It’s here! Seed starting time!
Every Chicago winter feels a bit endless. But for us gardeners, there are a few early glimpses of warmer days to come. One moment is in January when the seed catalogs flood your mailbox. Another early sign that the season of ice and snow is drawing to a close is when it’s finally time to start your first seeds.
There’s just something about seed starting that makes it feel like we’re declaring Spring Has Started. I’m all for it.
It is so rewarding to see little seeds that YOU planted pop up through the soil and start their journey to your dinner plate. I vote that there’s no better boost for your mental health, and we all need a bit of a boost by the time March comes around.
But seed starting is not for the faint-hearted! There are so many ways that the health of your beautiful seedlings can be snatched from your hopeful hands.
I don’t want you to start your growing season on a frustrated note. If you can avoid the mistakes here, you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful growing season and the garden of your dreams.
(1) Starting Everything from Seed
Not every seed needs to be started indoors – some actually prefer to be directly sown in your garden once your soil warms up (like beans and cucumbers). Some seeds, like beans, grow too quickly and won’t receive enough nutrients if you start them indoors. And others, like cucumbers, don’t like being transplanted and willl ultimately be stronger if you start them directly in your garden. Plus, who has the space to seed start everything?!
(2) Not using a grow light.
Seedlings need over 12 hours a day of light to be healthy and strong. How many hours of sunlight do we get in the winter? Not even close to 12. And I hear you thinking that you have an exceptionally sunny window that will do the trick. But the winter sun just isn’t strong enough to get your seedlings off to a strong start (trust me – I’ve tried!). And what about those depressingly cloudy weeks that are so frequent in March? Without supplemental light, your seedlings will become leggy and weak. Invest in a good grow light (this is the one I use) and your seedlings will be off to a great start this growing season.
(3) Not starting your seeds at the right time.
Just like we shouldn’t plant our entire garden all at once in May, we shouldn’t start every seed at the same time either. Each vegetable and herb seed is unique and grows at a different pace! Instead, follow the directions on the seed packet and count back the weeks from our frost date.
(4) Watering from above.
Instead: Water your seedling from below. Watch the water wick up almost to the top of the cell tray and stop watering. Ideally, your seed starting setup will have both cell trays that hold your seeds and a big bottom tray (like a 1020 tray) that holds your cell trays. Add water directly to the bottom tray and allow it to wick up through the cell trays.
(5) Watering your seedlings too much.
Instead, once your seedlings have sprouted, let them dry out a little bit between each watering. It’s so easy to love our plants to death, and overwatering is the most common way we do that! Resist the urge.
(6) Not potting up your seedlings.
Instead, make sure their roots have space to expand. Your seedlings will stop growing if you keep them in small cells for months on end. Make sure you’re potting up your plants every few weeks as they need it.
(7) Not hardening off your seedlings.
Even if you’ve had a powerful grow light on your seedlings since the moment they sprouted, the spring sun is much stronger than they’re used to. If you plant them outside without giving them a chance to get used to the sun, their leaves will “burn” like a sunburn. Instead, about two weeks before you plant your seedlings in your garden, bring your seedlings outside for a few hours and gradually increase that time each day to make sure your seedlings don’t sunburn.
I’d love to hear about your seed starting adventures this year! Head on over to our social media pages to join the discussion with fellow gardeners.
