Seed Planting Time

Although there may be snow still on the ground it’s time to be thinking about gardening and planting vegetable seed. It takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks for most vegetable seeds to grow into seedlings for outside planting, depending on local climate conditions.

Some vegetables and flowers take longer such as peppers and petunias. By general rule of thumb and your local climate, seedlings are not usually transferred to the garden until after the last full moon in May. This is especially good advice if you live in the northern areas or zone four regions.

Seeds need four things to grow into healthy seedlings; water, heat, oxygen, and light. Start by planting your seeds in starter cups, preferably moss cups although other containers work well such as egg cartons or open trays. Use a good seed starting soil mixture that is light and sterilized for best results. Regular top soil or garden soil is not recommended as its texture is not light enough. Do not compress the soil in the plating pots, keep it light. Start with moist starting soil and water it as needed to keep it moist. If you are not using artificial lighting place the containers in a sunny area such as a heated porch where the temperature is 65 to 70 degrees during the day. They will require 6 - 8 hours of direct sun light a day.  As not all seeds germinate place 2 to 3 seeds in each container. If they all happen to germinate thinning will be necessary when they reach about two inches high.

Cover the containers with a light clear plastic material to provide a greenhouse effect.  Once the seeds germinate and rise above the surface remove the covering to provide air to avoid mold.  When the plants are about an inch high it is time to start fertilizing by adding a little fertilizer (plant food) to the water. It is important to keep the young plants moist, warm, and in a well ventilated area.

If you do not have a warm sunny area to place your seed container artificial light will be necessary. This may be done with a single 100 watt lamp, depending how large an area you need to light. A most effective method is a four foot florescent tube light, positioned approximately 18 to 24 inches above the containers. If artificial light is used it will be required 12 -14 hours a day because it is less intense than regular sun light.

When there is no longer a threat of day time frost and the plants are about three inches high, place them outside every day for a few hours in direct sun light. This will strengthen the plants. Transplant the plants to the garden when night time temperatures are no longer go below 40 degrees.

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How To Grow Tomatoes

How to Prepare Garden Soil for Planting

Mulching Your Garden