Germination
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A few weeks ago I started to feel it. Really feel it. The awakening from my winters nap. After presenting at the MOFFA conference in January, I really settled in so deep this winter that it feels hard to pull myself out of it. Lazy mornings spent drinking coffee by the fire, reading my favorite books, and working on my creative sewing projects. I started a quilt last spring that is hand sewn. It's going to take some time, but I suddenly felt the need to put it away for another time as thoughts of seed sowing and garden prep began to creep into my mind.
This time of year is always a struggle for me. Do I have SADD? Maybe. Or maybe my body just follows direction from nature. My dog Luna sleeps when it is dark. It is unusual to see her sleeping by 5:30pm. During the summer she runs all day until about 9:30pm. Hmmm. Now that I think of it, her and I are on the same schedule. Regardless, I am slow to get moving, but that doesn't mean I can slack off on seed starting. For me, it is about 10 weeks to my last frost date. If you are a gardener, you understand this. If this is new to you, it just means that where you live, the last frost date is an average date when you would experience the final frost of the season. The next key time will be the first frost date which isn't until September. The gardening season generally follows Memorial Day to Labor Day for most. But seed starting has begun, and planting in the hightunnel has been going on. With the addition of social media and AI in the world, information is swirling all over the airwaves, so it's pretty easy to find the information you are looking for when it comes to seed starting. When I wrote for a magazine, my articles on seed starting were typically in the March issues.
There are a few key bits of information to keep in mind if you want to start your garden seeds. The soil temperature is more important that the air temperature. Each seed has an optimum temperature for germination. Detailed information can be found in the book The Seed Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel or in Knott’s Handbook for Vegetable Growers, Fifth Edition by Donald N. Maynard and George J. Hochmuth . Odds are, in your home, if the temperatures are 70 degrees, the soil media in your little germination trays will be 70 degrees. If you grow in the basement, like I do, it’s a little cooler, so for some veggies, like peppers, I will use a heat mat to increase the temperature allowing for improved germination. Keep in mind that when seeds are germinated at their optimum temperature, you will see a more even, improved, and quicker germination. Place a clear cover or dome on top to maintain soil moisture. I like to use a spray bottle to mist the seeds, or sometime you maybe be told to add water on a bottom tray.
I use a simple seed starting mix, or make my own following instructions given in Eliot Coleman's book "The New Organic Grower". You don't need a mix that has fertilizer. A simple sterile mix like Jiffy Seed Starting mix is probably sufficient.
Your seedlings will emerge at different rates. You will notice the stem first, arching like a sea serpent with leaves to follow, roots beginning to anchor in the soil. Within a day or so you will see little plants reaching toward the light with their cotyledon leaves. At this time any plastic should come off, if you are using a heat mat plants should be taken off of it, and the lights should go on. The cotyledon leaves are the leaves which hold all of the nutrients necessary for the plant to start growing. The next set of leaves are called the “first true leaves”, which means exactly that. Once this set of first true leaves unfold the plant really starts growing and now is the time to transplant most of these new seedlings into larger containers or cell packs filled with a growing mix that may include fertilizers and/or soil amendments such as bloodmeal, bonemeal and kelp (a substitute for greensand which isn't available). It is important to keep the lights on for 12-14 hours to allow for proper photosynthesis and to avoid stretching. Providing proper lighting will encourage shorter, compact plants reducing that “leggy look”. Even if you have a very sunny window sill, you will benefit by providing supplemental lighting for healthier plants. For seed starting, full spectrum fluorescent bulbs or LED for plant growing work best. These are available in many shapes and sizes. You will notice soon that the cotyledon leaves will dry up and fall off. That’s normal so don’t worry!
Not all seeds require starting indoors, some may only need to be started a couple weeks before planting outside, or it is better to start seeds directly in the soil. Follow instructions from the seed company. I love starting seeds. It gives me the option to grow so much more than what is available at the garden centers. If you are hesitant about starting seeds, just try one new thing this year. You may be surprised!
Maybe I am at the 2026 germination stage, just beginning to see the light and unfold my first true leaves of the season.
Hey, it's me, a real person writing this! I need to go outside, so if you want, here is some downloadable for you. I'd rather share it with you and not share it with AI, so remember, please give me credit if you share with your friends. Feel free to email any questions regarding your seed starting journey.
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