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Seed Starting |
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Seed
Sowing |
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Carefully place the prepared seeds on the growing medium in
the containers. You can use seed planter sticks that have
tiny cups at each end large enough to hold one seed. I prefer
using an old, dull, pointed knife to pick up each wet seed
and drop it onto the planting medium. When I use seeding trays
with sections approximately 2" square, I usually plant
no more than four small seeds (basil, parsley or tomato) or
one large seed (snow pea) in each. Evenly space the seeds. This can
be tedious, but I prefer careful planting to thinning out
dozens of seedlings that have grown together.
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Basil seeds (left, on tip of dull knife) and a larger
snow pea seed (right) |
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Cover with fine vermiculite and dampen the growing medium using
a spray mister to ensure the seeds don't move around during
watering. Cover the tray with plastic to keep the soil moist—if the seeds dry out, they won't germinate. I place toothpicks
at the corners of the pots and stretch plastic wrap, which is
inexpensive and effective, over the whole tray. |
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Place
the seed tray in a warm spot, such as on top of the refrigerator.
Remove the plastic for a short time each day—you don't want
mold and mildew to develop in the pots. When more than 50% of
the seeds are showing green growth, remove the plastic and move
the tray to the light. |
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Other Articles from this Issue |
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