Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Smoothie Garden Solution
Make sure the water you use on your young seedlings is at room
temperature. Water straight from a tap or outdoor water barrel
may be too cold for the transplants. If the roots get too chilled,
they will not grow well.
To start your seeds indoors, fill the cells with the starter mix, mak-
ing sure they are filled to the top, and gently firm each hole down
with your fingers. Place the cell sheet into the tray, which is used to
support the sheet and hold any water that may drain out of the bot-
tom of the cells. Make small indentations in each cell using the tip of
your finger or a pencil-size dowel, then place the seed inside it.
Planting two seeds in each cell will give you a better chance of ger-
mination. If both germinate, cut the second seedling off with small
scissors. Do not pull out the second seedling because this may dam-
age the roots of the one you want to keep.
Once you have placed seeds in each cell, cover them with a light
covering of the starter mix and gently firm the soil in each cell.
Water gently and keep the soil moist until the seeds have pushed
through the soil. Once they have sprouted, make sure your veget-
able seedlings get full sunlight and the cells are watered regularly.
Do not let the cells dry out; this is hard on the seedling and it will
take a long time for the soil to absorb more water, which can stress
the plant even more.
Some vegetables will need extra heat to germinate. You can pur-
chase a heating pad from your local garden center or use a hotbed.
