Want To Garden During Winter? Follow These Tips To Start Seeds Indoors

Planting seeds indoors is just as exciting as a late winter gardener in the greater Columbus area. If you start planting indoors, grow seedlings from transplants or plant in your garden where they will mature and remain fresh and nutritious for 2-8 weeks, depending on the size and growth rate of your crop. Vegetables are available in spring and summer.

Here are my top ten tips for successful indoor seed starting:

#1 – Choose the right seeds for growing indoors – Vegetables that can be grown successfully indoors include Brussels sprouts, eggplant, kale, lettuce, collard greens, onions, okra, peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, and green cabbage. Some seeds that are a little more difficult to grow successfully indoors are celery, chard, cucumber, cantaloupe, squash, spinach, and squash.

#2 – Plant at the Right Time – The right time to plant seeds indoors depends on when it is safe to plant outdoors after the last frost in Greater Columbus. Cool season crops such as lettuce and kale can be planted in early March and grown indoors in late February and March. Warm season plants such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and others should be planted indoors 6-8 weeks before the usual last frost date which is around May 1st. That means you can grow these plants indoors next week!

#3 – Avoid using native soil – Soilless seed mixes are the best medium when starting indoor planting. Even good quality soil with sufficient organic matter can pose a challenge for proper bud and seedling growth when starting indoors. These soils contain weed seeds and harbor pathogens.

Many soilless seed mixes are available at local garden centers. These mixes are sterile and usually contain a combination of pea moss, vermiculite and perlite. I prefer mixes that contain vermiculite as this natural mineral aids germination.

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#4 - Use Only Clean Containers - Many different types of containers are suitable for starting seeds at home, including containers you may have on hand. I like to use black plastic containers after drilling the drainage holes. Small peat pots and plastic cell packs for planting seeds can be purchased online or at local garden centers.

All containers should have drainage holes and bowls should be placed under the containers to catch excess water. Make sure containers are properly cleaned before use. Wash them in soapy water, then rinse with a solution of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Dry well before adding the seed mixture.

#5 - Place the seedlings in the window - natural light from the window is rarely enough to grow a good, strong seedling. Seedlings grown on windowsills tend to lean toward the light and produce thin, thin, tall stems, and the plants lack vigor. Acceptable vegetation can sometimes be found on south-facing windows, large bay windows, and sunny windows.

The best approach to growing seedlings indoors is to grow them under fluorescent lights and grow lights, which allow you to adjust the duration of light and the quality of light, including blue and red wavelengths. Seedling bulbs suitable for growing seedlings are available at local garden centers and online.

#6 - Soil Temperature is Critical - The temperature of the seed mix is more critical than the air temperature in the room where you grew the seeds. For optimal germination, the temperature of the soilless seed mix should be at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

Consider purchasing an electric seed starting mat that will heat your growing environment 10 to 20 degrees above ambient room temperature. This is especially important if you are growing your seedlings in a cold space like a basement.

#7 - Don't over fertilize - Seedlings get energy to germinate from the nutrients stored in the seeds. They do not need fertilizer until they have many true leaves. Soilless mixes contain no nutrients, so a water-soluble fertilizer usually only needs to be applied once a week when the seedlings are developing true leaves. Choose a fertilizer with a high potassium content as this nutrient is important for root development.

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#8 - Keep the potting soil moist - Be sure to keep the potting soil moist at all times, but not too much. Depending on the temperature and light in the room, it should be watered once or twice a week. Spray bottles can be especially useful for watering before and during germination.

#9 - Tall Pot - When your seedlings outgrow the containers they were planted in, you can transplant them into larger containers. If necessary, lift the seedlings from the root ball for support. Never hold the seedling by the stem as you may crush or damage the growing tip. Large seedlings in large containers need more space and often different lighting.

#10 - Harden off seedlings - Indoor plants are not exposed to full sun, wind or fluctuating temperatures. If they don't gradually adapt to the outdoor environment, a process called "hardening," their leaves can be scorched by the sun or wind. You can dehydrate and die.

Bring the seedlings outside two weeks before planting outside. Start by placing it outside in the shade and out of the wind for a few hours in the afternoon heat. Bring them back inside before the temperature starts to drop in the evening. Leave the plant a little longer each day and get direct sunlight. At the end of two weeks, barring cold temperatures, the seedlings can be kept in a sunny location until they are ready to be planted in the garden.

Mike Hogan is Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Associate Professor of Extension at The Ohio State University.

hogan.1@osu.edu

This article originally appeared in the Columbus Dispatch: Mike Hogan's Top 10 Tips for Successfully Starting Home Seeds