Seed-Starting - Dig It, Drill It, Dump It

January 2012 © Independence Gardens LLC Download the handout that goes along with this slideshow! h p://bit.ly/xnpYix Seed-Starting Independence Gardens Portland, ORTuesday, January 31, 2012

What We’ll Cover Today Preview Got Questions? Topics We’ll Cover • What is a seed? Please ask as we go along. • How does it work, & what does it need? • Why start seeds indoors? • When/where/how to plant • Making a seed-starting setup • Best seeds for seed-starting and where to get them • Seedling careTuesday, January 31, 2012

What is a seed? Seed: A mature fertilized plant ovule consisting of an embryo and its food source and having a protective coat or testa Or…: A potential plant, dormant until it experiences the right conditions, when it uses the energy it has stored to grow until it can photosynthesizeTuesday, January 31, 2012

How does it work? • Cotyledons (cot-ull-EE- dons) come rst • en, look for “true” (foliage) leaves • Germ time depends on plant, seed quality, etc. Plant parts exercise!Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Why start seeds indoors? • Cost – It’s generally cheaper to start your own • Save and share seed; store seed properly so you can use it for a few years • Timing – It’s easy to get a jump-start on the season, stagger plantings, and grow mega-veggies! • Reliability – It’s hard to know where your starts were before they came to you…unless you grew them Alternatives: Starting seeds outside with season-extenders (cloches and cold frames) or oating row covers (reemay); buying plants as starts to transplant later in the season.Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What does a seed need? • Growing medium – Soilless seed-starting mix is recommended • Garden soil is heavy and can harbor disease organisms – Seed must be in rm contact with the soil all around it • Warmth – Consistency is key (avoid uctuations) – Most cool-season veggies will germinate at room temp – On the other hand, warm-season plants (tomatoes, peppers, cukes, eggplant, okra, squashes, or melons) need temps of 75°-90° to germinate, and a er that, like to hang out between 60° and 75°Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What (else) does a seed need? • Moisture – Water from below so soil is damp, not soaking – Damping-oﬀ (  ) is a fungal problem associated with soil that is too wet! • Light – As soon as it emerges – 14 hrs./day (in 2011, the rst day this happens without supplemental light: April 25) – Automation: light timers are lovely • Air ow – Plants get “leggy” ( ) if there’s not enough air movement/light’s far away • Space & timeTuesday, January 31, 2012

When to plant • Find your last frost date ~April 15, in Portland • Count backward an appropriate length of time! – Varies by plant; check seed packet and planting calendarTuesday, January 31, 2012

When to plant example: broccoli • Last frost date is 4/15 • Broccoli is safe to set out 4 weeks before to 2-3 weeks a er last frost date • It takes 6 to 8 weeks to get to transplant size • 4 weeks before 4/15 is 3/18 & 3 weeks a er is 5/6 = Plant (3/18 minus 8 wks.) to (5/6 minus 6 wks.) = Sow seeds indoors 1/21-3/25 • Our best advice: STAGGER YOUR PLANTINGSTuesday, January 31, 2012

Where to plant • Choose your own container – Needs to be well-drained, so poke drainage holes if the setup doesn’t have them already – Err on the side of shallow • You can transplant to a larger container before transplanting out to the garden ( “up-po ing,” or “po ing up”) – Sanitize pots if you are reusing • 10% bleach solution/15 min.Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Make a seed-starting setup • Use materials you have on hand – Bookshelves – Utility shelves – Shop lights • Lights – Light sets 2-4 in. above growing tips – Moveable to t diﬀerent varietiesTuesday, January 31, 2012

How to plant: dig, drill, dump! • Depends on the size of the seed: plant at a depth ~2x the seed diameter – Dig: make a hole, drop in the seed, and cover it up – Drill: the nger-poke method • For larger seeds: put the seed atop unpacked soil, and poke it in up to your rst knuckle – Dump: the sprinkle method • For smaller seeds: shake a few out of the seed packet onto the soil – Other methods ()Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Your best bets • Brassicas • Nightshades – Kale – Tomatoes – Cabbage – Peppers – Chinese cabbage – Eggplants – Broccoli – Cauli ower – Brussels sprouts NOTE: You can try to start just about anything early indoors just try to take extra-good care of them…and hedge your bets by planting some outside, too.Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Not your best bets • Root vegetables • Cucurbits – Radishes – Cucumbers – Carrots – Squash – Beets • Winter (e.g. pumpkins) and summer (e.g. zucchini) – Turnips – Melons – Parsnips • Fussy greens • Peas – Spinach • Beans – Swiss chard • Corn • DillTuesday, January 31, 2012

Caring for your plant-babies • Light – 2-4 in. above plants, 14 hrs./day • Water – From below • Organic fertilizer – A er true leaves appear • Brushing or fanning – Make ‘em stocky! • inning – Do it (down to 1 plant/cell) • Hardening oﬀ – AcclimatizeTuesday, January 31, 2012

And nally… • Focus on organic, heirloom, and especially local varieties – Healthy seeds, diverse characteristics, suited for cultivation here • An insider’s tip on where to get seeds this season: –www.SabinGardens.orgTuesday, January 31, 2012

Next steps for you! • Take the handouts home and ll out the date ranges for planting – Just your favorites to save time/ energy • Look through your seeds/seed catalogues and select your top picks • Make a plan: put your seeding dates on your garden calendar • Logistics: set up your seed- starting area before you need it • Put your plan into action!Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Questions?Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Seed-Starting - Dig It, Drill It, Dump It

by independencegardenspdx on Jan 31, 2012

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Seed-Starting - Dig It, Drill It, Dump It — Presentation Transcript