Start Your Seeds the Right Way 🌱

Find out how you can start the garden of your dreams, whether that’s a few herbs or a backyard vegetable oasis. Having trouble viewing this email? [View this email on the web.]( [OFA Banner]( Starting Seeds Find out how you can start the garden of your dreams with your subscription in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club. [Hero]( Dear Almanac Reader, Succeed with seeds! Here are my 10 tips and tricks for starting your vegetable seeds indoors. Over the decades, I've learned some valuable lessons—from when to start seeds to avoiding common mistakes. Why would you want to start your own seeds? Three big reasons: There is a much wider range of varieties available as seeds, things you would never find in a six-pack at the local garden center. You will know how they have been raised —organically instead of bathed in a wash of chemicals. You can time the plants to be ready for when you want to plant them. [Image - Seedlings Close Up]( 10 Tips to Succeed With Seeds Step 1: Disinfect any recycled pots, flats, or trays. You don't need to buy new pots and can use just about any kind of container that is at least 2 inches deep to start your seeds as long as it has holes for drainage. Clean with soap and water, plus an added step for sanitization (either with a bleach solution or the sun) Step 2: Read your seed packets. They have a wealth of information—germination temperature, light requirements, depth to sow, and when to sow. Don't start seeds too soon! Timing is everything. Count backwards from your frost-free date the required number of weeks stated on the package to have your plants ready at just the right time. Step 3: Use a soil mix designed for seed starting. To avoid soil-borne diseases and fungi look for a soil-less mix. We use a compost-based seedling mix with excellent results. Regular potting soil or plain garden soil are too heavy. [Image - Seedlings]( Step 4: Label everything! Many emerging seedlings look alike. We cut labels from recycled plastic containers. Step 5: Light is key. Once your seedlings have emerged, place them where they will receive bright light for most of the day—greenhouse, sunporch, or south-facing windows. If you don't have such a spot try a grow light or an ordinary shoplight fixture with fluorescent bulbs. Step 6: Transplant seedlings into individual pots when they get their "true" leaves. What is a true leaf? A seeling first develops two small cotyledon; they look like tiny leaves but they're actually a food source for the sprouting seedling. The seeding will then develop two real leaves that look different; these leaves are photosynthesizing. (Eventually the cotyledons will fall off.) [Image - Seedlings Lights]( Step 7: Handle seedlings with care and replant them deeper into their new pots—up to their seed leaves. Many plants will form new roots along the buried stem. However, don't plant too deep. See your seed packet for instructions. The general guideline is to plant seeds 2 to 3 times as deep as they are wide. Step 8: Fertilize and water, especially if you are using a soil-less mix that has no nutrients added. Feed the plants weekly with a water-soluble, organic fertilizer. We use fish and kelp emulsion. A little stinky but it does the trick! Step 9: Stroke your plants or set up a fan to gently blow on them. Studies show that plants grown in a still environment are weaker than those subjected to a gentle breeze. [Image - Tiny Pots]( Step 10: Harden off your transplants by gradually exposing them to the great outdoors before planting them out. "Hardening off" prepares seedlings for the transition from indoors to outdoors. Do not rush this! Give them one hour outdoors the first day, and increase the hours every day for 6 to 10 days. If it's very rainy, you may need to slow down your timetable. Ready to learn more? [Image - Club Products]( Get more seed-starting tips, gardening ideas, and a look at the best days for planting some of the most popular crops with your subscription to The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club. Become a Charter Member of the Old Farmers Almanac Gardening[body link](Club today, and you’ll never run out of advice, tips or inspiration! And right now, when you become a Gardening Club Charter Member you will save 48%. [Claim your Gardening Club Charter Membership Now!]( When you activate your Old Farmers Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership today, you’ll get access to everything you need about gardening: Summary of Gardening Club Membership Benefits Charter Membership in The Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club $66.72/year $34.97! A 48% discount! The 2023 Old Farmer’s Almanac—The classic edition has everything you’ve come to expect from the world’s premier Almanac—forecasts, folklore, and more. 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