Where whimsy, art and heirloom seeds grow together...
Illustrator & Author Rebecca Stouffer
Seed Starting Tips
from Wild Green Onion
Here is where I give a few seed starting tips for certain varieties. I offer just the basics and tell the way that has worked for me. As gardeners we all know that everybody has their own techniques and we learn from each other. Every season I keep learning more and write notes on the calendar. My hope is that though this is not an all-inclusive list, perhaps some helpful information can be gleaned. Best of luck to you this growing season!
This page will continue to grow, so keep checking in...
Learn seed starting tips about different varieties listed below:
Heirloom Tomatoes
Starting any seeds in the months before Spring with snow still on the ground is a labor of love...and hope. And in the shorter growing seasons like Zone 3, when one starts tomato plants, dreams of the end product are very real. The following are some tips that work for me when starting these wonderful plants that will bear delicious fruits... Since I don't put plants in the ground until after June 1st, starting tomatoes the first week of April works pretty well. This will be the first year with our greenhouse made of recycled windows, so the time frame might fluctuate. It will be a learning experience! I'll keep you posted...
Step 1: I usually use a set of trays with divided cells, which I fill with potting soil. I then dampen the soil and let the water drain completely.
Step 2: Taking one seed at a time, I place each one into the individual cells and then cover with a light layer of soil. Using a spray bottle, I mist the soil on top with water and put a clear dome cover over the top of the tray. Before this, make sure to mark your tomatoes if growing different kinds! I use popsicle sticks.
Step 3: Tomato seedlings seem to love warmth... Imagine! I take a wool blanket and wrap the trays up like little bundles and place near a heat source. My heating source is a woodstove of some sort. Nice and warm, but not too warm.
Step 4: Now in about 5 days or so, the seedlings should have sprouted. I get anxious and start checking on day number three... Once they've sprouted, take the blanket off and place the tray in a sunny window, keeping the plastic dome on (retains the moisture). Probably in a day, you'll have to prop the dome above the seedlings so they can get some air flow and to prevent mold growth on the soil.
Step 5: Continue to rotate the tray daily toward the light source. Once there are two hearty good size leaves with a third appearing, you are ready to transplant (just one of the times perhaps). I use 3" square pots (plastic ones reused year after year). Fill the pots with potting soil and wet thoroughly, draining well. Taking a tool about the diameter of a pencil, make a deep hole in the center of the soil. I use the wooden part of an old watercolor paintbrush.
Step 6: Using the paintbrush, I take the wooden tip and push under the seedling that I want to transplant. Once I have it free, I gently place it into the hole in the new pot. I plant them deep, so the stem will be in the soil with only the leaves showing above the soil. This encourages root growth and prevents straggly stems. This will be done in a different way when the plant is ready to be planted in its permanent garden home, but that's down the road a ways...
Step 7: Remember to lightly water daily. Rotate in the sunny window to grow straight plants. Also, a rotating fan on the low setting helps with airflow and also puts strength into the stems. If you live off-the-grid like I do, I have taken to fanning them with a hand held paper fan twice a day...remember it's a labor of love, right?
Step 8: Your tomatoes should continue to grow and grow. You might want to transplant them another time into a 1/2 gallon or gallon size black plastic pot. I usually get by with the 3" size pot, but it just depends on the weather and how big they are.
Step 9: Enjoy the fruits of your labor!
