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Starting Seeds Indoors
Starting your garden plants indoors for a head start on the growing season
Starting Seeds SuccessfullySeeds are alive but in a state of hibernation. By adding moisture and warmth you will stir them into growth and start them on their path to maturity. You can decide which seeds you will bring to life, and when you wish them to awaken. It is almost like magic and very convenient for the organic gardener.Indoor and outdoor plantingSome seeds are so big and sturdy that they can be planted directly in the soil of the garden. Others are tiny, or have such exacting requirements of warmth and humidity that they need special soil, sterile conditions, and attentive care.
Getting an early startSome plants, like tomato plants, require a fairly long growing season and in colder climates require that you start them inside weeks before the weather permits planting them in the garden.Look through the display of seeds at your nursery or hardware store.Each seed packet carries instructions as to the length of the growing season as well as temperature and light requirements for the plant. If you are a beginner, stick to the easy ones the first year. Plants like tomatoes, peppers and herbs are ideal for the novice gardener.
Materials you can use for starting your seeds indoors
The one-step seed starting method
Planting medium
 When the moon is in the proper phase (i.e. waxing) place sterile peat moss or vermiculite and the seeds into containers that are large enough to take the seeds from germination to transplanting. If done correctly, and you have sized the planting medium properly, the plants will be able to be placed directly into your garden without the need to transfer them from pot to pot as they grow. I have found that 4" peat cubes are the easiest to work with.Sowing seedsSow seeds by putting two or three in each dampened container. Do not add any fertilizer at this point. Cover with newspaper and put them in a warm place. Check daily for signs of germination. Remove the newspaper when this happens and move the young plants to a place where they can get some light.Thinning out the seedlingsOnce the seeds have germinated, and produce their first true leaves, thin them out by removing all but the hardiest seedling from each holder. When the weather has stabilized, the moon is in the proper phase and the seedlings have grown to transplant size you will be able to plant them directly into your garden.Creating a mini greenhouse
 Now that the plants have been thinned out water them thoroughly and place on a tray in a large plastic bag. Make some ribs to support the plastic bag from old coat hangers or flexible rods to allow for growth.Keep your mini greenhouse at a temperature of about 75° in a bright, but not sunny, location. Be sure that they stay damp but not soaked. Add a weak starter solution of compost tea or a good organic fertilizer to the water to promote hardy development of the plants and their root systems. Monitor the moisture carefully. If the soil is too wet the plants will die from dampening off disease, too dry and they will not develop as well as they should.
See: Water Requirements - Moisture requirements of plants
Hardening off and transplanting
 When plants are 4" to 6" high, and the weather and moon phase permit, they are ready to be hardened-off and transplanted into the garden. Your plants will require a period of adjustment to outdoor conditions before putting them out.Harden off your plants by moving them outside into a shady and wind protected area. Do this about two weeks before setting them out in the garden. Start by putting them out in the middle of the day for a few hours. Gradually increase the length of time that they are exposed to the outdoors and in a few days they can remain outside. Watch them carefully to see that they do not wilt and keep them sheltered from the wind.
See: Transplanting Seedlings - Moving your seedlings
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