Seed Starting

Want to start your own vegetable and flower seeds indoors? Start Here!

What you will need.  

1. Quality Seeds

2. Propagation trays or pots

3. Growing medium or soil

4. Grow light

1.)     Quality Seeds.

   Germination rates will be higher when using quality seeds. Seeds lose viability when stored improperly. What’s proper seed storage?  Cool, dark, and dry (the opposite conditions for seed growth!) My personal seed storage includes seeds stored in zip lock bags or airtight mason jars and then placed into the refrigerator. If your seeds were not stored in proper conditions, I recommend starting with new seeds.

2.)     Propagation trays or pots. Its best to start with new or sanitized propagation trays. I like to use 128 or 50 cell trays depending on what I am seeding. Peet pots or sanitized recycled containers are also options.

3.)        Growing medium should be sterile and should not have any fertilizer in it.  Premixed blends with fertilizer are too “hot” (nitrogen hot) for seeds and will burn them. A blend intended for germination is also an option. I like to use Pro-Mix potting soil.

4.)    Lighting.      Seeds need proper light to avoid etiolation (elongated pale stems.) Etiolated plants are weaker and more susceptible to disease. A simple florescent shop light is sufficient to start seeds indoors if used properly. The light needs to be directly over the tray. As the seeds germinate and start to grow, you will need to adjust the light based on the height of the plant. You want the light as close to the plant as possible without touching it. I also like to use a light timer, so I do not have to remember to turn it on and off daily.  I use a T5 Fluorescent grow light.

Now you’re ready to seed!

1.)     Prepare the soil. Prepare the soil by pre-moistening it. I like to mix my soil in a storage bin. Most growing mediums are very dry (for ease of transport) so they will need a significant amount of water. You will mix the soil water mixture like cake batter. The ideal hydration level should be tested by squeezing a handful of soil in your hand. It should not be dripping. When you open your hand back up, the clump of soil should not fall apart but hold firm together like a patty.

2.)     Prepare your trays.  Pack the pre-moistened soil into the trays or pots of choice. Be sure to tamp the trays down for compaction and fill all four corners to the top. Once filled, brush off the excess soil on the walls between cells.

3.)    Label    I recommend labeling what you are seeding so it stays organized. Also, if you have a seed failure on one crop, you will know what needs re-seeded.

4.)     Let’s seed!     Let us seed!  For most crops, you will want to seed one seed per cell. I seed one seed per cell for all brassicas, lettuce heads, tomatoes, peppers, summer, zucchini, cucumber, celery, sage, and most flowers. If you seed more than one seed per cell they will compete with each other and etiolate. The only seeds I seed multiple seeds per cell include clumping herbs like lavender, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and mint. Once seeds are in their cell, I press them firming into the soil with my fingers. You can sprinkle a fine sift of vermiculite over the seeds if you like but I usually just press them in firmly and leave as is. 

5.)     Watering.     Now the seeds are in moist soil trays, they need misted frequently. How frequently depends on your conditions. You want the soil medium to stay moist for proper germination. Sometimes its just once a day whereas in warmer conditions it might require several mists a day.  I would plan to check in on the seeds 3 times a day. Morning, mid-day, and at sunset.

6.)     Temperature. Most seeds germinate best between 68- and 86-degree F. If your home is not warm enough, a seeding dome is possible to use. The dome will assist with warmth and moisture. Be careful not to overwater if you are using a dome since it retains moisture as opposed to open air loss.

Timing. You want to seed at the appropriate time.

- Cool season crops (lettuce, spinach, brassicas, and chard) I seed at the beginning of March and plant out into the garden April 1st-15th.  

-Warm season crops (tomatoes, peppers, and basil) I seed in mid-April and plant out into the garden May 25th – June 1st.

-Cucurbits (winter squash, summer squash, zucchini, and melon) grow extremely fast, so I don’t seed them it until beginning to mid-May and plant them out into the garden May 25th – June 1st.

If this is your first time seeding, I recommend starting with beginner friendly crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, kale, lettuce, and basil.

If you live in Michigan, most of these items will be available at your local grow store. Other states may have to purchase these products online.

Spring Time Tasks

Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. Where all living organisms in our garden, as well as the plants, are once again, waking from their deep slumber to show their brilliance and beauty of life. There's something so invigorating and enchanting about spring; I too wake from the deep slumber of dormancy winter brings and become a frolicking fairy through the gardens once more.

 There is nothing more exciting than getting your garden areas prepped for a new season! Spring is coming and we need to get cleaning and prepping!

 But don’t grab your gloves, shovels, and gardening tools just yet!!!

 Let's talk about the debris around our yards when beginning our spring clean-up. This is where many of our important pollinators overwinter for the year, we want to make sure we don't start our spring clean-ups too early. If done too soon this will harm and potentially kill our little friends who are so integral to our garden spaces.

 Our pollinators live and overwinter in the layers of leaves left behind in the fall. The leaves, hollow canes, and dead flower stalks are all secret hidden homes. The variety of spaces in our overwintered habitats provide safety and shelter from the cold and food sources as well. Raking, shredding, and blowing leaves too early may destroy delicate chrysalids, and/or the insects themselves.

 One very important piece of knowledge to always keep in mind is that insects don't emerge at the same time. Therefore, we want to wait as long as possible before we start spring clean-up, and you may be wondering. Well... then when???

 Ideally home gardeners should wait until the temperatures are consistently 50-59 degrees here in Michigan! It's hard to know the exact date of to begin because seasons are unpredictable and it’s very dependent on a multitude of signs. Here are a few (keep in mind it can vary).

 · Blooming dandelions

 · Wild violets

 · Red bud trees

 · Apple blossom blooms

 · Crab apple blooms

 Another helpful tidbit: Waiting a little longer to mow is a really great way to give our pollinators more food reserves. No Mow May has been a recent movement to give pollinators their first chance at sources for food. Wait as long as you can to mow, letting the dandelions, wild violets and other wildflowers bloom will provide nourishing forage to our early pollinators especially our beloved bees.

  Now, after we've waited long enough, the grass has become taller and lusher, the weather is consistently in the 50's or above, and we see blooms and budding; We are ready to begin! Get your gloves, shovels, and gardening tools ready because we are in it for the long-haul!

 First and foremost, garden planning, it is essential to create the idea you have in mind before you begin! If you have notes from last year this can be extremely helpful for your planning. It can be a loose plan or a strict project design/plan. Examples of this can be making lists of each area on your property and various tasks for those areas. Adding beds or adding plants to the beds, taking away from beds, and replanting them elsewhere, etc. It can also be creating a mockup of your yard with exact measurements. Like a blueprint of your yard indicating where to plant and what you want to plant based on the soil type, the topography of the land, what was planted there last year, what is already there from last year, and/or anything else you may like to add.

 Spring is the perfect time to assess if anything needs repairs due to damage over the winter when it comes to wooden beds, irrigation lines, plants, hoop-houses, garden hoses, and plant tag replacing.

 Spring is also a great time to divide and transplant perennials!

 The order of this list can vary based on your own personal gardening preferences but, to give you an idea…

 1. Clean Out Garden Shed (Sanitizing tools, sharpening tools, replacing tools/adding new tools)

 a. Rake Leaves out of Garden Beds (de-clutter the beds and to add new compost/fertility to the soil)

 2. Clean-up the Lawn (Branches, dog poop, debris)

 3. Prune Summer Flowering Perennials and Shrubs

 a. Pull any/all unwanted weeds the best time to do so is when the soil is moist and they are young and not deeply rooted.

 4. Remove and Compost Annuals

 5. Prepare Garden Beds for Planting

 a. Prepare vegetables and plant cool season crops.

 6. Uncover Sensitive Plants

 7. Reseed and Aerate the Grass

 8. Compost or Fertilize Garden Beds

 9. Mulch Flower Beds

 10. PLANT SHOPPING

 Happy gardening friends!!!

 -Alice Wilson, Horticulturalist

Why Native Plants?

“In the U.S., “there are 50 million acres of lawn. Maintaining  all this turf requires trillions of gallons of water, 200 million gallons of fuel (for mowing), and 70 million pounds of pesticide each year.” -Wild Ones. All these inputs take a toll on both the environment and your budget!

Urbanization has taken an ecological impact on the land. As a result, our landscape no longer supports functioning ecosystems.  It’s essential that we restore native plant communities to preserve biodiversity.  By planting native plants in your garden, we can be part of the solution!

  “Native plants are the indigenous species that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat.” -US Forest Service

  Native plants have evolved and adapted to the local environment for thousands of years. They are an important part of our local habitat and perform important ecosystem services.  

 Benefits of using Native Plants

·      Native plants are sustainable and adapted to thrive in the our regions soils and weather conditions.

·      Native plants restore healthy, natural environments and create wildlife habitat.

·      Improved water quality. Since many natives are deep rooted,  they can slow down storm water, reduce erosion, and excess nutrient runoff.

·      Native plants pull carbon out of the atmosphere and fix it into soil for plant use.

·      Reduced maintenance! Native plants thrive in the natural environment. Outside of plant establishment, they require no additional water or fertilizer.

·      Little to no pest control needed for native plants. Many are deer resistant.

·      Native plants attract beneficial insects to the garden.

·      Native plants are an excellent source of food for pollinators.

·      Native plants reduce fire risk while invasive species increase fire risk.

  Research conducted by the National Audubon society reveal that native oak trees support more than 500 species of caterpillar ( an important food sources for birds), while introduced ginkgo trees from Asia support only 5 species. Alien species may be beautiful but do very little to support the local ecosystem. Incorporating native plants into your landscape can be part of the solution to restore biodiversity in our local ecosystem for future generations.

 Want to learn more or get involved?

MSU Extension - www.canr.msu.edu/nativeplants/plant_facts/local_info/index

Wild Ones – www.wildones.org

 List of Nurseries that grow native plants

www.wildoneslansing.weebly.com/nurseries-that-grow-native-plants.html

-April Hoard

Horticulturalist