Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Seed Starting
It is a good idea to learn to start seedlings for three reasons.
The first reason is economic: Starting seedlings at home saves
money. The second reason is variety: Starting seedlings at
home vastly increases the range of crop choices because
certain varieties may not be available at your local garden
center. Finally, since seedlings grown at home were never in a
commercial greenhouse, you'll have a known-good product
that is unlikely to be harboring pests.
Starting seeds is simple: Place seeds in a fertile starting
medium in a suitable container; provide water, heat, and light;
and that's it. Many seeds—such as grains and beets—are
sowed directly in a garden bed, but others such as tomatoes,
broccoli, and peppers, must be either started in advance or
purchased as small plants (“seedlings”) and then transplanted.
Timing
Seedlings need to be started indoors anywhere from 2 to 12
weeks before transplant time, depending on the particular
crop. Transplant time is reckoned in weeks before or after the
last predicted frost of the year for spring and summer crops
and in weeks before the first predicted frost for fall and winter
crops. The timing of transplanting is dictated by the hardiness
of the particular crop. Broccoli is pretty hardy, so it is often
planted 6 weeks before the last predicted frost, whereas
cucumber is very tender, so it is planted 1 or 2 weeks after.
