“A lot of people say seed starting is too hard, I can’t possibly do that or I need equipment — but actually you don’t,” said Betty Hoevel, Five Rivers MetroParks education coordinator. “You can start seeds in a paper cup or an egg carton. You can start them in just about anything that holds soil and water as long as it has some kind of draining. But you do have to be smart and read the seed packet because the seed packet will tell you everything you need to know.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Hoevel said seed packets will share information such as how many days it takes for the plant to sprout and how deep to plant.
“For instance, if I’m going to plant lettuce, the packet says it needs a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees. Well, that’s the inside of most people’s houses. So, you will not need a special heater or a hot room — just room temperature.”
Lighting is equally important including fluorescent light.
“In the wintertime Dayton can be just as dark in the middle of the day as it is at night,” Hoevel said. “The good news is that now that we’ve reached (early March) there is more natural light coming in. Even houseplants are looking greener and better. (You can use) fluorescent light or (find) the brightest bulb in a lamp in which you can make the light source closer to the seeds once they sprout.”
She also clarified the proper time for fertilization.
“You don’t have to fertilize the seeds until they get the second set of leaves on them,” Hoevel said. “When you think of seeds, remember the seed has the food the plant needs to sprout up through the soil and get to the daylight.”
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Credit: CONTRIBUTED
Hoevel also noted the shift in timeframe for seedlings and plants.
“It used to be hard and firm that May 15 was the date you put your plants out, which was the last frost,” she said. “Now it’s April 25 (because) the (planet) has gotten hotter. So, if you’re looking to put your plants out at the end of April or the first week of May, I’d say a week and a half before you put them out in the ground you have to start hardening them off. By this time your plants will be anywhere from four to six inches tall,” she said.
“On a warm day, (preferably) above 50 degrees, you’ll want to the put the seedlings outside in the shade. You don’t want to put them in the sun because it will burn their leaves up. Put them out in the shade, leave them there for three or four hours and bring them back inside. The next day increase it by an hour or an hour and a half. Keep bringing them inside at night until you’ve reached one and a half week. And by that time, if the nighttime temperatures are not dropping to freezing and temperatures are above 50 degrees during the day, the seedlings should be okay.”
You’ll also need to be mindful of securing warm soil in order to plant.
“If your soil is cold and soggy, you don’t want to plant — you’re going to have to wait,” Hoevel said. “The soil has to warm up. If you put your hand on the soil and it doesn’t get cold or wet it’s probably okay.”
In related news Hoevel will teach the joy and discipline of Planting Early Gardens March 21 at Cox Arboretum.
“The difference between what you picked out of your garden and what you bought at the grocery store is phenomenal,” she said. “If you take a pea you’ve just grown, crack the shell open and pop it in your mouth it’s like eating sugar cubes — it is so good. Years ago, my dog found out there were cherry tomatoes on a lower branch and she would eat them every time I took her outside. I had to tell her to stop doing that because those tomatoes were my dinner!"
HOW TO GO
What: Seed Starting for a Better Garden
Where: Cox Arboretum, 6733 Springboro Pike, Dayton
When: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, March 7
Cost: $15
FYI: Upcoming MetroParks gardening classes include: Tomato Workshop (May 2); Growing Peppers Beans and Squash (May 9); and Plant a Vegetable Garden (May 16). Also, a weekly series for kids entitled Garden Time at Wegerzyn will begin May 5.
More info: metroparks.org
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