Indoors and Out Durham Master Gardeners Website www

Indoors and Out Durham Master Gardeners Website: www. durhammastergardeners. ca Email: info@durhammastergardeners. ca

Learn from the Seed Package

Seed starting times Check the dates based on last frost in your area

Conditioning Your Seeds Some seeds with a hard seed coat need to be soaked or scarified before planting

Starting Seeds Indoors § § Use sterile, clean pots Use a starter growing soil Plant depth = 2 x seed diameter Label your seeds – they all look alike when they are small!

Germinating Seeds Some seeds require dark to germinate Check soil temperature guides if planting outside Some seeds require humidity to germinate Some seeds require heat to germinate

Cotyledon Phase

First True Leaves

Using Grow Lights Turn on the lights when the first true leaves appear Raise the lights as the seedlings grow

Thinning Seedlings Thin your seedlings to one or two plants per cell pot in order to give them room to grow. Snip the extra or “tease” them from the pot and transplant into a new pot.

Transplanting

Conditions to Watch for Mealy bug White fly Downy Mildew Damping off Aphids

Watering Best to water from below and allow to drain well Overwatered Seedlings too dry

Fertilizing Fertilize when first true leaves appear Use water soluble fertilizer – 25% solution to start, then build to 75% § Fertilize every two weeks § § Phosphorous or Potassium deficiency Nitrogen deficiency

Easy seeds to start indoors Basil Beans Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage Leeks Lettuce Peppers Tomatoes Alyssum Columbine Cosmos Hollyhocks Marigolds Pansies Shasta daisies Snapdragons Zinnias

Hardening Off

Planting Outside Transplant outside in containers or beds after hardening off and after the last frost has passed

Seeds to direct sow in the garden Beans Carrots Chives Lettuce Onions Peas Pumpkins Radishes Summer Squash Winter Squash Coriander (Cilantro) Summer Savory Calendula Cosmos Johnny Jump-ups Love-in-a-mist Morning Glories Nasturtium Portulaca