Start Your Seedlings Indoors

Starting some of your vegetable garden or annual flowers indoors is a great way to get started in your garden while the weather outside may still be more like winter than spring. This is a great project for everyone in the family. Your kids will love to help so they can watch the seeds sprout and become plants.

Here’s what you'll need to get started—

• Pots – peat pots are nice because drain well, and when the time is right can be planted directly into the garden, or saved and reused next year. You can also purchase a mini greenhouse made just for starting seeds. These are great for keeping temps and moisture consistent. Once the seeds sprout they need to be taken out of this and transplanted into larger container with a new source of light and warmth.
• Soil – good soil is an important part of this process, you can make your own, but because you don’t need a lot it’s easiest to just purchase a bag. Potting soil is a mixture of peat, vermiculite and other light material that retains water without becoming dense or soggy. It’s free of diseases and insects that may be in your garden soil.
• Seeds – this is the fun part! What do you want to grow? Think about what you like to see in your garden, the colors, and sizes and also what you’re interested in harvesting. There are more seeds in a package than you can probably use, so talk with other gardeners and friends and see if you can set-up an exchange. Follow the instructions on the seed packages for planting. If you aren’t familiar with the plants it’s a good idea to label your containers.
• Location – You’ll need a warm sunny location for your seedlings. You can use grow lights or heat pads to supplement if you don’t have the ideal location. Most people find this is necessary. Remember that the seeds start in small containers, but as they grow and need transplanting they start taking up a lot of room, so plan wisely.