By Brendon Smith
Willy Street Co-op
Good things for playing in the dirt: Planting a garden this year? We’ve got organic seeds, seed-starting supplies, activated compost, adult and kid gardening gloves, natural insect repellents and more. We’ll also have a variety of organic vegetable and herb seedlings from local farms, West Star Organics and Voss Organics, starting in mid-April. Learn more at willystreet.coop/gardening.
Some of our seeds are from Seed Savers Exchange, which educates and connects people through collecting, regenerating and sharing heirloom seeds, plants and stories. Below is a summary of indoor seed-starting information from them, but you can find more at seedsavers.org.
Timing: The general rule of thumb is to sow your seeds indoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost in your area. In Dane County, the last frost can range between May 11 and May 20, but you may want to plan on working backward from Memorial Day to be safe.
Light: Placing seedling containers in front of a window is often sufficient. Rotate the containers to encourage even plant growth. If natural light isn’t adequate, use an additional light source, like a grow light. The light needs to be close enough to the container so that the seedlings don’t get spindly, but adjustable, to accommodate the height of the growing plants.
Temperature: Look at the back of the seed packet to see what temperature your seeds need. As a general guideline, the optimal temperature for germination is often 5–10 degrees warmer than the optimal temperature for growth (onions are one exception).
Humidity: You can cover watered plants with plastic domes to retain humidity. Some people tuck containers in zippered plastic bags. Remove the covering as soon as seeds have germinated (when you see green poking up through the soil) to allow for good air flow.
Fertilizer: Fertilize only as needed (typically four to six weeks after sowing if you’re using a nutritive soil mix). If you are using compost and have sufficient soil in the pot, you don’t have to fertilize as soon or as often as if you are using a peat pot. Peat-based potting mixes don’t have as many nutrients. Wait to fertilize until the plant is actively growing and fertilize at a low rate to avoid burning the plants.
Water: Overwatering is more detrimental than underwatering. Check the plants once a day, before noon and at the same time every day, and water as needed.
