Need tips for starting plants from seed

[Elismama]

Hi there-

WE are planting our first Vermont garden. In Maryland we had plenty of spring sun and warmth for sprouting our seeds, but the spring sun is pretty weak up here.

Do any of you use grow lights? What kind?

Any other ideas for sprouting seeds for the garden?

I would love any adviceor suggestions.

Thanks,
Jeanie

[m&m]

Well my advice comes from my mother who plants an acre of organic garden vegetables, and berries, every year here in southern Manitoba (very cold, hard clay filled ground).

To start her seed plants (which she does for everything except tomatoes which she finds takes too long to start from seed) she gets some of those cups made out of peat or something (brown ones ?) and plants the seed, and waters them. Places enough to cover a tray - covers them all with seran wrap to keep in moisture, and then puts them in her over with the light on - no heat - for about 24-72 hours. Then once sprouted, she puts them under grow lights she has set up hanging above a table in her basement, and waters the plants periodically. She then moves the tray outdoors for a few hours every day increasing the time outdoors, for about a week, until they can stay out overnight as well, then she plants them in her prepared garden soil. She does all of this in April and May.

She says she wants my dad to build her a real greenhouse with timed sprinklers and everything, and climate control zones. Won't that be neat?

Hope that did not confuse you too much? Not sure if you need that much conditionaing where you live? Basically the oven works really well for that first germination period - warm but not buring like heat lamps, grow lights, or sun would. Good luck!

[Elismama]

Thank you m&m!

Terrific information- our growing season is the same as southern Canada because we are snuggled in the mountains.

thanks so much for taking the time to share all of this, I'll let you know how my seeds do,
-jeanie

[autumn]

i'm in central minnesota (zone 4) and also have to deal with cold and whatnot when starting plants early. two years ago i went the peat pot route and some of the seedlings did okay. this year i invested in a "bio-dome" from park seed (found thier name in "organic gardening" magazine). its a mini-greenhouse that comes with a reusable styrefoam seed starter form which holds plugs of soil and moss. the seedinglings are easily started 60 at a time, and can then be moved to peat pots or directly to the garden without disturbing the roots. so far it has worked GREAT! they even included some organic fertilizer with it.

the bio-dome is similar in result to the seran wrap method m&m's mom's uses...only i'm too lazy to do that myself . i don't have grow lights, so instead i use the florescent shop light in dh's workshop when its too cold out on our porch to have them in natural light. i also set my plants out late may (average last frost date is dd bday).

one gardening item i have found invaluable is the organic garden book by geoff hamilton. 300 pages full of every lawn + garden thing you would ever want to know...all very clear and to the point. its a great resource.

[Elismama]

Thanks again for your suggestions

M&M- I have been doing the oven thing and it is working great- my seedlings are looking terrific. Only one minor incident, my husband preheated before taking them out- but we survived it and I'm so excited about my garden. Send my thanks to your mom!

-jeanie

[m&m]

You're Welcome! I'll pass on your thanks to my mom. She is definately blessed with a green thumb.

I am not - but am planning on helping her with her garden this year so that I can learn. Never thought much about it when I was young. Now I wish i already knew all this stuff.