Benefits and process of seed starting at home

Starting your own seeds at home can be a rewarding experience.  You most definitely will save money on your plants but for me the most rewarding aspect is that you ensure what varieties you get.  Many varieties are not always available at the garden center and sometimes are not labeled properly.  Improper labeling only shows up 3 months later when your Big Boy tomatoes turn out to be yellow and pear shaped.  Below are some tips on how to make the most out of starting your own seeds.

Starting Seeds at Home Take Home Points:

• Start with a good seed starting soil-less media which would include peat moss, vermiculite, and perlite. 
• Pay attention to the planting depth of your seeds and cover lightly if necessary.
• Maintain a constant heat and humidity level around the germinating plants.  This will ensure quick and even germination.
• Lighting is very important. Regular Bright light Fluorescent bulbs will provide a very desirable visible spectrum for plant growth. They are as good or better than the so called plant grow bulbs. Do not use incandescent, too much heat, and not enough usable light spectrum.
• Lighting should remain on throughout the germination phase and as long as they are grown inside. A 16 hour cycle of lighting will be best and the light should remain 2 to 3 inches above the plant canopy while grown indoors for optimum growth.
• Air circulation is very important after germination for two reasons; it helps to reduce disease problems and it also helps to strengthen the stems.
• A soil thermometer will help you gauge temperature levels in the seed starting area. Different plants prefer different temps but as a general rule between 70 and 80 degrees will suffice.
• Light fertilization should begin shortly after germination and as a general rule begin with a halved rate of fertilize based on the indoor plant feeding directions found on the back of your choice of soluble fertilize.

The Excitement of a New Garden and the disappointment of WEEDS!!

This is the time of year that we all get very excited about raising our own food and our mind's eye sees bountiful produce both on the table and in the cupboard.  But as you know lots of good practices need to take place between now and then to make that dream a reality.  The first thing we need to start with is working the soil. Key to this step is not working the garden when it is too wet.  Check this by grabbing a hand full of soil, squeezing it together and then drop it from your waist.  If the ball breaks apart on impact with the ground then you are good to go with final tillage.  Fertilization should take place at this point to get the fertilize in the root zone where the plants need it most.  Assuming you have done all the planning this winter and you already know what you are planting and where; it is time to begin.  As you and I know the challenges of a good garden are about to begin.  This is the stage of gardening when mother nature wants to test our commitment to the project by throwing every weed she has at us in that initial flush.  The trick here is to not be a hero  but be proactive.  In other words work very hard in the beginning of the season to control weeds by hoeing daily versus weekly.  Use one of the many scuffle hoes on the market to shallow cultivate and remove the weeds.  Scuffle hoes work by moving across the soil surface to cut the germinating weed seeds.  Shallow cultivation is the key to a weedless garden for a longer period of time.  By not bringing more weed seeds to the surface to germinate we can limit their intimidation.  Water only the area that needs watering so that we don't contribute to rogue germination.  Stay vigilant my friends or the weeds will win.  For more information on Home Vegetable Gardening click this link.