IN THE YARD: Starting garden plants from seed the easy way

Seeds are often the way many gardeners start their flower and vegetable plants they will use in their gardens during the coming growing season.

Some of these seeds are saved from favorite plants from year to year, and others are bought as a cost-saving measure. A packet of seeds will cost considerably less than a similar number of plants that were started by somebody else.

Some varieties of plants are only available locally as seeds. Almost all gardeners want to take advantage of the fact that the plants can be started indoors so that they will be large, vigorous and ready to produce blooms or fruit when it is time to plant them outdoors.

Whatever the reason for growing plants from seed, it is not a very difficult process and not much is needed in the way of specialized equipment. A few simple items along with a little basic knowledge about the early growth of the plants is all that is needed. This is not rocket science, after all, gardeners have been growing plants from seeds for many centuries before rockets were even invented.

Plants seeds need to go through some sort of process before they will start to grow. For most seeds this means some time in moist, warm soil: this process is called germination. This is the process that causes the seed to come out of dormancy and start to produce a plant. Sunlight is not needed to start the process but after the leaves begin to come out of the soil, light will be important to maintain the continued growth of the plant.

The process of seed germination can easily be started indoors at any time of the year. Most gardeners will learn how much time will be required for the seeds to germinate and use that as their guide as to when to start their plants for the spring and summer garden.

If the seeds are bought in a garden shop or if they come pre-packaged it is a simple matter of asking how long the germination period is or reading this information on the package. Just germinating the seeds is not enough, the plants must grow long enough to develop two or more mature leaves before they are strong enough to be planted outdoors. For most summer flowering annual plants and for most vegetables the time from germination until the minimum number of leaves are present will be six to eight weeks.

So, if the garden is to be planted on April 20 (the date when we are most likely to be past any danger of frost) then the seeds should be started around March 1. Do not start too soon or the plants will need to be moved to larger containers.

Start with a shallow pan or other flat container that is about two to three inches deep. Some stores sell these containers with clear plastic lids that can be like a miniature green house but any flat container will do. Fill the container with a good, organic soil — potting soil is usually best — or use the peat pellets that expand when water is added. Do not add fertilizer unless the soil is very low in nutrients, organic soils in general will have everything the seeds need to get started. Plant the seeds.

Seeds should be planted at the correct depth, if they are in too deep the will not grow. A good general rule of thumb to use when planting is to go no deeper than two-and-a-half times the width of the seeds. Larger seeds like squash will be planted about a half-inch deep but small seeds like tomatoes will just need to be lightly brushed into the soil surface.

Keep the container in an area that will always be above 50 degrees and keep the soil moist. Warmth and moisture are both required to germinate the seeds. Within a few days to a couple weeks some growth will be visible as the stems push up out of the ground, some plants take longer than others to germinate so do not expect everything to come up at the same time. The first leaves to grow will be small, rounded seed leaves called cotyledons.

Over time the stems will grow taller and begin to produce the mature leaves that are typical for the type of plant being grown. When there are at least two or three of these leaves and all danger of frost has passed, it is safe to plant these in the garden. This is when they should receive their first dose of fertilizer.

So the process of starting plants indoors is very simple. It takes seeds, soil, water warmth and patience.

Sutphin is an extension agent with the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Danville Unit Office, (434) 799-6558.