Getting ahead in the Garden- Starting Seedlings Inside- Home Grown Happiness

One of the best ways to get ahead in the vegetable garden and save money is to start your own seedlings inside, from scratch.

In the garden centre, the seedling punnets can be pretty expensive at $2-$3 for only 6 or so seedlings. A packet of seeds is that price but for 100 seeds! What you are really paying for is the time that was spent growing the seedlings.

A little preparation and planning now can mean a full vegetable garden for only a little money.

Spring Seedlings

I start my spring seedlings nice and early, about halfway through August but I won’t physically transplant the seedlings into the garden until mid October, when the ground is warmer. Depending on where you are situated and the chance of frost in your area, the date of planting in the garden may have to be pushed out later. You want to start your seedlings about 6 weeks before the last frost date in your area.

What you need:

A warm and light space. Warmth is most important as the seed germinates, but light becomes vital when the seed pops through the soil. If your seedlings don’t get enough sunlight they’ll become thin and ‘leggy’ as they search for the sun. If you don’t have a sunny window, invest in a grow light like this one. They aren’t too expensive and the LED red and blue lights mimic the sun.
Seed Trays- There are many different sorts you can get, including biodegradable ones like jiffy pellets that can be planted straight in the ground. I will explain more down below.
Seed raising mix- If you’re not using jiffy pellets which include the soil, an organic seed raising mix like Tui’s Organic Seed Raising Mix will give your seeds their best start.
Labels (for what you planted and the date)- As much as you think you’ll remember, trust me, you end up forgetting what you planted and where and when. Labels are essential!
Watering- Something that waters gently, like a spray bottle, so the soil doesn’t move around too much and disturb the seed.
Seeds- of course, you need seeds.

Soaking Seeds

This part isn’t compulsory but I like to pre-soak my larger seeds before planting. It shaves off even more time as it will soften the protective seed coat and let the seedling emerge quicker.

Place them in a bowl of water for 8-10 hours. After soaking, take care when handling the seeds as they’ll be more delicate and plant them in your seed trays straight away.

Seed Trays

There are many different seed trays available, including using what you have at home.

A plastic container with a few holes punched at the bottom will work fine, but I definitely prefer disposable containers that can be planted in the garden without disturbing the seedling roots. This is especially important if you’re starting seedlings like beans,beetroot or artichokes inside which don’t transplant particularly well.

Disposable seed trays could include cups made from newspaper, egg cartons, cardboard boxes or my favourite, Jiffy pellets They are little, compressed pellets made from peat. They expand as you add water and provide all the nutrients your growing seed needs until it is time to transplant in the garden. Once it is time, you can pop the whole thing in and it will decompose in the soil

To keep things extra warm, I place my seedlings in mini green houses.

You can buy them like the one pictured above, or make your own.

D.I.Y Greenhouse

Place your seedling trays in a large container that can that has higher sides than the seedling trays. Cover that container with plastic wrap and punch a few holes in it for aeration.

If you’re not using jiffy pellets which include the soil, fill your seed trays with seed raising mix and use a spray bottle to moisten the soil. Sprinkle your seeds over this moistened soil and gently press the seeds into the soil. You can add a small layer of soil over the top of the large seeds but for the smaller ones, you won’t need to cover them. Pressing them down will suffice.

Keep your soil moistened daily or as it dries out, but don’t wet it too much that it gets waterlogged.

Make sure to label what you have planted and include the date that you planted the seeds. This is so you can keep a record of how it is growing and know when it should be ready.

Transplanting and hardening off

As your seedlings emerge, the first set of leaves it grows are the seed leaves and aren’t considered the ‘true leaves’, the next set of leaves it grows however are. Once your seedling grows two sets of true leaves, you can start hardening it off to prepare it for life outside.

Place your seed trays outside on a calm day for 3-4 hours so they get used to the sunlight and outside temperatures. Decrease your watering to every second or third day. Slowly increase their exposure to cooler temperatures.

As the ground warms and there is no risk of frost anymore, your hardened plants can be transplanted. Don’t rush this step though, it’s not worth the risk transplanting them too soon only to lose them to a cold snap.

After transplanting your seedlings, water them well with Seasol to avoid transplant shock.