Get a Head Start on Spring Planting

Contributed by the folks at Down to Earth Living in Pomona. 

Looking out over the snow-covered landscape, it is hard to imagine planting your vegetable garden. But now is a perfect time to get started by sowing your seeds indoors. By the time they have grown big enough to transplant outdoors, the weather will be ready for them. Here are 10 no-fail tips for successfully starting seeds:

Planting:

• Use the freshest, highest quality seeds to ensure a healthy sprout rate, so only buy your seeds from a trusted source.
• Recycled containers such as empty yogurt cups or egg cartons are ideal for starting seeds--just make sure to poke drainage holes in the bottom before planting. You can also use--and reuse--plastic six-packs and flats each year.
• Instead of garden soil which may contain latent plant disease spores, use a seed-starting mix that provides the ideal sprouting conditions.
• Check the seed packet for the correct planting depth. Typically, a seed is planted two to three times as deep as the seed is wide, so tiny seeds are happiest with a scant topping while larger seeds like beans should be sown about an inch deep. If you plant them too deeply, they won't be able to make it to the surface. Pro tip: Always plant a few extra seeds. Even though they won’t all germinate, you can thin out the extra ones later.

Sprouting:

• Set your containers in a warm spot and watch for signs of growth.
• Keep the seedling roots moist but not saturated with water.
• Move the seedlings to a sunny window once they start to sprout or suspend fluorescent lights an inch or two over the tops of the plants to ensure continued growth.
• Seedlings tend to get leggy if the room is too warm so aim for a temperature in the high 60s for sturdier, stockier seedlings.

Fertilizing and Thinning

• Once your seedlings have one or two sets of leaves, start with a half-strength organic fertilizer which provides a range of nutrients, including micronutrients.
• You only want one seedling per pot, so once you see two sets of leaves, choose the healthiest, strongest-looking seedling to keep. Snip the other one-off at the soil line and discard.

Congratulations! Your hard work has paid off and it’s time to plant your seedlings outdoors. We hope you will enjoy the fruits--and vegetables--of your labor all season long!

At Down to Earth Garden Center in Rockland County, our garden center is filled with perennials, flowers, shrubs and trees, with new arrivals coming in every week. The 10,000 square foot showroom has an incredible selection of contemporary, classic, traditional and transitional teak, aluminum and all-weather dining and deep-seated furniture as well as home décor. We are a garden center near Bergen County and located at 1040 Route 45, open 9 am – 5 pm daily and can be reached at 845-354-8500. www.dteliving.com 

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