This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Even if the ground is still covered in snow, getting started with your seeds can be a fun way to prepare for spring. Whether this is your first step or you are already an experienced seedling enthusiast, follow our guide to obtain the right equipment and benefit from our advice tailored to your needs!
If you are a beginner
If this is your first experience and you don’t yet know if you will do it again next year, you have the opportunity to try it out without investing a lot of money up front. No need to have professional equipment! You probably already have many of the necessary items at home. Here’s what you’ll need:
• Mushroom trays (for broadcast sowing)
• Clear plastic croissant wrappers (mini greenhouses)
• Used plastic pots (8 to 10 cm)
• Rain jet watering can
• Sprayer
It is not worth getting artificial lighting. Instead, choose a very sunny location in your house to encourage the development of your new seedlings. A good option would be to install them on a table near a window where there is plenty of daylight throughout the day.
To avoid having to take care of seedlings indoors for many months, we recommend that you turn to fast-growing varieties. Choose ones that can be sown as early as April, about four to six weeks before the last frost.
Here are some ideal suggestions to start your adventure in growing seedlings as they are easy to grow and handle:
• Salads (These can be planted early in the vegetable garden, even if the soil is cold in early May.)
• Squash (They can be sown indoors in April or directly in the vegetable garden in late May or early June.)
• Cosmos
• Zinnias
• Nasturtiums
Trick
It is important to choose a suitable potting soil. Young plants need a light, quick-drying potting mix that is suitable for their delicate, developing roots. Select a potting soil specially designed for seedlings and cuttings. The best intentions can easily be compromised by the wrong choice of potting soil.
If you have a few years of experience
After a few attempts with seedlings, you probably want to equip yourself more to make this period more pleasant and efficient. In addition to the beginner’s kit items, here are essential items to take you to the next level:
• Artificial lighting
• Reusable trays and domes
• Heating mat to accelerate germination (protect your table well if it is made of wood)
Given your experience with seedlings and the added value of artificial lighting to facilitate their growth, here are some variety suggestions to raise the difficulty level of your project. In these specific cases, it is recommended to start sowing in March. Always be sure to check the optimal period on seed packets or on their suppliers’ websites:
• Tomato (you can choose from a wide variety of varieties)
• Bell pepper
• Cabbage
• Onion
• Petunia
• Verbena
• Parsley (To encourage germination, it is suggested to soak parsley seeds overnight before sowing.)
• Basil (Since it is finicky with watering, it can be difficult to care for for beginners.)
If you are on your way to becoming an expert
If you are planting seeds for your whole family and your basement is invaded by your installations in January, it is a sign that you are probably already an expert! While beginner or intermediate level equipment may be sufficient, some will prefer to invest in specialized lighting. This will allow you to grow indoors year-round and get harvests of tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and other vegetables through the winter. Although this investment may seem large, it can be worth it. Check with garden centers or specialized stores to find the equipment that will best meet your needs.
Here is a list of seedlings that require a longer growing time and should be started early to ensure quality seedlings when transplanted. Some are also more demanding or present specific constraints in terms of culture:
• Hot pepper (Certain varieties have a longer maturation time and must therefore be sown early, from February.)
• Celeriac (The seeds look like dust, are difficult to handle and take time to grow, so they should be sown in March.)
• Geranium (Pelargoniumto sow in January or February)
• Begonia (Begonia semperflorensto sow in January or February)
• Eucalyptus (to be sown in February in soil between 22 and 24°C for germination in 14 to 21 days: you will need the heating mat!)
• Rosemary (Its germination is difficult and slow, it must be sown at the beginning of March.)
Pro tip
It is crucial to correctly identify your seedlings, because when the cotyledons appear (the first leaves, the false ones), they all look the same! This can quickly become a headache and lead to errors, even for experts! To create labels, you can grab a waxed cardboard milk pint and make sure to rinse it well. Next, cut labels from the cardboard and identify your seedlings using a permanent pencil.
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.