Wednesday, April 7, 2021

The first few weeks of spring are perfect for planting seedlings. It's not too soon! Check out our guide on how to get your gardening season off to a great start.

Planning

1. Get your seeds.

Pick plants that are less demanding: strawberries, raspberries, nasturtiums, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, lettuces, herbs, etc.

2. Buy (or make) compost and potting soil.

A good natural fertilizer will help your plants grow faster, stronger and fuller.
Avoid synthetic or chemical fertilizers: they're terrible pollutants, only effective in the short term and could burn your plants.

3. Select your pots.

If you don't have any, give your empty cans and yogurt containers a second life. If you do reuse these kinds of containers, wash them thoroughly first. And don't forget about the importance of good drainage: poke holes in the bottom of your recycled pots and place them in a dish so that excess water can drain out.


Seeding

1. Plant your seeds.

Place each seed in its own pot so it has enough space to grow. Plant them fairly close to the surface: make sure they are covered, without burying them too deep.


2. Water your seeds.

Don't use water from melted snow or rainwater: that water contains too many minerals for seeds and seedlings. For the first two weeks, water your seedling pots by spraying them with dechlorinated tap water.
To evaporate the chlorine, fill a pitcher of water from the tap, let it sit overnight, and then stir the water just before watering the seedlings in order to reoxygenate it.

The soil should be damp, but not completely soaked - but, remember that it's better to water too little than too much: your plants are more likely to suffer from drowning than from dryness.

3. Pick the right place for your seedlings.

Place your seedlings near a window, in full sun. Make sure you turn your pots around every day so that they get sun on all sides.

Follow all these steps and you should see some real growth: your hard work will bear fruit – literally!

Learn more from our experts in the IA Advice Zone:

https://ia.ca/advice-zone/involvement

Posted at 07:45 AM