SEED STARTING

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• SEED STARTING
• Presented by
• Marianne Pelletier, CMG

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Double Coconut
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Rain Forest Orchids
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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 wont be bringing something
  unwanted home
• You get more variety
• The enjoyment of seeing your seedlings emerge
  from the soil

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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

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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.

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Wilson County Planting Guide
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Seed Starting Supplies

• Label/Marker
• Spray Bottle
• Soil-Less Mix
• Flat/Cell trays/pots
• Seeds
• Warm Spot in Your House
• Optional Equipment
• Artificial Lights
• Heating Mats
• Cold Frame/Greenhouse

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Grow Lights
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Flower Seeds The Divas of the Seed World
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How to Help the Seed to Germinate

• Scarification
• Stratification
• Soaking
• Light
• Dark

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Scarification Tools Needed Small Sharp
Paring Knife Sandpaper

• What is it?
• To remember what scarification means just think
  of the word scar, which is what you are doing
  to the seed
• Happens naturally when a bird swallows the seed
  and then passes it through the digestive system
• Not all seeds need scarification. The following
  website is a good reference www.chestnut-sw.com

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How To

• Nick the seed with the paring knife or scratch
  the surface of the seed with the sandpaper
• All seeds dont 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

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Flowers That Need Scarification

• Hollyhock
• Angels Trumpet
• Moon Flower
• False Indigos
• Canna
• Morning Glories

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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

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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

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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

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Flowers That Need Light

• Hollyhock
• Snapdragons
• Wax Begonia
• Foxglove
• Babys Breath
• Impatiens
• Petunia
• Salvia

• Columbines
• Butterfly Weed
• Celosias
• Coneflowers
• Coral Bells
• Forget-me-not
• Balloon Flower
• Pincushion Flower

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Dark

• Seeds wont 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

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Flowers That Need The Dark

• Pot Marigold
• Delphinium
• Phlox
• Pansy

• Bachelors Button
• Sweet Pea
• Verbena
• Statice

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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

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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

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Vegetable Seeds
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Vegetables Not to Start Indoors

• Bush Pole Beans
• Carrots
• Corn
• Garlic
• Peas
• Radishes

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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

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Seedlings Have Germinated Now What??
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Seeds Germinated Now 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

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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

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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

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