We’re getting closer to spring and it’ll soon be time to start seeds indoors to be ready for planting.
Iowa State University Extension horticulture specialist Aaron Steil (like file) says line up your seeds to get started. “Most seeds indoors need between six to eight weeks before being transplanted outside,” he says. “And for much of Iowa, we’re going to be transplanting last week of April, first week of May. And so when you count back, mid-March, early to mid-March is kind of that time frame when a lot of these seeds get sown.”
He says there are a variety of plants you can start early. “Kind of the classics include things like tomatoes and peppers for vegetables, marigolds and petunias, impatiens. Some of these other things for annuals, they tend to germinate well and transplant outside really well,” Steil says.
There are certain vegetables he says really hate being transplanted, and starting them early doesn’t give you an advantage. “Things like cucumbers and melons really can be just direct sown into the garden rather than trying to transplant them. You only gain about a week when you do that anyway, because there’s usually so much shock from the transplanting,” he says.
Steil says there’s all kinds of containers you can use to start your plants. “Whether you buy stuff from the store, there’s certainly lots of different plastic containers you can reuse or recycle containers. You can even make containers out of little origami paper pots if you really want to. There’s a lot of options there,” Steil says. “They just need to make sure that they are clean and that they have drainage available to them. If there are those two things, they can work quite well for starting seed.”
Steil say you should use seed starting soil instead of potting soil. “It tends to be much finer textured than potting soil. And that allows for really good seed to soil contact. And that’s really important for good germination,” he says. “If you’re using older seed in particular, germination rates might not be as high as you would want them to be. So anything you can do to help that, like using a seed starting mix, can be very helpful.”
Steil says water the seeds carefully so you don’t wash them out. Also, cover them with a dome or something to help raise the humidity. Once the seeds emerge, find the brightest spot in your house or use a grow light or some other kind of light source.
