Gardening with Allen: Start plants from seeds inside
By Allen Wilson
Published: January 30, 2021, 6:00am
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Seed packets cost just a couple of dollars each, making them an economical choice. But there's no shame in planting starts. (Columbian files)
I have read about some new vegetable varieties I would like to try this year. I have not had good luck finding plant starts of new varieties locally. I would like to try starting my own plants from seed. Could you give me some suggestions for starting tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, broccoli, squash and other vegetables inside?
I have successfully started my own plants, flowers and vegetables for years. It is not difficult. I use an LED light with a flexible arm for adjusting the height above the plants. It cost $25 online. I also use a 10-by-18-inch heating pad that cost $15.
I plant my seeds in 4-inch plastic pots filled with standard potting soil. I use new pots or used pots sterilized with bleach solution. I plant anywhere from two to 12 seeds depending upon the size of the seed and how many plants I want. I fill pots loosely with soil to the very top, place the seeds on top and push them gently into the soil. After watering, the soil settles just enough to leave a 1/3- to 1/2 -inch space. I place the pots in a plastic tray to catch the drainage water. I place the tray on the electric heating mat which is set to keep the temperature at 70 degrees. This is the ideal temperature for seed germination. Since the lamp is not as bright as sunlight, I leave it on 24 hours a day to compensate. I cover the pots with clear plastic to keep the humidity high. I irrigate enough to keep the top of the soil moist at all times. As soon as seeds sprout, I remove the plastic.
Since I grow enough plants to share, I plant five to 10 seeds of peppers and tomatoes in a pot and transplant the extra plants to other 4-inch pots when they have three to four leaves.
When the plants have developed another couple of leaves, I begin putting them outside in the daytime when the temperature is above 50 degrees. I shade them the first few days until they have become used to the dryer outside air. Then they get full sunlight. The combination of cool outside day temperature and warmer inside night temperature causes plants to grow more compact or stockier. This overcomes the nature of plant growth to stretch under lower light conditions. Plants dry out quickly outdoors and may need midday watering.
Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard, kale, collards, pak choi and kohlrabi are cold-tolerant vegetables that can be planted outside as early as April 1. They need about six to seven weeks from seed sowing to outside planting. Seed could be started as early as late February. Celery takes about eight weeks.
Tomato, pepper and eggplant are frost-tender vegetables that should not be planted outside until early May. Tomato and eggplant require about eight weeks to grow a transplantable plant. Peppers require about 10 weeks. A good date for starting tomato and eggplant seed would be about March 1. Peppers should be started about two weeks earlier.
Cucumber, melon, squash and pumpkin seed only require about four weeks from seed planting to outside transplanting. None of these do very well until weather has warmed, so I seldom plant them outside before mid-May. Appropriate seed planting time would be about mid-April.
Seeds of lettuce, spinach, carrots, onions and similar root and leaf vegetables should be planted directly outside in March or April. Covering with clear plastic will warm the soil and stimulate faster sprouting.
