by Linda Batey

Created on: April 18, 2008   Last Updated: April 14, 2011

There is something very special about starting your own seeds instead of buying bedding plants. The sense of accomplishment is great when you've taken a few seeds and turned them into beautiful flowers, herbs or vegetables.The anticipation of getting my hands into soil is almost too much to bear. It's therapy for me to spend hours planting, transplanting, watering and then finally getting to put them into the ground.

There's no special secret to successfully getting seeds to grow. There are five basic needs for successful seed starting: good soil, sunlight, temperature, water and the depth at which to plant your seeds.

I have learned the hard way that cheap soil is not worth the money. I've lost a lot of seedlings to rot because of mildew in the soil; spend the money and buy brand name soil for starting seedlings. Sunlight is important only after the seedlings emerge from the soil, and they like nice bright sunshine. There are full-spectrum light bulbs available that will give added sunlight if you don't have a sunny exposure or your days are too short. I have found that temperature is very important; if your soil is too cool or too warm, your seeds won't germinate; check the back to the package and try to adjust the temperature to accommodate the needs of the seeds. There are grower's heating mats available that are thermostatically controlled to keep an even temperature until seedlings emerge; then the temperature is not so important. The seedlings actually grow stronger in cooler temperatures. The back of the seed packet will also tell you whether or not the seeds need to be buried and how deep. Some seeds will not emerge if you bury them!

Water, of course, is absolutely essential to sprout any kind of seed, but if you water too much, the seeds might rot. There is a delicate balance; I have found that less water is better. The seeds might take a day or too longer to emerge, but they won't rot. Place a small fan so that it blows gently over the seeds and it greatly improves the chances of not getting any rot.

Buying quality seeds are important. Sale seeds are usually last year's seeds and may not germinate well. This is another area that is very important; I have found that cheap seeds are just not worth the savings. Buy brand name seeds and read the back of the packet.

Buying good seeds and good soil are of utmost importance. Add the correct temperature to seeds in good soil and you'll have sturdy seedlings to plant in just a few weeks.

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