It's waaaaaaaay to early. So why am I bringing it up? I know gardeners.....as soon as the days start getting longer, they are thinking about getting their hands in the dirt. My advice would be to get a bag of potting soil, and just play around in it, satisfy the 'soil itch,' but leave the seeds in their packets.
The majority of the seeds we start for veggies need only 6-8 weeks of growth before planting outside. Here in southern MN - zone 4, we can usually start planting outside about mid-May, some years earlier - some later. Peppers like 8-9 weeks of growth, tomatoes 6-8 weeks. If you start them too early, your plants will likely be too tall & leggy and will not transition well to the outdoor wind as good as short and stockier plants. You gain nothing by starting with huge plants as they take much longer to recover and adjust to the outdoors than small plants.
Most of the annual flowers & herbs folks start need 8-10 weeks, perennials from seed often need 10-18 weeks. Perennials can be very challenging to start vs. annuals.
Some seeds that really should not be started as transplants in pots; sunflowers, green beans, any root vegetables, kohlrabi, sweet corn & potatoes.
The main challenge in growing healthy transplants yourself is lighting. YOU MUST GET A FLORESCENT LIGHT set up. Lights should always be about 4" above the seed flats or plants. You may need to place bumpers under some of your things to create the 4" distance as plants grow at different rates. I have read the grow lights are best - as they mimic the full light spectrum vs. reg bulbs which are cheaper. I have used the regular bulbs for years with great success. Not sure if it really matters? The pic above is one of my set-ups from a previous. "I" for one, am NOT in a hurry, my break time is going way to fast!
At work we have all the seeds out, so it's awful tempting, but I'll wait! I am however, playing around with some birch tree seeds I found on the snow. In one of my test soils, I have three sprouts up already. They may not make it to the outdoors, but at least I'm on the right track.
ReplyDeleteMost trees these days are grafted - meaning the root system and the top are not the same, and will not reproduce the tree you have. I know your birch personally (they used to be in my yard!) Not sure if they are grafted, look for a bulge in the lower tree trunk area - may indicate where the graft was. I would start over in about 2 months!
ReplyDeleteIf you would like some hands on planting/tranplanting - get w/your neighbor!