Seed Starting Part 2

Whew, what a yucky day! In the wake of two delightfully sunny March days I awoke to gray sky's and a slushy snow/rain mix. At this rate I am unsure of when I am going to be able to get out and do bed preparations and sew my early spring spinach and sugar snap peas. However, Mr. Sunshine is supposed to be making his debut on Monday so I will surely be anticipating his arrival! Hopefully he sticks around for a while....

For a little inspiration today I thought I would post some more about starting seeds indoors. These are the methods I use and they have worked well for me so far.

It is important to start off with a good seeds starting mix. You don't want to use regular potting soil as it is too heavy, and you shouldn't use dirt from the garden because it could have various pathogens that could kill seedlings. I like a good peat and vermiculite mix. They are labeled specifically for seed starting. 

Add warm water, you actually have to add quite a bit but make sure
 you d in batches as you don't want "mud"

When the medium is like moist cake crumbs it is perfect.

Fill whatever pots you have. Peat pots are nice because you can
 tear off the bottoms and  put the pot and the plant right into the ground.

I ended up making some news paper pots because I ran out of the other, but I actually prefer these. They are incredibly easy to make. If you don't have a pot maker you can use a tin can. The tomato paste size is perfect.  

These guys are already to go into a clear plastic bag
 for germination. The bag holds in  moisture and some warmth.
Also, as you can see I started my seeds in old enameled cake pans.
 Really you can use anything you have on hand!

This is my little seed starting station. It isn't fancy at all! My hubby rigged u a shop light on chains to hang from the top of the window. When starting seeds indoors it is important that they have proper light. Unless you have a huge south facing window, you will need to supplement light. One cool and one warm florescent is perfect. Once the seeds germinate,  make sure the light is about two inches away from the plants and that they are kept on for about 16 hrs a day.