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.
