Simple Steps for Sowing Seeds and Starting Seedlings Indoors

Growing plants from seed is a simple process, especially if you take a few minutes to get organized before you sow. Before gathering supplies, though, take a few minutes to select a spot where you can fill containers and water seedlings without worrying too much about the mess. You’ll also need to prepare a spot to germinate your seedlings, either under lights or on windowsills.

Selecting Sowing and Germinating Sites

An unused basement is ideal for filling containers and starting seeds, but not everyone has one. Try covering a table or other workspace with a large sheet of plastic, so you can gather up the excess soil and dump it outside on the garden. Or erect a temporary table with saw horses and a piece of plywood or an old door. If you are only sowing a few seeds, a large box with low sides may contain the mess sufficiently. Cut down the sides of the box, ideally making a workspace with higher sides and back and a lower front so you can work easily.

Whether you are planning to sow just a few seeds or several flats of them, you’ll need a place where they can germinate and grow. Seedlings don’t need high temperatures‚Äî60¬∞ to 70¬∞F with temperatures dropping 10¬∞F over night works well for most seedlings.

Good light is essential, otherwise your seedlings will be leggy and spindly. A sun room is perfect, but windowsills work as well. Look for ones that receive bright light but not hot, baking sun. You can make windowsills wider with shelf brackets and can protect them with plastic.

Since seedlings need about 16 hours of light to grow well, often the best solution is fluorescent lights. A single shop light suspended over your flats is a good place to start. Use chains and S hooks to make adjusting the distance between the flats and the light easy. Once you have started a few seeds, you’ll probably want to invest in a more elaborate light setup or make your own. A timer that turns the lights on and off automatically is very helpful.

Sowing Seeds

Collect your seed-starting mix, seeds, and containers. Rinsed, recycled 3-inch pots are perfect for starting seeds. Sterilize them before use in a solution of 9 parts water to one part bleach if you like. Or use yogurt cups or other re-used containers. Be sure to poke a hole in the bottom of each container so excess water can drain away. You’ll also need flats in which to set the pots plus wood or plastic labels to put the plant name on each pot as you sow. If you have more than a couple of packets of seed to sow, it also helps to set up a seed-sowing schedule before you start.

Before filling pots, pre-moisten the seed-sowing mix . That’s because seed mix‚Äîor any potting soil, for that matter‚Äîis really hard to moisten once it is in pots. Dump it into a large plastic dry wall or cat litter bucket, add plenty of warm water, then stir it around. If you start a day earlier, skip the stirring and just let the mixture soak up the water.

Once the mix is moist, begin filling pots. After filling a pot with soil, rap it sharply on the table top to settle the soil, then fill again to within ½ inch of the top. After that, it’s ready to sow.

Always read and follow the recommendations on the back of each seed packet. Good seed companies put a wealth of valuable information on their seed packets that will improve your results. As a general rule, seeds need to be covered with soil to a depth about equal to their thickness.

After sowing each pot, always add a label with the name of the plant and the sowing date. Then place the pots in flats or other shallow containers for germination. It’s a good idea to sort the pots so plants with similar transplant schedules stay together.

From Seeds to Seedlings

Although sown flats don’t need sunlight until seedlings emerge, it’s often easier to set the flats where they are to grow right from the start. Bottom heat speeds germination, so for best results invest in a specially designed heat mat for starting seeds and cuttings. To maintain higher humidity, mist a couple of times a day. Or make a simple hoop-house out of bent coat hangers and drape them with plastic cleaner’s bags. After that, just check daily to see if pots need watering, and wait for the seedlings to emerge.