Jumpstart Your Garden
A Movena Journal Article
Get a head start on your spring garden this winter.
If you’re planning on having a vegetable garden either in planters or in beds, you can start it now by growing indoors this winter! By starting your seedlings indoors, you’ll get fresh produce growing months earlier than if you didn’t. As long as you have some extra space in your home, you can get your hands dirty early!
What produce to start indoors:
These plants are the easiest to transplant due to their sturdy roots.
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Eggplant
Kale
Lettuce
Onion
Okra
Pepper
Sweet potato
Tomato
Produce to avoid starting indoors:
These plants have very tender roots so transplanting them will most likely cause damage.
Bean
Beet
Carrot
Corn
When to start your seedlings
You want to plant your seeds indoors about 6 weeks before your last spring frost (days with a low at 32° F). Most of the US has a last frost around March-April. So you’ll want to start your seedlings around the end of February to the end of March. We recommend using the Farmer’s Almanac’s Frost Date Calculator to find your local frost dates.
Your step-by-step guide for starting seedlings:
Get high quality seeds. Having better quality seeds will greatly impact your growing experience. These seeds tend to have higher germination meaning they’re more likely to sprout.
Re purpose items for containers. Don’t be afraid to get crafty. You don’t need to go out and buy stacks of seed containers (unless you want to!). You can use old yogurt containers, egg cartons, or anything else that you can drill holes into the bottom for drainage. Make sure whatever you use has adequate drainage. This is very important.
Use seed-starting soil. Seedlings are very delicate. Make sure you’re using a sterile seed-starting mix that is light and fluffy. You can also amend compost if you do home-composting. Use the mix with about 20-30% finished compost (not raw compost).
Sow seeds at the correct depth. It’s vital to plant your seeds at the right depth. Your seed packets should have the ideal depth listed on them. If they don’t, a good rule of thumb is to plant the seed twice the diameter of the seed. Those tiny tiny seeds you get can be placed on top and very lightly covered.
Set the seeds in a warm location. To start the sprouting process, you want the seeds to stay at a slightly warmer temperature. Some common places are on top of the refrigerator or near a radiator. Be sure not to place your containers near cold window drafts.
Find the best light. Light is very important when the seed begins to sprout above the soil. Find a sunny spot that gives adequate light and make sure to turn your containers occasionally to evenly distribute the light.
Water the seeds just enough. When planting the seeds, make sure the soil is already moistened. When watering the seeds, never over water. You never want the soil to be sopping wet or dripping. You want the soil to remain evenly moist. The best way to achieve this is to use a misting bottle.
When it’s time to transplant. Transplanting is taking a plant from one container and placing it in a new, larger one to allow room for growth. Once the seedlings have grown 2 sets of leaves, you can begin to transplant them. Place new, fresh soil into the new container and use your fingers to create a little hole in the dirt. Very gently lift your seedling from it’s container and lightly dust the dirt off of it’s roots. Place it in the hole in the new container and gently pack the dirt around the stem.
Hardening off (taking the plants outside). You don’t want to immediately take the plants outdoors. We need to gradually expose them to the temperature and sunlight. Start by taking the plants outside for a few hours a day, placing them in a shady spot, away from harsh winds. Slowly start leaving them out longer and longer each day until you’re leaving them out all day. At this point, you can transplant them into their final garden bed or container.
