Starting seeds indoors for your container gardens can be a great and economical way to get a jump on spring. However, it can also be a waste of money and time if you don't do it right. So as a first step, here are a few questions to ask yourself before you start.
How ambitious am I?
container gardening picturesIn the middle of winter seed catalogs start pouring into mailboxes. I’m always tempted to order way too many seeds. But my advice is to start slowly. Also, if you're a beginner start with easy seeds like nasturtiums, tomatoes, zinnias, cosmos, morning glories or squash. Lots of herbs are also easy to start. Try parsley, basil or coriander. Dwarf sunflowers are also fun.
How attentive am I?
Photo © Kerry MichaelsBefore you start seeds you should know that they need a lot of attention. If they dry out, they are usually toast. Too much water and they are toast too. Until they are a pretty good size, seedlings are incredibly fragile and you don’t have much latitude with their care. I have killed more than I care to admit, so if you are going to be away or don’t want the hassle of babying a bunch of needy seedlings, consider spending the money to buy full blown, robust plants.
Do I have enough natural light or will I need artificial lights?
Photo © Kerry MichaelsSeedlings that don't get enough light, become spindly, wimpy plants that won’t thrive. If you don't have enough natural sun, which usually means a south facing window, you can also provide artificial light. You can use grow lights, which are available at hardware stores, catalogs or nurseries. For a more economical solution, you can use fluorescent shop lights hung from a movable chain. This will allow you to raise the lights as the plants grow. If you're using this set up, put in one warm bulb and one cool bulb.
You'll also want to put any artificial lights on timers so that once your plants have germinated, the seedlings will get 12-16 hours a day of light.
When is the last frost?
Photo © Kerry MichaelsTo get an idea of when you should plant your seeds, figure out when the last frost in your area will be. This is, to say the least, an imprecise science. There are lots of places to find information that will help you make an educated guess, including your local cooperative extension service. I also like
The Farmer’s Almanac Web site, which has a cool interactive map that will tell you the date of the last frost the previous year. For more detailed info
NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a chart with dates and frost probabilities for specific locations.
Can I protect my seedlings from frost?
Photo © Kerry MichaelsOne of the true beauties of container gardening is that the answer to this question is usually yes. This gives you huge flexibility in when you can start your seeds. I plant early, because while there is still danger of frost, I put all my tender plants on wagons and wheel them in and out of my garage. It's kind of a pain, but worth it. If your containers aren't mobile, there are several other ways to
protect your plants from frostbite. Can I count backwards?
Photo © Kerry MichaelsNow you'll want to figure out when to start your seeds. First get out a calendar. Take your last frost date (see above), or when you want to put your plants out and start counting backwards, usually around four to six weeks, depending on your seeds.
For example, if your seed package says that you should start your seeds four to six weeks before the last frost, and you want to put your plants out at the beginning of May, you would count six weeks back, which would start your plants in March.
There is a great interactive "grow guide" from the "Weekend Gardener," that can help you choose dates. This is particularly helpful if counting backwards is not your strong suit (I'm raising both my hands here).
