunflowers typically produce only one flower and the cardinals love the seeds. ‘Lady in Red’ Salvia is an easy to grow flowers that will draw hummingbirds and butterflies to your garden.  

    Perennials and wildflowers do better is started in the fall. Buy the seeds now and store them in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.  If you wait till fall to buy them, they could be sold out. 

Part of the fun of gardening is trying something new and growing from seed is a great way to do just that.