While in the fall, I do remove the spent annuals I do not deadhead perennials. I prefer to leave the seed heads for the birds that visit our yard. As spring grows nearer, we’ll put bird feeders out to help our winged visitors through the nesting season.

Seed catalogues are piling up and I’m forcing myself not to look at them too much lest I be tempted to over spend and over plant. Not that I have the room for overplanting anymore, Economics has made maintaining our hobby greenhouse rather difficult. In other words, heating it throughout late winter and early spring months has become “cost prohibitive”.  Last year I attempted to grow seedlings in a lighted plant stand with mixed results. The lack of humidity was the biggest reason the plants did not fare well. Then there was the light. Or should I say lack of light. Despite the grow lights, the seedlings all became too spindly. Pinching and pruning didn’t help much. The other thing that didn’t work well in the plant stand was vines! I love flowering annual vines such as mina lobata, cardinal vine, canary vine. And no matter how hard I tried to keep them separated, I couldn’t. What a mess!  I will try again this year to grow seedlings in the plant stand. In a pre-emptive move,   I have purchased a roll of clear plastic to make a humidity cover for the stand. That has to help! I’ll let you know how it turns out.

In the meantime, the houseplants are receiving my attention. They are being watered regularly, fertilized (at half strength), brown tips and leaves are kept to a minimum, and the plants that need some shaping are getting just that. They seem to be pretty grateful for the extra care as they are looking much healthier than when I brought them back into the house after a summer outside. The bougainvillea that hung outdoors all last summer in all its green glory finally decided to show some colour this month.  The spider plant is producing dozens of babies. Not bad considering I purchased three little spider plants for $ .75  last fall  during the season-end clearance sales. They were in 3” pots and all leaves. I potted them together in a 10” hanging basket and waited. My patience has been rewarded.

Annuals grown from seed by homeowner

If you’ve never started seeds indoors, here are some tips to help you succeed.

Sterilize! Use sterilized seed starting mix (not potting mix or garden soil), and sterilized flats and pots. If you are re-using some of last year’s flats, wash them with a bit of bleach in warm soapy water, rinse well and allow them to dry completely.

Organize! Have everything ready before you begin sowing the seeds – flats, pots, labels, marker, spray bottle of room temperature water.

 Fill the containers with the seeding mix. Water with warm (not hot) water. Allow it to drain and water again if necessary. The seeding mix should be moist right to the bottom of the container.

Make up labels. Using a waterproof marker, write the name and variety of the seeds on the front of the label. Write the date you sowed the seeds on the back.

Not all seeds germinate under the same conditions. Some require light to germinate, some complete darkness, some a light covering of starting mix.  Some need to be treated to a period of cold before sowing (place those is the freezer or fridge prior to sowing). The back of the seed packets will give that information. Separate the seed packets into different piles according to their germination preferences. Sow seeds with the same requirements, in the same flat.

Sow the seeds according to the instructions on the seed pack or in the seed catalogue.

Insert labels after each variety is sown.

If you are covering the seed bed with starting mix, mist with the top of the seed bed with the spray bottle. The seed bed should be moist, not wet.  

If the instructions state complete darkness is required for germination, cover the flat with black plastic. Otherwise, cover with a clear plastic flat cover.

Set the flats in a warm, draft free space to germinate.

Keep the tops of the seed flats moist by misting with the spray bottle. Depending on how hot and dry your house is, you may have to mist the flats two or three times a day. Note: If you use a watering can, you run the risk of flooding the seed bed and washing away the seeds.

The minute you notice the seeds have begun to germinate, remove the sheets of plastic if used, and replace with a clear cover.

The closer the seedlings are to the light source, the better. Too far from the light, the seedlings will become spindly. Avoid placing the flats in direct sun as the seedlings, being very tender at this stage, can fry or become sunburned. Keep the flats misted.

When the seedlings have two sets of true leaves on them, fertilize them with a 10-52-10 starter fertilizer applied at half strength. (At this point you can begin using a watering can.) Fertilize once a week, until the seedlings are growing well.

When the seedlings begin to reach the top of the plastic cover, remove it.

When the seedlings have several sets of leaves on them, switch to 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer for two applications.

After that, begin using 15-30-15 fertilizer on flowering plants and 20-20-20 on foliage plants.  All fertilizer applications should be at half strength.

If you notice flower buds forming, resist the temptation to let them develop. Until the seedlings are ready to plants outdoors, you want their energy concentrated on producing strong foliage and roots, not flowers.

Good air circulation, clean containers, and sterilized seeding mix all help prevent damping off and other diseases from infecting your seedlings. As always, avoid wetting the foliage when you water.

Old Man Winter is tightening his bone chilling grip on us. With another five inches of snow last night, and temperatures expected to dip to -20C this week, spring seems an eternity away. Thank goodness there are seed catalogues and gardening magazines to remind us of what is to come.

Pouring through the seed catalogues, I have managed to assemble a rather long list of potential candidates for inclusion in our gardens. Regretfully, there is not time, nor space nor money to start and grow-on all of the seed varieties currently on the list.  So, the annual task of making the gut wrenching decisions on what to order and what to leave off the list has begun.

The first to go are the plants that are cheaper to purchase at the local greenhouses than they are to start from seed because of the length of time required from seeding to planting out; Geraniums, impatiens for example.

Next are the seeds that are much too expensive for a limited budget: $7.95 for 10 seeds.

The third determining factor is those seeds that require special conditions for germinating or growing-on that our hobby greenhouse cannot produce.

The fourth and final cut is based on plants that will become too large, therefore taking up too much space in our small greenhouse.

The exceptions (made every year) include:

-          plants that are not usually available at most of the local greenhouses

-          at least one “fussy” variety (just to test my skills)

-          plants that cost too much to purchase

By now the seed list has been trimmed to a manageable size, but, there is still the dollar factor to consider. The budget set out for seed purchases forces me to make further cuts to the list.  Those are determined by my “mood du jour”. By the time the seed orders begin arriving, I’ll be kicking myself for not ordering something. But, in May when the planting out begins and the gardens begin to take shape, I’ll be happy with the plants that made the list.

But first, the seeding mix and flats have to be brought in from the greenhouse. That means bundling up, trudging through the snow, chipping away the ice in front of the greenhouse door, crawling under the benches to pull the bags of seeding mix out. Easy if they aren’t frozen in place. Then, shifting I don’t know how many pieces of patio furniture, a bicycle, three bales of potting mix and an old cupboard awaiting refinishing, to get at the seeding flats. Hopefully the covers are in the same spot as the flats. If not, more shifting and rummaging about will be necessary. Then, after jamming the greenhouse door closed, I somehow have to lug all those things through the snow and into the house.

Once I get to the house, all the seeding stuff and myself have to make it past one very curious dog and two very curious cats. They will all feel it is necessary to check everything out thoroughly before I can get in the door and get it closed. There goes the heating bill. If the Curious George’s we live with approve, the soil, flats, covers and myself can come into the house.

Then the flats will need washing and sterilizing. The Curious Ones don’t feel they need to supervise that. They do however like to help with the seeding process. All the little envelopes, labels, and pens are quite fascinating to them for some reason. The cats seem to prefer the seeding process to take place on the floor. At least I assume that’s what they prefer since they make a point of batting the envelopes, labels and pens onto the floor every chance they get. The dog just wants to eat the seeding mix and thinks the flats make great chew toys.

Once the seeding sowing is completed with the assistance of a spray bottle of water (for the pets, not the seed flats), they newly sown treasures will be placed gently in the plant stand. The trip to the plant stand is not so gentle when someone decides it will be fun to race Mum up the stairs while her hands are full with the flats she’s trying not to upset. The other two pets want in on that game too, so they join the race.

Finally, I will make it to the plant stand, flats and seed intact. Sort of. But, the plant stand is full of “things”. Like Christmas ornaments, pot-size trellises, a wire rack, a wooden sign and a large, engraved stone. And, a watering can! So, the seed flat must be put somewhere so I can clear the plant stand. Aha! The bathtub! No, the dog sleeps in there (seriously!). On my desk? No, the cats sleep there. The floor is definitely out of the question. So is the computer desk that I haven’t seen the top of in months. Okay, the floor of the closet, and I’ll close the door. Brilliant! Wait a minute, I see the dog and only one cat. Where is the other cat? Sure enough, in the closet lying on the seed flat.

I think I’ll buy my bedding plants this year!

3. place seeds that require stratification in freezer

4. Purchase soilless seed starting mix

5. If re-using old seeding flats or pots, sterilize in bleach and warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly

6. Fill flats with seeding mix and water gently with a soft spray of warm water, repeating if necessary

7. Write out labels ahead of time

8. Sow seeds according to directions on seed packets (covered with soil or not)

9. Gently spray the planted seeds with room temperature water

10. Cover trays or pots with sheet of plastic. Clear plastic, or for seeds requiring darkness, black plastic.

11. Place flats in a warm (not hot) place away from direct light

12. When seeds begin to germinate, remove plastic sheets and replace with a clear plastic dome

13. Move trays to light. Keep under fluorescent lights from twelve to sixteen hours a day. Using a timer on your lights takes to worry out of forgetting.

14. Keep an eye on the moisture levels of your seed flats! It is crucial that they not be allowed to dry out!