Pro tips for starting seeds indoors in the winter

Starting seeds indoors in the winter

As gardening approaches, it's time to think about your growth strategy. One of the best ways to get a good start in food and flower production is to learn how to start seeds indoors.

What kind of space commitment do you need, and how much does all the equipment needed cost?

I have been cultivating seeds home for many years at home and completing a strategy that works well in small spaces.

Here are my twelve best tips for starting seeds indoors this winter so you can reap the rewards throughout the summer.

Tips for starting seeds indoors in the winter

Your overall goal by starting seeds indoors is to give the plants a start and optimal growing conditions so they will burst with growth as soon as they get to the garden.

Each plant has specific requirements that can slightly change your seed opening techniques, and these tips should act as guides for most organisms.

1. Find a warm, trouble-free place

Your first step is to make sure you have the right place to start the seeds. Ideally, you want a bright, warm place where your plants can grow without the threat of being attacked by pests. At a minimum, seedlings need 6-8 hours of direct light per day.

I start the seeds with the south-facing window in an unused corner of my laundry room because the room is outside and the door can be closed to retain moisture. I set up a metal storage cupboard in the corner of the room and decorated it with two shop lights on one shelf.

Each light is set on an outlet timer to give the plants an extra twelve hours of light each day.

2. Choose your seed varieties carefully

No sense in telling you now - I don't wanna ruin the surprise. Long-term crops like tomatoes, peppers, winter squash, and okra make a lot of sense because you will get an improvement during the growing season indoors.

I enjoy starting them at home with greens like cabbage, collards, and lettuce to enjoy them in early summer.

Most root crops such as carrots, radishes, or turnips do not do so because the planting process disturbs the roots and destroys any of the benefits that were there early on. For me, Pete is the exception. I have had great success starting beats in soil blocks.

A seed pocket will usually provide all the relevant information to determine if the different varieties are performing best when starting indoors or sowing directly.

But most importantly, show restraint when choosing what to plant. Less during gardening - Engage in more variety, and you can grow more and give up everything.

I recommend starting with six or fewer plant varieties in your first year and increasing to one or more each spring as you master your techniques.

3. Set up the Seed Start Calendar in advance

The indoor seed starts success comes with time. Start very late, you will get a start but will start very quickly, and you will get large plants in your home a few weeks before the outdoor weather warms up enough to handle them.

The best strategy is to plan your planting schedule in advance. First, find the estimated last frost date in your region.

Next, read the instructions in each seed packet to determine how many weeks (usually shown as a limit) to start sowing seeds before this date. From there, you can work backward to set a calendar for when to plant each variety.

Tip: Stumble your plantings for two weeks or more on crops you once harvested, such as greens and some herbs.

4. Carefully select your growing substrate and containers

The soil you use for your seeds determines what kind of start they will get in life, so never underestimate the quality.

You can avoid many common problems by choosing a sterile seed starter that guarantees no germs. Most are not soil, but a mixture of microscopic organisms and mineral substances such as beet moss, perlite, coconut fiber, and vermiculite.

Look for relatively light and fluffy compounds that mean they do not trap moisture and stimulate fungal growth. Go too heavy, and compress the soil, Gentle roots can be challenging to get through.

Here is our recipe for making your own charcoal-free seedless starter mix.

The next step is to determine how to control it. My system is simple. I use the basic growing trays inside the six-cell seed trays. If I need to replace large varieties like tomatoes or squash before bringing them out, I use large square nursery pots that fit on the same trays.

5. Prepare the seeds before planting

Some seeds need attention before planting. Read carefully to see if the pockets should be soaked overnight in warm water or follow other instructions.

If you are using old seeds, it is a good idea to put some on a damp paper towel and put them in a ziplock bag for a week to see what percentage of the growth is showing signs of germination.