WHY START VEGETABLE SEEDS INDOORS

If you’re going to raise more than a few plants, then it makes financial sense to start your garden plants from seed when possible. For example, tomatoes are selling for $2.00/lb on average. Let’s assume a dollar per tomato. Alternatively, you could buy a single tomato plant for $4.00 and expect it to produce roughly 40 tomatoes, averaging 10 cents per tomato. Already a huge savings (ten-fold). Next consider a seed packet for $2.50 containing 250 seeds. At this rate, 10-cents will yield 10 plants, or 400 tomatoes! That dollar now buys 4,000 tomatoes. Now that’s a good deal!

Perhaps even more importantly, ordering seeds allows you access to a much greater variety of plants. Those seedlings for sale outside of big-box stores are there because they withstand abuse and neglect. While that’s a good feature, so is taste, disease hardiness, heat or cold tolerance, and a whole host of other factors. And some plants simply don’t transplant well.

WHEN to ORDER SEEDS

We order earlier every year. In 2021, we ordered in the first week of January as we’ve done for a years only to find that our three favorite seed suppliers were either sold out of some of our favorite varieties, or had placed ordering on hold. The pandemic sww a huge resurgence in gardening and the seed companies have been overwhelmed.

If you keep records of what you order and can get online to order before the seed catalogs arrive in the mail, then you’ll beat the crowds. November or December might work. I’m old-school, and while I do keep records of what we order, I love looking through the catalogs and reading the descriptions of the new varieties. In normal times, early January is adequate. You’ll be able to put some seeds in the ground in February and start others indoors that same month.

SEED SUPPLIERS

FedCo – hands down our favorite, even though they specialize in cold-hardy varieties for the northeast. They are a worker and member owned cooperative that has been selling seed since 1978. They pledge no seed they sell is GMO, meaning you can save their seed, although hybrids are another story I’ll get to later. Many seed varieties are offered as organic. The print catalog is on unassuming newsprint and lacks vibrant glossy colors, but more than makes up for the black and white with gorgeous, creative artwork – the drawings on every page are so much more fun to behold. I confess I’ve decorated my pantry with covers that I’ve embellished with colored pencil. They have the best prices (being a coop and not profit-minded), and offer seed in a wide range of quantities to suit growers of all sizes.

Southern Exposure Seed Exchange – a gem in that they carry and feature varieties well suited to our warm southern climate. Why are so many seed companies based in New England? Like FedCo they offer many organic varieties and both include herbs as well. The down side is they often offer only a packet size, no bulk.

Johnny’s – a staple for commercial growers. They always seem to have what we want, but are sometimes a little pricy. They have many organic varieties. They also have tools and supplies such as row covers.

Baker’s Creek – We haven’t ordered from this outfit in a few years, but they are champions at finding and offering both traditional and unusual heirloom seeds. By selling only heirlooms, they are not just enabling but encouraging their customers to save garden seeds, as only seed from heirloom plants produce true, reliable offspring. Hybrid varieties may offer resistance to certain things, but if you are interested in saving seed, heirlooms are the only way to go.

HOW MUCH SEED TO ORDER

Ah, the million dollar question: how much should I plant? This is unique for each situation and preference. There are countless guides available online and many books designed for the backyard gardener. I suspect each state's cooperative extension service offers a planting guide. Oklahoma’s can be found at https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/oklahoma-garden-planning-guide.html and includes row footage per person, which is very helpful. I highly recommend making a plan at least the first year.

If you have the space, and you plan on growing to provide all your needs during the growing season in addition to preserving food for the colder months, then you’ll need even more than the guides say. If space isn’t a limiting factor, I’d plant extra. You can always sell or gift your surplus. If you don’t want to create extra work for yourself, I promise no neighbor will turn their nose up at an offer to come pick all they want.

To be more specific, I’d plan on growing greens, lettuce, green onions, cabbage, radish and carrots through the winter, so purchase enough for two plantings, which may or may not be accounted for in your state’s plating guide. If you plan to can, pickle, dehydrate or freeze the following, then I’d purchase and plant 1.5-2x what the guides advise of the following crops: asparagus, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, okra, pepper, summer squash and tomato.

Most seeds remain viable for at least a year. We buy new seeds each year, as the germination rate is best (germination is the sprouting of seeds – some are just duds after a while). But we always save old seed... just in case. Maybe you want to buy a little extra to have some in reserve too – just in case.

The following chart shows what we bought for 2021.

I am not sharing this with the intention that you copy our plan. Your needs are your own and will be different from ours. This is just one starting point – one guide of many you want to consult.

In addition to the above, we’ll buy onion sets, seed potatoes and sweet potato slips locally.We’ll likely buy extra tomato and pepper seedlings in town, as my husband cannot resist making these purchases.This doesn’t look like much on paper, but it produces enough vegetables to feed us (and our son) year-round.

STARTING VEGETABLE SEEDS INDOORS

Which seeds

Some plants do well when the seed is sown directly into the garden soil in the garden. We direct seed carrots, lettuce, greens, peas and snow peas, radishes, and of course onions and potatoes which we don’t plant from seed.

Of the spring plants, we start broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts. We also start tomatoes and peppers, although the later require the warmest soil. Some plants can be started from seed and do transplant well, such as greens, but we plant so many, it doesn’t make sense. We get a head start outdoors by making tiny seedling row covers, which we’ll elaborate on in another post. Other plants such as cucumbers and squash don’t transplant as well. We lose almost half of what we transplant, and so we don’t – we seed these in the ground in the garden too. In February, we start all our brassicas: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels spouts, plus all our herbs and also tomatoes and peppers.

Tray cell size:

if you haven’t saved empty pots and 4-, 6- and 9-packs from previous seedlings, you can purchase seed trays. These are about 10x20-inches in size and come with as many as 128 cells and as few as 50 cells. I wouldn’t buy the varieties that hold more seedlings, as the reservoirs for the individual plants are too small – the plants become root bound in just a few weeks and need to be planted likely before you are ready. In addition, the seedlings are very delicate. I’d buy the ones with 50 cells or 6-packs, which would allow 36 seedlings (vs. 50) in the same space. You can also buy sturdy trays to hold the flimsy seedling trays. These come either solid and water-tight, or mesh.

When plants are young and tiny, their roots are also tiny and shallow. As a result, you need to water every day – maybe even twice daily. If they dry out, they won’t survive. At this stage when frequent watering is essential, it’s easy to over-water. If you have the seed trays on mesh trays that allow excess water to drip, then this isn’t a concern. However, if you buy the solid trays, or put trays on a solid surface with sides that hold water, then your plants can get water-logged. If possible, buy 6-packs and mesh trays that allow surplus water to drip. Stored out of the sunlight, these should be able to be reused for years.

Planting

How many seeds per cell?

Let’s talk dirt again. I know this sounds crazy, but don’t waste your money on potting soil. Potting soil consists of a little peat moss, a lot of bark, and some perlite – those little white balls that aerate and help hold moisture. Potting soil is dead and way too chunky to get decent soil contact with your seeds. Every year we mix dirt (soil from the garden) and finished compost together and use this as our planting medium.

Assuming you don’t have this yet, grab some dirt from your garden plot and mix with peat moss to aerate it. Mix well so every seedling pot has a mixture of both. Plant your seeds: push so that they have good soil contact, but don’t bury them, and then gently cover with 1/8 – 1/4” vermiculite. Vermiculite is a fine powdery consistency and prevents the seeds from washing away the first few times you water them – before they’ve grown roots. When you do water, do so GENTLY.

The one problem with grabbing dirt from the garden is it may contain seeds of weed plants. Weeds may grow, which is tricky as you learn what your seedlings look like, but the soil is so much better than purchased potting solid that we find it’s worth the trouble!

Tending to your seedlings

Before the seeds sprout, they need adequate moisture and warmth. Unless you have a heated greenhouse, start your seeds indoors and water 1-2x/day.

Once the seedlings break ground (yay!), ensure they have access to at least 6-8 hours of sunlight. South-facing windows get the most light, assuming they aren't shaded by an overhang. If that isn't an option, our 2nd-choice is west-facing.

That's it. Good luck! We'll discuss transplanting outdoors direct seeding outdoors, micro-ground covers, and building a back-door temporary greenhouse in future posts.