Few things are more gratifying in gardening than starting your plants from seeds. Seeds are cute, inexpensive, and sometimes they could be the only way to get your hands on a specific variety of a plant. Each little packet contains a lot seeds that have the potential to grow as healthy and beautiful as the picture in the front of the packet, if we are careful and take good care of them.
And buying a seed packet can save you money even further! Because the plant will produce its own seeds, and you get to collect them and save them for next season without the need to buy another seed packet, and without the need to buy adult plants or seedlings. You may even have some seeds left for next season from the packets you got, too. What more can you want?
But starting seeds may seem like a complicated science to many people--it was to me, too, to be honest. After trial and error, I've come to learn a few things by observing what went wrong, and what went right.
And so here I will share with you some of my observations, which, admittedly, may seem like no-brainers.
#1 - The soil matters!
Seriously, I can't stress this enough, the soil you're using will inevitably have an impact on the development of the root system of your little seedlings. If the soil you're using is too thick, and has the consistency of mud, for example, your seedlings' roots will be battling to grow, and the result will be a weak, underdeveloped plant.
The good soil will be light, and soft to the touch, without big lumps or pieces of bark. It's best to use a seed starting mix, which will usually be made of vermiculite and peat moss. Just make sure that the mix is light, and that when wet it does not thicken-up or becomes like sticky or thick mud.
#2 - Don't let the soil dry
If the seeds don't have enough moisture, they will not germinate. And if they have started germinating, and the soil mix has dried, the germination process will end. This has happened to me quite a few times; I live in a sunny and super hot location.
#3 - Don't drown them
That said, you also don't want to wet the soil so much it gets soggy. There will be a risk of the seeds rotting, or developing fungus.
#4 - If there is danger of frost, start your seeds indoors
If there is still danger of frost, it doesn't matter how sunny it looks outside or what month it is, you want to start your seeds indoors. Put them by a sunny window, and once the seedlings emerge, make sure you get them enough, real, sunlight. They will need strong light in order to develop well, if not, they will be leggy and weak.
#5 - Don't water the cells or pots with a stream of water
When you have just planted your seeds, you don't want to water them with a stream of water. This can displace the seeds. Instead, you can use a spray bottle, or water from the bottom.
To water from the bottom, place your pot or your cells on a tray, and then pour water in that tray. The soil will soak up the water from the bottom up.
#6 - Always check the soil for humidity--you don't want to have fungus develop
Touch the soil with your fingertips to check whether it is too dry or too moist. If it is too moist, you want to move it to a sunny location so it can dry a little. Having the soil too wet, as I said above, will cause the seeds either to rot or develop fungus, but having the soil to dry will stop the seeds from germinating.
#7 - When the seedlings emerge, don't put them under the sun right away
Especially if you started the seeds indoors. They are delicate babies at this stage, and the heat of the sun can burn them. Once they have been damaged by the sun, it will be hard for them to recover, if they recover at all.
Harden the seedlings off by placing them under the sun outside for a few minutes to an hour a day, increasing the time each day until they are strong enough to be outside permanently.
#8 - Label them
I am guilty of this, I often forget to label where I put the seeds. (I actually did this time). It's important to label the place where you planted each seed variety, because seeds can have different needs. There may be a seed that needs constant light to germinate, while another could need darkness. You need to place labels so that you know how to take care of each seedling properly, and also so that you don't forget which plant is which until they have grown.
#9 - Have fun!
Plants can tell if you're not having fun .-.
Nah, I'm kidding there. Or am I? If you're not enjoying what you're doing, there is a chance you will neglect it, it happens.
DO have fun! Don't get stressed; just pay attention to what you're doing and everything will be fine. If it doesn't work now, someday it will.
These are just some tips to keep in mind; there might surely be SO much more to write on this topic, so I might be writing more in the future. Gardening is fun, and you never know it all; there will always be something new to learn. All plants are different, and all gardens are different.
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