Seeds Indoors Part 3 Tiger Tip
Seeds Indoors Part 3
WATER
There is more water in a plant than any other constituent. The way you apply it becomes one of the most important factors in determining the overall health of your seedlings. When a seed comes in contact with water it begins to absorb it. This signals to the plant that it is time to come out of dormancy, germinate, and grow. The plants are fragile in the early stages of life. At this time, consistent moisture is vital. When starting seed indoors, they depend on you to create and maintain the right amount of moisture in their surroundings. After sowing, seeds should be watered gently, but thoroughly. If your seeds are tiny, or are to be sown shallow, you may want to wet your soil before sowing. Moisture should be maintained consistently after the first watering, but never to the point of soggy soil. Saturated soil can create conditions that will rot your seeds before they germinate. You can cover your seeds with plastic wrap, removing it after seedlings emerge. There are also capillary mats that supply water, via wicking, to the bottom of containers. This is a good choice if your containers are relatively shallow. If your sown seeds are allowed to dry out too much after germination, they may die. Now that you know what a growing seed requires you can try starting some, or all, of your garden indoors. The best place to start is with your Botanical Interests seed packet. The back and inside of the packet contains all the information you need to you plan your garden and start your seeds. First, read the packet and determine if the seed you’ve chosen should be started indoors, and if so, when. Next you’ll notice that the packet tells you how deep to sow the seed. Following the guidelines above, assemble your containers and soil, and then sow your seed. After watering your seed, vigilance and the right temperature will produce a seedling that immediately needs to be placed in a very well lit environment. Now it is time to carefully grow your seedling into a viable and healthy transplant.