Clean pots, seeds for early start

Q. What is the best way to start seeds inside?

Faye from Canfield

A. There are two options for getting started: buying your seeds in seed packs and/or planting the seeds you saved from last year. If you saved seeds from your best plants last year, you have to make sure you have “clean” seeds. This means the seeds have been treated by either hot water or chlorine to kill any bacterial pathogens on or within the seed (OSU Extension fact sheet HYG 3085).

I feel that if I’m going to go through all the time and effort to grow strong sturdy plants I’m going to go with the best seeds I can get. So I buy my seeds in packages that show the crop, cultivar, germination time and percentage, and chemical treatment (if any) already given to them. I feel this gives me a step up in growing the best plants I can.

The second thing to consider is the containers for sowing the seeds. Here we have many options and it just depends on what you prefer or have had luck with in the past. You can try sod flats, fiber trays, plastic trays, clay and plastic pots, peat pots, compressed peat pellets, and plastic 4-6-9 packs. If you are buying new containers to plant your seeds in, all you have to do is add your growing media. Any containers that have been used previously should be thoroughly washed in soap to remove all debris and then rinsed in a solution of one part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water. Let containers dry naturally before filling.

Once you have decided on your seeds and your containers, you need to give careful consideration to your growing media (mix). The mix for starting seeds should be loose, well-drained and fine-textured. Many synthetic mixtures, which contain no soil, are available at local garden shops. These mixtures contain a combination of peat moss and vermiculite or peat moss and perlite. These mixtures have little or no fertility and the seedlings must be watered with a diluted fertilizer solution soon after they emerge. You can also use a mixture of about one-third loam garden soil and two-thirds vermiculite but remember any garden soil must be sterilized before seeds are planted in it to avoid damping-off (see link below). Again, for me it’s easier and more time-efficient to visit my favorite nursery and get a bag of seed starting mix, usually soil-free.

Look for more information on starting specific plants and caring for the seedlings from me in the coming weeks. For now, to learn more about starting seeds, go to: http://go.osu.edu/starting

Today’s answer is provided by OSU Extension master gardener volunteer Barb Delisio. Call the office hot line at 330-533-5538 to submit your questions. Clinic hours vary this time of year due to the winter season.