SEED STARTING Presented by: Marianne Pelletier, CMG
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Transcript of SEED STARTING Presented by: Marianne Pelletier, CMG
SEED STARTING
Presented by:Marianne Pelletier, CMG
Double Coconut
Rain Forest Orchids
Why Should I Start Seeds Myself
You can save money For a $2 packet of seeds there is a possible of getting 10-1000 plants Swapping with fellow gardeners Saving your own seeds
You have control. You know that you won’t be bringing something unwanted home
You get more variety The enjoyment of seeing your seedlings emerge from the soil
Before You Start
Determine how much to grow What you want to grow Varieties should be selected by:
Size Color Growth Habit What zone you are in
Determine if you want: Heirlooms
These are old, open-pollinated cultivars Hybrids
This is a cross between two different plant varieties to get the attributes of each variety If you see F1 it means it is a hybrid
Acquiring & Storing Seeds Acquiring
Buy from a reputable seed company/catalog Storing
Keep any left over seed in the packet it come in Store in a tightly closed jar or container Store at a low humidity at around 40 degrees such as the
refrigerator Use silica gel, powdered milk or cornstarch to keep the relative
humidity below 40%.
Wilson County Planting Guide
Seed Starting SuppliesLabel/MarkerSpray BottleSoil-Less MixFlat/Cell trays/potsSeedsWarm Spot in Your House
Optional EquipmentArtificial LightsHeating MatsCold Frame/Greenhouse
Grow Lights
Flower SeedsThe Divas of the Seed World
How to Help the Seed to Germinate
Scarification Stratification Soaking Light Dark
ScarificationTools Needed
Small Sharp Paring KnifeSandpaper
What is it?To remember what scarification means just think of the word “scar”, which is what you are doing to the seedHappens naturally when a bird swallows the seed and then passes it through the digestive systemNot all seeds need scarification. The following website is a good reference www.chestnut-sw.com
How To
Nick the seed with the paring knife or scratch the surface of the seed with the sandpaper
All seeds don’t need this method and you may kill them. Refer to www.chestnut-sw.com for a list of flowers and vegetables and how to treat them
Flowers That Need Scarification Hollyhock Angels Trumpet Moon Flower False Indigos Canna Morning Glories
What is Stratification? Stratification is when a gardener purposely chills the
seeds. Certain seeds have a way of protecting themselves from
germinating too early or too late.
How The only things you will need for this method is a Ziploc
bag a marker, and your seeds. Make sure to label the bag with what type of seed and
the date that it is to be removed from the refrigerator Seal the bag and place it in the refrigerator.
Make sure it the bag is sealed or the seeds will dry out and will not germinate
Flowers That Need Stratification
Snapdragon 4-6 wk Columbine 2-8 wk Blackberry Lily 4-6 wk Clematis 3 months Larkspur 6 wk Cardinal Flwr 10 days Salvia 1 wk
Coneflowers 3-6 wk Lavender 4 wks Peonies 2 months Jacobs Ladder 2 mth Pansies 4 wks
Light
Mainly the smaller seeds need light to germinate Do not plant seeds deep Place seeds on surface of soil and mist with spray bottle Cover with plastic and place in sunny spot Check seeds daily Once white roots or leaves are seen remove the plastic
Flowers That Need Light
Hollyhock Snapdragons Wax Begonia Foxglove Baby’s Breath Impatiens Petunia Salvia
Columbines Butterfly Weed Celosias Coneflowers Coral Bells Forget-me-not Balloon Flower Pincushion Flower
Dark Seeds won’t germinate while exposed to light
How Bury the seeds 3x their width and water in Cover flat with newspaper and a sheet of black plastic Check seeds daily Once you see white roots or leaves remove the
coverings
Flowers That Need The Dark
Pot Marigold Delphinium Phlox Pansy
Bachelor’s Button Sweet Pea Verbena Statice
Soaking
Seeds that require soaking usually have a tough seed coat You can also soak seeds to check on germination rate
How Place the seeds you want to soak in a small bowl Let the seeds soak for the appropriate time If seeds need to be soaked for more than 12 hrs.
change water every 12 hrs. When done soaking pour off water. Coffee filters work
great for this Plant immediately
Flowers That Need Soaking
Canna – After scarifying, soak for 48 hours Daylilies – Freeze 2 weeks, soak for 5 days Bells of Ireland – Soak for 24 hours Hibiscus – Soak 48 hours Sweet Peas – After stratifying, soak 48 hours
Vegetable Seeds
Vegetables Not to Start Indoors
Bush & Pole Beans Carrots Corn Garlic Peas Radishes
Vegetables to Start Indoors Beets – Start 5 weeks before last frost Broccoli – Start 6-8 weeks before last frost Cabbage – Start 4-6 weeks before last frost Cauliflower – Start 4-6 weeks before last frost Cucumbers – Start 3 weeks before last frost Eggplant – Start 4-6 weeks before last frost Peppers – Start 8 weeks before last frost Tomatoes – Start 6-7 weeks before last frost
Seedlings Have GerminatedNow What??
Seeds GerminatedNow What?
When sprouts appear move the seedlings into bright light
They need 14-16 hrs of natural or fluorescent light to keep from becoming leggy
Keep away from drafty windowsills Once the true leaves appear, water with a half-strength
solution of fertilizer You can use a water-soluble, all purpose plant food Gradually increase strength over time
Seedlings should be thinned to at least 1” apart or transplanted into individual pots
Damping Off Soil borne disease that attacks the seedlings as they
germinate causing them to collapse Stem turns brown, but leaves stay green Prevalent in warm, moist, muggy conditions or when
seedlings are sown too thickly. To prevent
Use only clean pots and seed trays Use a soil-less mix that is moist but not over wet
Transplanting to Garden Plants will need one to two weeks hardening off
This is to acclimate the plants to the outdoors Start by setting them out for a few hours at a time in a
protected, semi shady location Outdoor temperatures should be 45 degrees or warmer Gradually increase the time and exposure to direct sunlight
Transplant seedlings to the garden in the late afternoon or on a cloudy day and water