Today, I’d like to show you how to start your own seeds for the vegetable garden. Whether it’s tomatoes or broccoli, whether you’re doing it to save a little money or to preserve an antique variety that you’re very fond of and can’t find in the store, the process is the same.
You want to take a soil-less mix, something like peat moss and perlite. There’ll be no weeds in it, it’ll be nice and light and porous and start the seeds well. Fill your cell packs and then water them. This is an easier process if the mix is moist.
Now here’s a good little trick, tear the top off the bag and then open one end of it and pour your seeds into it so you’ve got a little trough. These are broccoli seeds and they’re very small. And from that trough you can then drop just a couple of seeds into each cell pack.
Now, next tap the seeds into the soil and put a light layer of potting soil on top of them just to cover the seeds. Stick a label on ‘em, cover ‘em with saran wrap, and put them on top of a warm place like the top of your refrigerator or television set.
Now it’s your job to thin them out to where you’ve got one good plant in each cell. In another two or three weeks- big healthy plants ready to go into the garden. But move them out there gradually. Don’t just shove them out into the cold cruel. You’ll be eating your own vegetables from your own seed this summer.
How To Start A Vegetable Garden From Seeds…
- Take a soil-less mix like peat moss and perlite and fill your cell packs
- Water cell packs to make the process easier
- Tear off the top of the bag and open one end of it and pour your seeds into it to create a trough
- Drop a couple of seeds into each cell pack
- Tap the seeds into the soil and put a light layer of potting soil on top of them to cover
- Label them and cover with saran wrap and place in a warm location
- In 2-3 weeks you’ll have seedlings that are ready to thin out
- Wait 2-3 more weeks you will have healthy plants ready to go into the garden
- Move plants out gradually and avoid putting them out when the weather is still cold