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More Consumers Find Seedstarting Great Way to Save Money and Get a Jumpstart on the Garden

Gardener's Supply Experts Offer 10 Tips for Success

Even as midwinter snow and cold are hitting every state, more consumers than ever are trying to start plants from seed according to Gardener's Supply, a national online gardening retailer. Gardener's Supply, known for their innovative gardening gear and how-to information, has seen an increase in seedstarting among beginner and avid gardeners, and recently launched a new Fast Start Seedstarting System.

"Seedstarting is a great way to save money in the garden and for the past few years, we continue to see a significant increase in consumers wanting to either start seedstarting or elevate their capability with new equipment and lights," said Maree Gaetani, director of gardening relations. "The calls and questions to our 1-800 help line have ranged from 'how do I start' to more advanced questions about 'heatmats and grow lights.'

"There are many benefits to indoor seedstarting besides saving money," continued Gaetani. "There are also the bragging rights when you've harvested a tomato or are enjoying summer blooms from plants you've started with seeds."

Seedstarting with the right seeds and tools is easy and rewarding. Here are 10 steps along with new helpful products that make seedstarting simple and successful:

1. CHOOSE SEEDS WISELY - If you're new to seed starting, stick with easy to grow vegetables and flowers such as tomato, cucumber, basil, squash, morning glories, bachelor buttons, calendula and cosmos. Don't start your seeds too early and create a seed starting calendar. Find the last expected frost date in your area and count back from that date based on the seed packet recommendations to determine when to start seeds indoors. Starting too early will create monster plants that need to be tamed because the outdoor environment isn't ready for them yet.

2. THE RIGHT EQUIPMENT - You can start seeds in just about any container, provided it's sturdy and allows for water drainage. However, for foolproof seedstarting, a system like the award-winning Accelerated Propagation System (APS) or the new revolutionary eco-friendly Fast Start Seedstarting Kits. Both take the guess work out of seed starting. The revolutionary Fast Start Seedstarting Kit contains enough equipment to start 24 plants. Both come with a capillary mat and water reservoir from easy bottom watering and a clear plastic dome to keep the air warm and moist.

3. START WITH THE RIGHT ORGANIC MIX - Testing from Gardener's Supply shows successful germination with a new Eco-co Coir potting mix that's economical and earth-friendly. Derived from recycled coconut husks, Eco-co Coir passed Gardener's Supply extensive seed-starting trials with flying colors, providing excellent germination rates and producing healthy, sturdy seedlings. Eco-co Coir has excellent water-holding capacity yet drains well -- so important for healthy root growth. Simply add water and each convenient compressed brick expands to 10 quarts of fluffy planting mix. Seedstarting mixes can also be found at your local garden centers.

4. THE RIGHT LIGHT - Even though starting seeds in a sunny southern window may work in some climates, a surer bet is to have an indoor, seed starting light system. Most seeds don't need light to germinate, but once up, they need 12 to 14 hours of continuous full spectrum, bright light to grow strong and sturdy. Gardener's Supply recommends only using T-5 bulbs that emit brilliant, full-spectrum light, providing the ideal intensity and quality of light needed for optimal plant growth. The bulbs last up to 7,500 hours and use 45 percent less energy than standard fluorescent bulbs. If you only have a small space for seed starting, consider the Garden Starter Kit or the Tabletop Light Garden.

5. TEMPERATURE - Most seedlings germinate and grow best with air and soil temperatures between 60F and 80F. The soil temperature is actually more important than the air temperature. The right soil temperature will accelerate germination making seedlings less likely to die from disease. To keep soil warm for quickest germination, place seedlings on the top of a refrigerator or use Soil Heating Cables or Root Zone Heat Mat. Place your trays or pots on top of the water proof cable or mat to keep the soil at a constant 70F to 75F. Once germinated, keep the air temperatures around seedlings between 60F and 70F. This will enable seedlings to grow slow and strong, helping to prevent leggy, weak stems.

6. WHAT TO DO ONCE THE SEEDS COME UP - Once the true leaves form you'll need to thin the seedlings in the pot to one per container. Do not pull out the thinned seedling by hand, use scissors to snip them off at the soil line. The Never-Dull Extra-Long Scissors are especially good for snipping tiny seedling stems without harming other seedlings. Basements that are too moist and damp and can create mold or 'damping off.'

7. WATERING - It's important to keep the soil consistently moist as seedlings germinate and grow. Watering from above often displaces seeds and creates divots in the soil resulting in poor germination. A better method is to bottom water the seedlings. Through a natural capillary action, water will moisten the seed starting soil mix. Another reason that systems as the Fast Start Success Kit are recommended.

8. FERTILIZING - Once the true leaves emerge, seedlings need a gentle fertilizer specific to seedlings that will not cause root burn or force them to grow too fast. Fertilize weekly until the plants are ready for moving outdoors. The experts at Gardener's Supply recommend Plant Health Care for Seedlings.

9. TRANSPLANTING - Cowpots are perfect for transplanting seedlings as once they're ready for the garden you can just plant the biodegradable Cowpots. However, for most plants started in smaller (2 inch diameter or less) pots such as the Fast Start you'll need to transplant them into pots one size larger while still indoors to keep the seedlings growing strong.

10. TIME TO PLACE IN THE GARDEN - Don't rush your healthy, tender seedlings into the wind and weather as they need time to adjust to the outside environment. You can harden off seedlings by placing them outdoors for one hour the first day in a shady location. Increase the amount of time outdoors each day, eventually moving them into a sunny location. By the end of a week you can leave them outdoors safely overnight. At this point they're ready for transplanting into containers or the garden.

To learn more about how to start seeds or inquire about the latest seedstarting gear, visit Gardener's Supply online or call 1-800-955-3370 for our helpline or for a free catalog.

Founded in 1983, Gardener's Supply is an employee-owned company of avid gardeners providing garden-tested, earth-friendly products combined with practical information. Located in Burlington, Vermont, the company has won many awards for its patented products and innovative management style.