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guide.
STARTING SEEDS
INDOORS
Varieties such as tomatoes, peppers, onions,
perennialsand some annual flowers really benefit from an early start
indoors.
Light: Insufficient light is the
biggest mistake people make starting seeds indoors. Long, tall, skinny
seedlings which eventually fall over and die are the result of not
enough light. Use fluorescent lights, preferably a 4-tube ballast. Tubes
must be placed 1" — 2" above seedlings. Ballasts can be hung on chains
and hooked into ceiling hooks for easy adjustment as seedlings grow.
Seedlings must receive 14 — 16 hours of light per day.
Soil: Purchase high quality seed
starting mix. Don’t use outside soil. Buying inexpensive, poor quality
soil will only cause problems.
Water: Seedlings must be kept
moist but not soggy. If they completely dry out just once, seedlings
will die. If soggy, fungal problems can occur.
Containers: Almost any
container can be used to start seeds including old milk containers or
egg cartons. Seed starting trays and larger pots to transplant seedlings
into are available. If you reuse containers year after year, soak
containers in a 1:9 bleach/water solution to kill potential seedling
pathogens. To retain soil moisture until seed germinates, cover
container with a clear lid or wrap in clear plastic wrap. Remove cover
immediately when you see the first seedling. Moving to larger
containers: Once the roots of a seedling have hit the side of the
container and started curling around the pot, it’s time to
transplant
to a larger container. Put soil in bottom of larger
container, carefully spread apart the roots and place plant in the
larger container (twice the size of original container). Fill container
with soil and water to settle soil around the roots.
Before moving outside: Harden
the seedlings off for about a week by taking containers outside and
placing in a filtered sun/shade location away from harsh winds during
the day. Gradually increase time outdoors.
WHEN TO SOW
SEEDS
Inside: Generally, tomatoes
are started inside 6 — 8 weeks before the average last frost, peppers 8
— 10 weeks, onions 8 — 12 weeks.
Outside: Warm season crops,
crops that are frost sensitive such as beans, cucumbers, melons,
pumpkins, squash and watermelons should be sown AFTER the average last
day of frost in your geographic region. Cool season crops such as
carrots, lettuce, peas, radish, chard and many leafy greens can be sown
as early as 8 — 10 weeks before the average last frost for a spring
harvest and in late summer for a fall crop (see specific variety
information on the front and back of each packet). Most annual flowers
are generally sown around the average last frost date even though some
can be sown earlier. Perennial flower seed Flower seed can vary from 4 —
12 weeks before the average last frost depending on the variety. For
specific variety in can be sown almost anytime – early spring through
late summer – as long as they have enough time to germinate and get a
root system established. Even a late fall sowing
works – seeds stay
in the ground dormant until conditions in early spring permit the seeds
to germinate.
WHEN IS YOUR AVERAGE
LAST FROST?
Your knowledge of the average last day of
frost in your region is crucial when planting a garden. To find out your
last day of frost, call your county Cooperative Extension Service. Also
inquire about the average date of the first fall frost.
COMMONLY
REQUESTED DEFINITIONS
GMO:
(Genetically Modifi ed Organism) Botanical Interests does not carry
genetically modified varieties. Genetically modifi ed varieties have had
their DNA scientifically altered to make them more pest, disease, or
chemical resistant. GMO seeds are controversial because no one is sure
of their long term effects on the environment and humans.
Hybrid: A variety created by
crossing two separate varieties to achieve desirable characteristics. A
hybrid tomato, for example, may have been created to have excellent
disease resistance, produce uniform, prolific fruit, or have superior fl
avor. If you save the seeds from a hybrid, though, the resulting fruit
next year may revert back to the characteristics of one of its
parents.
Open-pollinated: Varieties that
are pollinated naturally by wind or insects without human intervention.
Saved seed will be true to the original variety.
Heirloom: An open-pollinated
seed variety that has been passed down through the generations for at
least 50 years.
Organic: Organic refers to the
way agricultural products are grown and processed. Organic seed, much
like organic food production, is based on a system of farming that
maintains and replenishes soil fertility without the use of toxic
pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. This ecological management system
promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles, and soil
biological activity. Botanical Interests’ organic seed is “Certifi ed
Organic” which means that our seed and our packaging facility have been
inspected and meet strict standards set forth by the USDA (United States
Department of Agriculture).
PERENNIAL VS.
ANNUAL
A perennial is a variety that regrows from the
root system every year. The advantage of a perennial is that it doesn’t
need to be replanted every year; a disadvantage is that perennials have
a shorter bloom period than most annuals. When choosing perennials for
your garden, mix varieties with different bloom periods so that you have
color in your garden over a longer period of time. Annuals do not regrow
from their roots every year. However, they may produce seed that will
germinate and regrow the following year. There is no guarantee that
those plants will be identical to the original plants. Annuals usually
bloom for a longer time period than perennials – in many cases, they
bloom most of the growing season (spring to late fall).
COMMON SEED CHALENGES
AND SOLUTIONS
Seed Germination Problems:
Botanical Interests, Inc. seeds are extremely high quality. Seeds may
not sprout if a) unusually cool or wet weather occurs, b) if planted too
early when soil temperatures haven’t warmed up sufficiently, c) if seeds
are not sown at the recommended depths and/or d) if seeds are not kept
consistently moist. Extensive sowing information is included on the
inside of the seed packet!
Soil: Don’t overfertilize your
vegetable garden. Excess nitrogen can sometimes cause excessive foliage
growth and few fl owers or vegetables. Usually adding ample organic
material to your garden soil at season’s end will supply suffi cient
nutrients.
Diseases: Many plant diseases
can be prevented by starting with high quality seeds and good gardening
practices such as rotating your crops to different locations within your
vegetable garden and cleaning your gardening toolsregularly with a 10%
bleach/water solution.
Pests: Old-fashioned, low tech,
and chemical free options should always be the first line of
defense
against insects and are usually effective. Contact your local
County Extension Agent for specifi c solutions to specifi c problems.
More information is also available in books and on the web.
Sunlight: Vegetable plants and
most flowers CRAVE sunlight. Without enough of it, they get leggy and
don’t produce vegetables or fl owers. Most vegetables need AT LEAST 8 —
10 hours of DIRECT (not shade) sunlight. Some root crops (carrots,
beets) and leaf crops (lettuce, kale) can manage with 6 hours of direct
sun. See fl ower packets for individual recommendations.
Weeds: Weeds compete with
seedlings and desirable plants for water, light, and nutrients. They can
also
harbor harmful insects and disease. Keep flower & vegetable
beds weeded all season, particularly during initial seedling emergence.
To identify WHICH emerging seedlings are from the seed you have sown,
see the seedling drawing on the inside of the packet (back of the plant
tag). Mulch: Mulch is a layer of almost anything – grass clipping,
leaves, artificial materials such as landscape fabric – which is placed
on the surface of the soil to keep soil moisture in and prevent weeds
from coming up. Mulch should be applied thickly enough, several inches
if possible, to keep weed seedlings from emerging. Some perennial weeds
will still make it through the mulch, but because the soil below is
moist (because of the protective layer of mulch), these weeds will be
easier to pull.
SEED GARDENING IS THE MOST REWARDING
TYPE OF GARDENING!
To take a small, dormant capsule of
life
and unlock its culinary and/or aesthetic
potential is
glorious indeed!
Thank you for supporting a family-owned
business!
~ CURTIS AND JUDY, CO-OWNERS
© 2007 Botanical Interests, Inc. http://www.botanicalinterests.com/
