Best seed starting tips

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

Seed starting is done 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Starting seeds earlier will give you a head start in the gardening season. Here are some of the best seed-starting tips that can help you to start seeds indoors successfully.

1. Use new seeds

Old seeds become dormant after some time, plus they take a long time to germinate. New or fresh seeds germinate sooner, so its best to sow new seeds when you are seed starting.

2.Use a sterile potting mix

Using a sterile potting mix can reduce the risk of bacterial and fungal infections that affect your seedlings. Here is how you can make a seed starting mix for your plants. Make sure to sterilise your seed-starting pots and gardening tools as well before you start to sow seeds.

3.Cover pots with a plastic bag

Using a plastic cover for your pot is a great way to control humidity and moisture levels. Remove the plastic bag to check the moisture levels and water according to that. You can remove the bag once your seeds have germinated.

4.Use grow lights and Heat mats

Heat mats and grow lights may be needed when you live in very cold areas. If your area gets some sunlight. You can place your seedlings on the windowsill. If you use heat mats to germinate your seeds, you can turn them off if your seedlings become too leggy.

5.Fertilizing your seedlings

The right time to fertilize your seedlings is when the first true leaves develop. You can use ground cake fertilizer, seaweed fertilizer or compost once in 2 to 3 weeks to fertilize your seedlings.

6.Use an oscillating fan to strengthen your seedlings

Seedlings grown indoors need to get accustomed to outside conditions. Keeping an oscillating fan at a distance and switching it on for few hours can help your seedlings get adapted to the outside wind conditions.

Seed starting can be a fun and enjoyable process. Following these tips when starting seeds can help you grow healthy saplings that can be transplanted into your garden during the spring season. Hope you found this article helpful. If you are a beginner who is just starting gardening, here is an article on how to start seeds indoors.