by Lana Stockton

Created on: March 13, 2009   Last Updated: June 08, 2010

Nothing says spring like tiny green plants sprouting on a sunny window sill.

To get your own sprouts, you'll need a few supplies: Containers, soil, seeds and sunshine.

Containers:

Your choice of containers can be as simple as a milk carton or egg carton cups. Part of the enjoyment of indoor planting starts with finishing off that carton of milk so you can have the container for planting. Fry up those last two eggs and you'll have another paper carton to add to your collection.

You can plant all the seeds in a large, general container, or individually in peat pots or egg cartons. Paper cartons work much like peat pots in that they are biodegradable and can be placed in the garden without disturbing the tiny plant.

By the time your plant is ready to be transferred to the garden, its roots will have penetrated through the biodegradable container. Pot, plant and root will be one unit and can be placed in the garden with less chance of causing root shock to the young plant.

Soil:

What's wrong with using a pile of dirt from the garden? Plenty. Along with the outside dirt comes all kinds of things you can't see that will affect your tiny sprouts. Bacteria, spores and plant-snacking insects are not a good start for any kind of plant.

Sterilizing your garden soil will make it safe for starting seeds, but there's more to consider. Just as you wouldn't give a human baby steak and potatoes to grow on, your new vegetable and flower sprouts need special care and nutrients, too.

Choose a growing medium that provides proper drainage, which is essential to germinating seeds and new sprouts. Without adequate drainage, the seeds could be saturated for too long and become compost rather than sprouts.

Special potting soil mix is available wherever garden plants and seeds are sold such as home improvement stores, Walmart and garden supply stores. A few companies sell packaged potting soil that has been fortified with nutrients.

Garden soil, which is rather heavy, tends to pack down. Whereas potting mix is designed to retain moisture, remain loose and airy. This allows newly sprouted seeds to navigate rapidly toward the sunny surface and flourish once they get there.

A mix with Perlite is ideal for helping soil with aeration, drainage and moisture retention. Although Perlite looks like tiny Styrofoam beads, it's actually a volcanic mineral product. Vermiculite is another good soil additive that's been around for a long time. These shimmering, squarish pieces look like bits of mica, and are as lightweight as Styrofoam. They soak up water like a mini reservoir, later releasing it to thirsty plants.

A Word About Seeds:

While you may find off brand seeds on sale, or seeds packaged for years gone by, you will have the best success purchasing quality seeds packaged for the upcoming spring. Top seed companies charge more, but their hybrid seeds are specially engineered to produce the highest quality fruit in abundance. Good quality seeds will produce a higher yield in the same amount of garden space.

Once you've planted the seeds, carefully moisten the soil so as not to disturb the newly planted seeds. Loosely cover the container with plastic wrap, then put them in a warm, sunny spot to thrive in. A sunny window works nicely. Keep soil evenly moist until the seeds have sprouted. Then sit back, and wait for the first signs of spring to pop up in your own home!

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