AcreageLife February 2025 | Page 11

Garden and Landscaping Seedling Sense

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Plant the Seeds

When planting, one kind of seed per tray is recommended because different kinds of seeds germinate at different rates. It is important to keep similar seeds together. For example, if you plant tomatoes and peppers in the same tray, the tomatoes will germinate quicker than the peppers, leaving you with crops at two different stages of growth.

Cover the Tray

Cover the seeds with a thin layer of the starting mix and use a spray bottle to moisten the mix and provide good seed-to-soil contact. Cover the filled tray with plastic domes or clear plastic bags to maintain a moist environment.

Keep the Soil Warm

Place the covered tray in a warm location in your home or on a seedling heat mat. These mats keep the soil at a constant temperature, giving you a quicker and more uniform germination rate. Ideally, the soil temperature should be between 68 degrees and 78 degrees Fahrenheit to encourage germination. A temperature of 70 degrees to 72 degrees Fahrenheit in your home does not mean the soil is that warm.

Post Germination Care

As soon as the seeds germinate, remove the dome or plastic bag and move the tray to an environment with bright light that’ s roughly 10 degrees cooler than the germinating area, and allow the soil to dry out. At this point, watering should only be done when the soil feels dry, at which point you should soak the soil and allow it to dry out before watering again. Doing so will help keep damping off from being a problem at this stage of growth.

Prepping Your Seedlings for Planting

Transplanting

Transplant your seedlings into cell packs or individual pots when the seedlings have two or three true leaves or when you can easily handle the seedlings.

Potting Mix

It’ s okay to use garden soil in your transplant mix, or you can purchase a potting mix from your local garden center. I use a mix of ⅓ soil, ⅓ peat moss or compost and ⅓ coarse sand.

Fertilizer

I also add Osmocote to the mix. This pellet fertilizer feeds the seedlings every time you water, as a small amount of fertilizer leaches out of the pellet.

Hardening Off

Keep your seedlings in a cool, sunny window and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Harden your plants off 10 days to two weeks before planting them out in your garden.

Follow these simple seed-starting steps and you’ ll be on your way to growing your best garden yet!

About the Author:

Richard Zondag is a horticulturist, master gardener and the owner of Jung Seed Co.

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