The garden is currently covered in a blanket of snow, but that hasn’t stopped me from planting Spring seeds. Many vegetables benefit from getting an early start indoors. Spring is short in our area and slow growing crops don’t have enough time to mature before the temperature warms up. With the warmer temperatures, the garden pest start to emerge and destroy tender plants.
How To Start Spring Seeds Indoors
Starting Spring seeds is fairly simple but here are a few tips to help ensure your success.
- Start your seeds in an area where the temperature is between 60 and 70 degrees. The warmth will help the seeds germinate.
- Use a spray bottle to water the seeds until they germinate.
- Once seeds have germinated, water gently and drain excess.
- Provide air flow in the room to prevent an algae that can grow on wet soil.
- Use a grow light with a timer that is set to be on 16 hours a day.
- Start a few extra seeds as a back up but don’t plant the entire package if you don’t have room. You’ll become attached to those plant babies and will have a hard time giving them up. Before you know it, your garden will be filled with more vegetables and work than you can handle.
- Pick a spot to grow your seeds that will make it easy to keep an eye on them. If they are in a room that no one goes in, you can easily forget about them for a day or two and all that work will go to waste.
- Make sure to label the seeds trays and write on it the day you planted them . Keep the seed packets as a reference.
Ten Favorite Seeds to Start in February
- Sprouting Broccoli– Instead of one big broccoli head, you get lots of sprouts. It’s easy to harvest just what you need and very little chopping is needed. Many varieties will keep producing up into the summer as long as you keep harvesting.
- Peppers– This isn’t a Spring crop, but because peppers take a long time to germinate and grow, it helps to start them early. There is a whole world of peppers to explore beyond what is in the grocery store.
- Cabbage– Cabbages look so beautiful in the garden, sort of a giant blossom. Check with your local garden center. Consider using a garden netting over your cabbage to protect them from caterpillars, otherwise you will need to use Bt or Neem oil.
- Collards and Kale– Kale and collards can have some pest damage if left untreated but, I don’t feel it is as devasting as with cabbage. To prevent this, do the same as you would for Cabbage.
- Spinach– This is a fast crop and will need to be harvested often for baby leaves. If picked often, you shouldn’t have much of an issue with pests.
- Onions-Except for Spring onions, this is a slow growing crop. Plant onion next to your cabbage. Onions can help repel pests.
- Beets– Because each seed can grow more than one plant, don’t hesitate to trim out extra seedlings. Beets can be planted together as a bunch but they will still need a little room to grow.
- Cilantro-This grows into a decent size plant, two or three plants will supply you with enough to share.
- Parsley– Soaking the seeds overnight can help speed up germination. Two or three plants is all you need.
- Chives– You will only need to plant them once as they are a perennial plant. Added bonus, chives blossoms are beautiful.
It’s time to start planting! Spring is almost here.
