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Like many gardeners, oncethe holiday clean up is done, my mind turns to garden planningand seed starting; especially with all thenew seed catalogues arriving in my mailbox each day! However, January is far too early to startmost seedsandsowingseeds too early is just as bad – maybe worse! – than starting them too late. Don’t waste your time, money, and supplies with early seed starting. Here are three pitfalls of planting seeds too early.
3 pitfalls of planting seeds too early:
1) Too little light – Those who rely on a sunny windowsill to start their seeds would be wise to wait until a little longer for seed sowing. Most plants need at least 10 hours of light in order to grow well, and in January, much of the Northern Hemisphere receives less than that. In my Nova Scotia garden, I only get about nine hours of light in early to mid-January. Too little light results in leggy, spindly seedlings, which will never make good garden plants.
Related Post:Best way to start seeds: Grow lights or sunny windowsills
2) An indoor jungle – For grow-light gardeners, lack of light isn’t a problem; as long as the light bulbs are hanging only about 3 inches abovethe plants. And, adequate lightwill eliminate the leggy factor and help produce sturdy, well branched seedlings. But,starting your seeds too sooncan still be a problem. How?Seeds sowntoo early will resultin bigger plants…. which then need to be potted up into bigger containers… which willquickly take over your seed starting area/house and cost you more money is potting soil, organic fertilizer and pots. Plus, you’ll need to be on top of watering, as those sizeable seedlings willneed more frequent irrigation.
3) Big plants can bolt – And those big plants in the big pots? Well, they canthink that they’ve reached maturity and start producing flowers and fruits while still inside your house. In the case of tomatoes, youmay think this gives youan awesome head start to a homegrown harvest, but this is not the case. Tomato plants grow andyield best when they are transplanted before they begin to flower, 6 to 8 weeksfromsowing seed. I start my tomatoes in mid-March, for mid-May transplanting. Bolting can also adversely affect other typesof seedlings like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, squash, cucumbers, and pumpkins. This will reduce or eliminate your harvest, not hasten it.
So, if planting seeds too early is bad, when should youstart your vegetable, herb and flower seeds? Refer to the seed packet, catalogue or company website. They should offer accurate advice on when to sow seeds foreach type of plant. You can also find an excellent seed starting calculator here. Just enter your last average frost date and it will tell you when to seed indoors.
Related Post:A beginner’s guide to planting garden seeds
In the meantime, if you’re still itching to getseeding, try these simple indoor garden projects.
Savvy January sowing:
Plant up a few pots or trays ofshoots or microgreens. We love sunflower shoots, baby kale, and Asian greens. For best results, sow seedunder grow-lights.
Organize your seeds! I always have the best intentions to keep my seed boxes well organized. By September however, succession planting and repeated sowings has resulted in seed box chaos. Takethis opportunity to go throughyour seed packets, discarding any that are old, and donating any that you won’t use again. You can also take inventory of what you have, which will help you decide what to order. Keep seeds organizedin a photo box, photo album or other type of storage container.
Now that you’ve organized your seeds, it’s time to go through your favourite seed catalogues and orderfresh seeds. Besure to check out someof the newly introduced varieties, likethe 2017 All-America Selection winners!
Will you be starting any seeds indoors this spring?
But, starting your seeds too soon is still a problem. How? Seeds sown too early will result in bigger plants which then need to be potted up into bigger containers which quickly take over your seed starting area/house and cost you more money is potting soil, organic fertilizer and pots.
All seeds need water, oxygen, and proper temperature in order to germinate. Some seeds require proper light also. Some germinate better in full light while others require darkness to germinate.
The right time to start your seeds indoors varies significantly by crop and location, ranging anywhere from 2–16 weeks prior to transplanting. Use this calculator to ascertain when to start seeds indoors and then to transplant outside, based on the frost-free date in your area.
When working with vegetable seeds, when to plant is dependent on the time it takes each plant to reach maturity and the length of the growing season in your USDA Planting Zone. But as a general rule of thumb, you should start most seeds four to six weeks before your last frost date.
Too dry, and your seeds won't germinate. Too wet, and they're liable to rot. Ensure that seeds are kept evenly moist by thoroughly wetting and draining the compost before you begin.
Seeds require moisture and also air for sprouting. When the seeds are boiled moisture content will be lost and enzymes or proteins are being killed. Boiling the seeds destroys the cell organelles which are required for germination. Therefore, they fail to grow.
The plant life cycle consists of four stages; seed, sprout, small plant, and adult plant. When the seed gets planted into the soil with water and sun, then it will start to grow into a small sprout.
Spring and fall are the best times to plant trees and shrubs because the soil temperature is mild. Summer is too warm—remember, you want to prevent root shock! Spring is usually the preferable choice because your plants have all year to spread their roots and get established.
April is the best time to plant most of your vegetable seeds after your last frost. It's still not too late to plant tomatoes and peppers from seeds as well. Be sure to check your gardening zone for last frost dates.
Even if the last thing you're thinking about in January or February is the garden, it's actually a great time to start seeds indoors for frost-hardy leafy greens and for slow-to-get-started herbs.
In some warmer locations, you can begin sowing your vegetable seeds outdoors. For cooler areas, February is a great time to sow your tomatoes and peppers. You should start drawing out your garden for all the vegetables you want to grow.
Late January is a great time to start your onion seeds indoors if you live in Zones 8-10. For Zones 3-7 start your onion seeds in late February. Let the onions grow to 5-6 inches tall and cut tops off so they will be only 3 inches.
Generally, the time to start your seeds is about 6- 8 weeks before the last expected spring frost date in your area, planting the seedlings outdoors about 2 weeks after that date.
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