Lessons learned about starting seeds indoors- How I went from 50% to almost 100% germination rates.

This is the third year that I have started seeds indoors and this has been my most successful year ever. I had almost 100% of the seeds I planted, germinate. That's almost unheard of. Let me share with you how I did it!

When I first started, I had some success but ended up purchasing seedlings from my local nursery as well as direct sowing outdoors. In the beginning, I had little clue about the optimum time to start seeds or any ideas about germination rates. I purchased a mini-greenhouse domed seedling tray, called a Jiffy Greenhouse, some seeds, and some soil. I planted my seeds in the pucks the trays came with, put the lid on the tray, and obsessively watched to see if something would pop up. The Jiffy Greenhouse can be a good starter tray if you just want to try a few types of seeds and don't want to bother with pots, soil, and other paraphernalia.

Little did I realize that some seeds are better planted outdoors after last frost (radishes), others, need to be started in late January/early February (celery and peppers), and that the germination rates varied so much that many plants were touching the top of the dome before others had even sprouted. It was a hot mess!

My first Jiffy mini-Greenhouse tray. You hydrate the pucks and then stick the seeds inside each puck. If you use this method, be sure to cut open the side of the puck when you go to plant outdoors. The mesh does not break down and therefore it can confine the plant as it grows.

I labelled my rows so that I could remember what I planted. Being new to planting seeds the first year, I couldn't identify the plant as it grew. This was my solution.

Things get steamy in there. Be sure to lift the lid periodically. Otherwise, your soil will mold.

I have learned quite a few things since then and continue to learn more every time I plant.

Here's what I have learned since that first year:

• Save your square pots/trays from any nursery purchases you have. They are great to reuse to start your seedlings. Because they are not too big, they don't require lots of soil and are easy to water. The trays hold 32 square pots in a compact space. 32 plants can fill a 4'x8' raised planter easily.

32 square seedling pots work well when germinating seeds. Plant two to three seeds per pot. Once they have germinated, keep the strongest looking plant. If you hate the idea of throwing out a perfectly good seedling, gently separate the plants and pot each one in its own pot.

• Have a way to label your pots-I used blank mailing labels which are good temporary labels but can get dirty over time. The nice thing about sticking the label on the pot is that you never lose the name should the plant marker fall out of your pot. If that happens, you will need to relabel it "mystery plant" until it matures. Most plants look very similar when they first sprout.

I have also purchased white plastic markers that allow me to write the names of

the plants on them. These are great whenever your transfer your seedlings to a

bigger pot or plant them outdoors. Last year, mine survived the whole summer

outside and I am reusing them this year.

I use a mix of sticky labels and white plastic ones to identify my seedlings.

• Use a seedling starter mix to start your seeds. If you are using peat pucks, which you can purchase as replacements if you are using your Jiffy Greenhouse again, you don't need this. One of the things I didn't like about the peat pucks is that the wrappers don't break down so you have to cut them open when you plant them in the ground. Some of my seeds popped out of the top when I planted them and it impacted how big the seedlings grew.

If you don't know what a seedling mix is, don't worry. I only really learned about it

this year. It is a specially formulated mix of perlite, vermiculite, and sphagnum

peat moss. It doesn't contain any other nutrients because seeds don't need it right

away. It can be quite pricey for the small bags you buy. Some people say you

don't need it but I disagree. I think it helped my germination rates.

Someone from my Facebook Gardening group, Gardening in the Fraser Valley (if you

live in the Fraser Valley join this group! They are so helpful!) suggested a way to save

money and still get the benefits from using a seedling mix. In the bottom half of

your pot, place regular potting soil. My absolute favourite potting soil is Miracle-

Gro All-purpose Potting Soil I use the regular for my seedlings and the moisture

control formula for the hanging baskets and other pots on my deck. In the top half

of your pot, use a good seedling mix, like Promix Seed Starting Soil. The idea is

that by the time the seedling roots hit the regular soil, they will be ready for the

nutrients in the all-purpose soil. Based on my results, I would have to agree!

• Seedlings need light and warmth to grow. My first years, I used the Jiffy Greenhouses and once the seedlings were growing , I transplanted them into pots and put them on a resin shelf, over a heat register, in front of my sliding glass door. They did ok. As my garden has grown, there isn't enough room in front of the sliding glass door anymore. My house faces East to West and most of the windows are not in good locations to get enough light. This year, I am using two types of grow lights, this gooseneck type and these bar type, and warming mats in my basement. What a difference they have made for me! I loved the bar type grow lights so much that I bought a second set to expand my growing potential and I have three warming mats on the go. I highly recommend purchasing these if you wish to increase your seedling success.

Three weeks after planting seeds.

5 weeks after planting seeds. I have moved a few around but the ones on the top shelf under the gooseneck lights have really taken off.

I have the gooseneck lights on top because they have to attach to something. They are on a 12 hour timer. My bar-type lights are attached to the other shelves. I strung them up so that I can hang them low to the plants. This keeps the plants from having to stretch to meet the light and allows the plants to develop bigger roots. I have room to expand to the shelf below as I pot up to bigger sized pots

I expanded my operation to this set up. Not only does working at my desk with the plants in front of me help my mood but I have room to add taller plants to the upper shelf as I did below.

Many of these will start hardening off this weekend with the idea of planting them outside the first week of April.

• Seedlings also need water! I recently watched a webinar from Jordan Mara, Mind and Soil Company, where he talked about increasing seedling success. His recommendation was to use a turkey baster to water your seedlings. This regulates the amount of water you give it and it also allows you to direct the water directly to the roots. This is a game-changer! I would never have believed it but the results speak for themselves. I picked up the turkey-baster from the dollar store. The best $1.25 I have spent in a long time. If you want to watch the video here is the link.

It's not pretty but it works like a charm. For the two inch pots when the seedlings are very small, I put one full baster of water every two to three days (if the heat mats were on, it was two days). Once I pot up, I do two to three basters per pot every two or three days. Around day 21, I may start to fertilize the plants if they need them.

• Be mindful of the germination rates-not all seeds germinate at the same time. This can become problematic if you are using a domed environment because some plants will grow faster and not need the dome, while the slower growing plants need the dome in place longer. Because I was using the lights and heat mats, I grouped my seeds together by germination rates. It helped to keep the watering, heat and lighting consistent based on those rates. As well, using the planting pots allowed me to move plants around as needed. Some grew bigger than others quicker so I needed to adjust my lighting based on their heights.

• You may need to "pot up" before you get the seedlings outside-Some of your seedlings need to be started early but can't go outside until the weather is warm both at night and during the day. In these instances, you will need to pot up. Essentially, transplant the seedling into a bigger pot (a 3.5 or 4-inch pot will work until it's time to go outside). I purchased these pots (3.5 and 4-inches) because they were cost-effective, stacked well and fit my seedling trays that I purchased from Canadian Tire to keep the water and mess off of my tables.

When my seedlings were about this size, I potted up. One plant stayed in the square pot and I moved the others to separate pots. It left me with a lot of plants, more than I need to be honest, but this way, if some don't survive, I will still have some and I like to give extras away to friends and family when I can.

• Be sure to harden off your seedlings before you plant them outside- Hardening off seedlings ensures that they don't go through shock when they find themselves outside with colder than your house temperatures. About a week before you harden off your seedlings, unplug your heat mats if you are still using them. Some people say you need to turn them off as soon as your seeds sprout. I leave mine on longer because my basement can get cold at night. Then when the daytime temps are about 10 degrees or higher, start to place your plants outside (in a warm but out of direct sunlight if possible) for a couple of hours the first day (slowly increasing the time as the days go on). If you work and can't do the "out for a couple of hours and then back inside" routine, just be sure to bring them in before the sun goes down and the temperatures drop. Once they are hardened off (about a week or so of being outside), they can be planted. Colder crops such as broccoli, lettuce, garlic, onions, chives, celery, cabbage, and cauliflower, can go outside while the daily temps are cooler (above 7 degrees Celcius). Tomatoes and peppers need the temperatures to be consistently above 10 degrees during the day and the night (warmer is preferred).

If you are worried about it getting too cold, you can always cloche your beds. I

talked about cloching in an earlier blog post, "A garden in the making-year 1 of

raised beds. What I learned...".

• Experiment! If something doesn't work, don't be afraid to plant them again or try direct sowing outside. Websites like West Coast Seeds has a lot of planting tips, planting guides, and information for most varieties of vegetables and some flowers. When in doubt, look up planting tips for your zone or area. Here is how to find your zone in Canada. In Abbotsford, B.C., we are zone 9A which is milder than some other parts of the province and/or country. Your zone will impact when to plant and what your growing season will look like.

Here's hoping that you find joy in growing your seedlings this season! Happy gardening!