Seed Starting Lynda Garvin Agriculture Agent Sandoval County lgarvin@nmsu.edu What is a seed? O Living time capsule of a plants DNA O Protective package O Food energy storage from germination to first leaf production Why Start Seeds? 1
Earlier Harvest O Get fresh food on the table O The earlier the harvest the greater the yield for the season Greater Variety O over 7,500 varieties of tomatoes Stronger Seedlings O Well developed roots give them the best start O Minimize soil-borne diseases O Safe and healthy Healthy seedlings = Healthy plants = Plentiful harvests = 2
Cost Savings O For the cost of a flat of starts from a nursery you can buy several packets of seeds. O Save your seeds and share for even greater savings O Free seeds Seed Library O Watching the seeds germinate and grow O Beat winter boredom O Get you excited about your garden O Health Benefits Enjoyment Things to think about O Gardening is part science & part art O Start small and basic O Don t buy lots of expensive equipment O Time & energy commitment 3
Where to Start O What do you like to eat? O Seed library O Seed catalogues O Seed exchanges O Good reference books O Seed saving from your own garden select for desirable traits (open pollinated not hybreds) Make a garden plan O How much space? O What and how much? O Sun and shade patterns O Wind direction O Planting dates O Crop rotations O Management practices and results O Start 6-8 weeks before last frost or recommended planting dates O Get your materials ready Lets Get Started! 4
When to start O Onions 12 14 weeks before safe plant out date (4-6 weeks before last frost) O Peppers 8 to 12 weeks O Tomatoes/eggplants 10 weeks before last frost, grafted 12 to 13 weeks O Lettuce 4-5 weeks before last frost 5
What do seeds need? O Growing medium O Space O Water O Light O Temperature (75 to 90 degrees) O Air (circulation) Growing Medium O Commercial mixes O Make your own - many recipes available Warning: Do not use straight compost Characteristics: Disease/weed seed free Light (air spaces) Perlite Vermiculite horticulture grade, Sharp Sand Holds moisture - coconut coir (peat or sphagnum), vermiculite & perlite 6
What is this stuff? O Vermiculite mineral mica put under intense heat pops O Perlite volcanic glass put under intense heat pops O Peat & sphagnum moss bogs in northern US & Canada (not sustainable) O Coconut coir Make Your Own Recipe 1: O 1 part vermiculite O 1 part milled sphagnum, peat moss, or coconut coir O 1 part perlite O Mix in bucket with warm water let sit for several hours to absorb water Recipe 2: O 1 part Loamy soil (Solarize 150 degrees for 30 minutes) O 1 part builders sand (sharp sand) O 1 part compost or vermiculite Containers 2-3 deep with drainage holes 7
Clean Containers Light O Most seeds need light to germinate O As seedlings break through the soil they need light to produce food for growth (photosynthesis) 8
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Seed2Need - $245 O 4 shelf unit $65 O Shop lights $18 up each O Timer $20 Soil Temperature O Warm room temps 70-75 degrees for 12-14 hours a day for most veggies and herbs (85 ±) O Seedling mats not necessary but cheaper than heating the entire room O Start at $20 Moisture O Tap water & chlorine O Dryness of your indoor air will influence how often you need to water O Constant light moisture @ roots Feel the mixture Weight test pick up trays Drooping plants O Mist & cover or humidifier (50-70%) 10
Seed Treatment O Hard seeds soak in warm water 1 hour for faster germination O Scarify file or nail clipper (4 O'clock) O Cold stratification milkweed, lavender Soak Containers O Place in tray with water O Water with watering can from top 11
Direct Seed 12
Spread Evenly O Fine seeds use a salt shaker O Pinch between fingers O Use a tweezer for medium (tomato) O Mix with some sand In line Seeding Rates O Small seeds 1/8 O Medium seeds ½ O Large seeds1 O Depth: O Press fine seeds into soil O Others cover to a depth 3 times their size 13
Put Seeds Under Light 14
Keep Moist Air Air Circulation Humidity O Seeds pack all the food the emerging seedling needs O Leaves will produce food from light, water, and carbon dioxide (photosynthesis) O May need to supplement (age) Fertilization 15
Fertilizer O Fish emulsion or other organic O Transplant soil mixture 10 days to 2 weeks O Nutrient free growing medium - 2 times per week diluted First Set of True Leaves 16
Why transplant? O Stimulates feeder roots O Gives them room to grow O Richer soil O Easier to select the best and healthiest seedlings 17
Troubleshooting O Leaf curl: over fertilization Cut back Leach out salts Replant O Yellowing lower leaves: over feeding or magnesium deficiency Same as above O Dropping leaves & stunting: natural gas leak O Leggy: insufficient light, too high temps or overcrowding O Bud drop (peppers): Air too dry fine spray at least 1x per day 18
Damping Off O Fungal disease (Pythium) O Stems look pinched & fall over O Clean seeds O Sanitation clean materials & dispose of plants in trash O Sterile potting mixture or solarize mix 150 degrees for 30 minutes O Fluffy well draining potting mixture O Don t overwater Nutrient Deficiencies Nitrogen O Pale or yellowing leaves: light is ok O Reddish purple underside of leaves or veins (especially tomatoes) Nutrient Deficiencies Potassium: O Bronzing or browning on leaf edges Add trace minerals or light dressing of fine compost Transplant to pot with compost in mixture 19
More issues O Mold: too much water, poor drainage, insufficient air circulation, over fertilization O Crusting on top of soil or discolored roots: salt buildup (soft water or over fertilizing synthetic fertilizers) Failure to sprout O Temps too low or high O Soil dried out O Seeds too deeply planted O Top watering seeds floated off O Old seeds O Toxic soil O Damping off O Lack of light or needed dark to germinate 20
Cold Frames 21
Practice Good Gardening O Water O Check for pests and diseases O Keep mulched O Harvest at the peak ripeness O Science & Art 22
Sandoval County Seed Library How to Borrow Seeds O Fill out a Membership O Find the seeds in the card catalog O List each variety you select on the Membership Form 23
Sandovalmastergardeners.org Enjoy the Journey http://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/ 24