Down the Garden Path: Seed starting

Have you ever noticed how small or brown or dry seeds can be? They may look dead, yet given some soil, some warmth, some water, a bit of light and they sprout green life. Growing plants from seed can be magical and it’s easy.

Getting started

All you need is the seeds, sterile potting medium, containers, some water and light. A “sunny windowsill” is not sufficient since there is not enough light there for your seedlings to grow.

Growing plants from seed is economical, too. You can find many more interesting kinds of plants available as seeds, instead of the much more expensive individual plants. Let’s start with the basics; the seeds themselves. Buy them from a reliable source, such as a catalog or garden center. Start with annuals. They’re easier. (Perennials may need “cold stratifying,” or planting seeds in containers left outside over the winter before germinating in the spring.)

Always read the seed packet to determine when to start them indoors, counting back from the last frost.

Planting medium

Plant your seeds in a sterile seed-starting medium – not garden soil or “potting soil.” Sterile medium keeps your emerging seedlings safe from damage from molds or critters in the soil. You can lose a whole tray of seedlings to “damping off,” a fungal disease that results in seedlings dropping over at their stems and dying.

Choosing containers

First, containers should be clean. You can purchase seed starting kits or trays. Fill the spaces with seed-starting medium, plant a seed in each cell, cover lightly with medium. Some seeds should not be covered, as they need light to germinate. (Another reason to read your seed packets.) Once planted, cover with a clear plastic dome, or plastic wrap, which holds in humidity.

You can repurpose yogurt cups or other containers. Just make sure they are clean with holes punched in the bottom to let water in/out. Set them in a tray to water them from the bottom, just like the ones you can purchase.

Lighting and other needs

Once the seeds germinate, showing emerging leaves, remove the clear cover. Place the seedlings under grow lighting. Fluorescent tubes, one “warm,” one “cool” in a 4-foot hanging adjustable fixture work well and are one option. Place the seedlings as close underneath the lights as possible, adjusting the height as they grow.

Some folks put a small fan on low just adjacent to the growing plants. The air movement can strengthen the plants’ stems.

Planting outside

Once again, be sure to read the information on the seed packet. It will tell you when you can safely relocate your little plants out to your garden. Do this slowly. You can “harden off,” your seedlings by gradually placing the trays outside for an increasing number of hours per day in a sheltered spot. Spring sunlight is bright and can scorch.

Starting your own seeds can be very rewarding! For more information on this topic, visit go.illinois.edu/SeedStarting. Also, check out the University of Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube Channel for videos on other horticulture topics.

• Sandy Lentz is a certified Master Gardener with University of Illinois Extension serving DuPage County.

Have a question for the Master Gardeners? Residents can contact the Kendall County Master Gardener volunteers on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. by calling 630-553-5823, stopping in at 7775B IL Route 47, Yorkville, or emailing uiemg-kendall@illinois.edu. For helpful hints on what to include in your email, please visit go.illinois.edu/HelpDeskMGdkk.