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Index : Miscellaneous Gardening Topics
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- 49. Starting From Seeds - Top
- Seeds Get Vegetables Gardens Off to Early Start
If your planning to plant a vegetable garden this spring, now is the time to decide whether to start them from seed, or purchase transplants.
Many gardeners like to start their plants from seed, because they can grow interesting and unusual varieties not available in the local garden stores. Mail order garden catalogs offer an overwhelming choice; many "tried and true" varieties are offered, while many others are brand new.
Getting a jump on the season is another important reason for growing plants from seed. Warm season vegetables like tomatoes and eggplant are much more productive in mid to late spring. Extended summer heat here in the desert stresses these plants and reduces fruit production. Setting them out as early as possible will extend the harvest period of warm season crops.
Some vegetables can be grown from seed in window sills, cold frames, or greenhouses for later planting out in the garden. These are the types that transplant easily and include; tomato, eggplant, onion, pepper, and okra.
When growing seeds in containers for later transplanting, use prepared potting soil, jiffy mix or peat pots. You can make your own seed starting mix by combining equal parts of peat moss, perlite, and vermiculite. These ingredients are also available form garden supply stores. Peat pots, peat pellets, plastic cell packs, trays, egg cartons, and virtually clean container that will hold soil can be used to start seeds. Make sure the container has drainage holes.
Small seeds can be shattered over the soil surface and barely covered. Larger seeds can be planted individually or in groups of three and covered a little deeper. Later, the seedlings planted in groups of three can be thinned to leave the one most vigorous.
Warm soil hastens seed germination. If your starting seeds indoors, set them in a warm location. Special heating mats are available from mail order garden catalogs. Heating cables contained in a rubber mat warms the soil some 15 to 20 degrees above the surrounding temperature.
Some vegetable varieties cannot easily be transplanted and, therefore, should be sown directly in the garden. These include; bean, corn, cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin, peas, squash, and watermelon.
Optimum soil temperatures for the germination of most vegetable variety seed is about 80 degrees. Cucumber, cantaloupe, pumpkin, squash, and okra seed prefer soil temperatures of 90 degrees. This means waiting to seed the garden until soil temperatures have at least risen into the 70 degree range. In the Tucson area that means waiting until the end of March.
Garden soil must be prepared well prior to planting seeds. The soil should be tilled, and organic matter added. Desert compost, cotton burl compost, peat, or composted manure are all good types of organic matter that can be mixed with the soil. Incorporate a 4 inch layer of organic matter into the top 12 inches of garden soil. At the same time mix in 2 pounds of ammonium phosphate (16-20-0) or similar analysis fertilizer for every 100 square feet of garden area. Organic fertilizers such as fish meal, bone meal, and blood meal may also be used.
Till the soil thoroughly to break up all large soil clods. Rake the area to be seeded to provide a fine textured seed bed, free of rocks and other debris. Rake the soil out smoothly. Several days prior to planting water the soil thoroughly. This will settle the soil and provide a reservoir of moisture for germinating seeds.
Plant seeds at the depth and spacing called for on the seed packets. And after planting, keep the soil moist. If the soil drys during germination and establishment it can be fatal! Shading the soil with a few sheets of newspaper will help hold in moisture in during germination. Remember to check soil moisture daily and water as needed. When seeds sprout, promptly take off the newspaper covering.
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Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona, 520-626-5161.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Daily Star gardening column, on February 06, 2000
- Updated: February 06, 2000
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