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Seed Starting

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Warner River OrganicsWebster NH

Jim Ramanek

746-3018 (H)jim.ramanek@gmail.com

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Warner River Organics

• Markets:– Spring transplants from our house

and local markets– Farmers markets (Contoocook,

Penacook, Weare, Canterbury)– 20 e-customers– 4 Restaurants (wholesale leftovers or

surplus)

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Why Start From Seed?• Short growing season

– Plant and harvest earlier– Extended harvest (successive plantings)

• Higher quality plants– Stronger (roots), healthier, mature plants– Better produce/flowers

• Diversity– Not at the mercy of garden centers– Grow the varieties you want including

unusual and specialized heirlooms

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Seed Starting ProcessPlanting Growing On Transplant

Plan Water Harden off

Acquire seeds and media

Fertilize Starter Fertilizer

Pots, trays, domes

Light Weather

Set up site Maintain plants Transplant into garden

Lights Pests/disease

Heat and water Transplant

UNHCE Planning Resources

– Starting Plants Indoor From Seed

– Planting and Maturity Dates of Vegetables in NH

– The NH Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Season

– Timing Vegetable Transplants

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Easy Does It

• Start small• Start with varieties that are easy to

grow:

Cabbage Broccoli SunflowerTomato Lettuce NasturtiumSquash Cosmos Marigold

Basil Melon CucumberZinnia Eggplant Pepper

Seed = Survival Pod

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Germination Process

• The dry seed is dormant.• The seed is in a moist environment.

It swells, absorbing water.• A root (radicle) begins to grow out

of the seed.

• The stem begins to come out of the seed

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Germination Process

• The stem grows and begins to lift the seed.– Secondary roots start growing

• The stem continues to lift the seed,– The seed coat starts to slip off– The roots continue to grow

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Germination Process

• The seed coat slips free– The plant begins to unfold its seed

leaves, the cotyledons– The roots keep on growing

• The cotyledons open to catch the sunlight– A true leaves bud appears between the

cotyledons– Continued root growth supports the

leaves

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Germination Process IV

• The true leaves open, and the plant is off

– The growing tip continues to push upward

– More leaves will develop and open– Vigorous root growth promises

continued healthy development– The food in the cotyledons will be used

up, and they will shrivel and fall off. The plant no longer needs them. It makes its own food now

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Seed coat still clinging to cotyledons

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Pre-treatment• Some varieties require pre-treatment, moisture,

temperature and light• Stratified (chilled)

– Some Lavender seeds need to be chilled at 35-40°F for 4 –

6 wks in order to germinate

– Jack-in-the-Pulpit seeds need moist media at less than 40°F for 6 -

12 wks– Caper Seeds are wrapped in a moist cloth, placed in a

sealed glass jar and kept in the refrigerator for 2 -

3 months

• Scarified (nicked or filed)– 4 O’Clocks germinate faster if nicked or filed

• Light– Some plants require light (lettuce), dark (calendula) and

others don’t care• All seeds must absorb water to get germination going

– Presoaking seeds usually speeds up the process– Planting before a cloudy/rainy period

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Seed Viability

1-2 years: 3-4 years: 5-6 years:corn asparagus cucumbersonions beans and peas lettuceleeks beets melonsparsley cabbage family spinachparsnips carrotspeppers eggplant

squashpumpkinstomatoes

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End Result

• Goal:– Short and bushy– Dark Green leaves– Healthy– Extensive root systems

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Timing

Is Important• Sow seeds at the proper time!

– A common mistake -

sowing seeds too early • The result is tall, weak and spindly plants

– Germination time• Seed pkt vs real life (dahlias)• Learn the germination time of your seeds

• Plant outside BEFORE last frost date– Adjust start dates

• Broccoli and cabbage may be planted outside before last frost date

• Start end of Feb –

mid Mar

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The Growing Season• New Hampshire’s Climate.

– Average date of last frost in the spring:• Northern NH -

June 5

• Southern NH -

May 25 (May 17 full moon)

– Average date of first frost in the fall:• Northern NH -

August 25

• Southern NH -

September 20 (Sept 12 full moon)

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Planning: Growing Days

Region Days WeeksSouthern NH: 118 16.86

2008 167Northern NH: 81 11.57

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Seed Start DatesSouthern NH Wk Northern NH5/17/2011 LFD 6/5/20115/10/2011 1 5/29/20115/3/2011 2 5/22/20114/26/2011 3 5/15/20114/19/2011 4 5/8/20114/12/2011 5 5/1/20114/5/2011 6 4/24/20113/29/2011 7 4/17/20113/22/2011 8 4/10/20113/15/2011 9 4/3/20113/8/2011 10 3/27/20113/1/2011 11 3/20/2011

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Cultural/Growing Data• Johnny’s Selected Seeds

– Find the variety you want (say Sun Gold tomato)

– Left-click Growing Information tab

• Stokes Seeds– Find the variety you want (say

Broccoli)– Pick a variety (say Belstar)– Detailed Growing Instructions

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Germination and Growth Rate

• Seed germination and plant growth occur at different rates– DO

NOT

germinate seeds with different

germination rates in the same tray– Group seeds by germination rates (read

seed pack)• Tomatoes 6 -

14 days• Geraniums 21 -

42• Cress 7 days• Lavender 14 –

28 days• Dahlias (pkt 14, real life 2 days)

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Germination and Growth Rate

• Keep growth rates in mind– Celery, onions and leeks are started 12 wks

before transplant (Feb)– Pansies are started Dec 26– Cucumbers and sunflowers only need 3-4

wks• More time in the pot/cell may be detrimental to

the plant at transplant time (root bound)

– Broccoli and cabbage (Mar)

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Seed Sources• Sources:

– Online seed companies• High Mowing Seeds (Vt), Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Me)• Fedco (Me), Seeds from Italy (Ma) Seeds of Change

– Nursery/Greenhouse– Garden Centers

• Seeds of Change, Ferry Morse Organic, Burpee Organic, Botanical Interests, Renee’s, High Mowing Seeds

– Blue Seal Feeds (Concord)– Agway (Bradford, Tilton, Bedford, Concord)– Home Depot, Lowes

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Seed Selection• Select seed appropriate to your

hardiness zone– Concord 4b

to 5b

– Microclimates• Select disease resistant varieties

– Whenever possible, always select resistant varieties to plant

– The following site provides crop resistance tables: vegetablemdonline.ppath.cornell.edu/

Tables/TableList.htm• Resistance Tables

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Seed Packet

Anatomy

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Germination Tips

• Read seed culture details – Catalog, seed packet or on web site

• High Mowing• Stokes Seeds• Johnny’s

– Temperature (soil not air)– Light/darkness– No treatment/Stratified/Scarified– How long to germination

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Starting Requirements

• To start seeds successfully you will need:– Viable seeds– Seed starting planting media – Mixing container– Planting containers– Light source – Temperature (warm, cool, cold)– Moisture (watering)

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What Will You NeedTrays, Inserts,

Humidity Domes (covers)

Bone Meal/Phosphorous(Root Stimulator)

Planting Medium (soilless)

Fertilizer (Neptune’s Harvest)

Seeds Azomite/Green Sand

Mist/spray bottle Light source

Labels

Heat source

Trays, Inserts and Domes

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10 x 20 (1020)

1020 Inserts

606 Traditional Insert

6 units of 6 cells

806 Traditional Insert

8 units of 6 cells

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Pots/Kits•

Separate pots for each plant vs flats holding many plants

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Buy kits at your local plant nursery–

Expensive and of poor quality• Pretty much anything works

– Yogurt, cottage cheese, old pots– Use any pot about 3" deep – Need 1 -

3 drainage holes– Sterilize

• Wash in a 10% chlorine solution– 1 part bleach to 9 parts water

• Bleach volatizes quickly

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Humidity

Domes

• Humidity is critical to germination

• Humidity domes help control/maintain humidity in the planting tray

• Herbs• Plastic Wrap

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Planting Medium

• Regular garden soil or potting soil:– To dense for the roots of tiny seedlings– Garden soil is not sterilized

• Contain fungi that may be deadly to seedlings (damping off)

• Other problematic fungi• Insects (fungus gnats, whiteflies, aphids)

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Seed Starting Medium

• Seed starting media should be:– Loose (root, air, water movement)– Well-drained– Fine-textured– Sterile

• Seed starting mix– Choose a mix specifically designed and

formulated for starting seeds– Well composted and milled compost– Most are soilless

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Seed Starting Mixes

• Commercial Soilless Mixes:– Hoffmans– MetroMix– ProMix

• Composts– Ideal Compost (Seed Start Mix)

– Vermont Compost (Fort Light or Fort V Mix)– Intervale or Vermont Natural Ag Moo Start

• May need to strain large particles out– Usually have a sample area to view bag contents

Prepare Media

Amendments:

•Green Sand

•Azomite

•Sea-90

•Bone Meal

•Rock Phosphate

•Granite Meal

•Root inoculants (Rootshield)

Amendment Mix• Per 20 Quarts of Seeding mix:

– Green Sand -

2 cups– Azomite or Sea-90 –

1 cup

– Bone Meal –

½ cup– Rock Phosphate -

½ cup

– Granite Meal -

½ cup– Root inoculants (Rootshield, Actinovate) -1

tbl sp– Menafee humates –

½ cup

– Pro-start fertilizer –

1 cup

Filling Containers

•Fill up to ¼”

to ⅛” from top

•Gently tap container to settle mix

•May have to add more mix

Start Planting

• Pay attention to seed packet planting depth

• Surface,• Under soil• How Deep

Cover Seed• How many seeds per cell?

– Try two seeds to ensure that something emerges

• Press seed into soil for good contact

• Check seed packet for how much media to place on top of seeds– The smaller the seed, the less you

need

• Some seeds, (lettuce) need light to germinate and should barely be covered.

Misting

• Wet the soil enough to germinate seed, but not drenching wet

• Crusting

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Clean-up

• File empty seed packets for future reference.

• Store leftover seeds an airtight container in a dim, dry place.

• Seeds over 2 years old may be past their prime– Some can survive way over two years

Placement• Some seeds

need light to germinate and others need darkness

• Place in warm area

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Place the Trays

• Keep their environment humid – Humidity dome– Plastic wrap

• Do the seeds need light/no light to germinate• Do they need heat and humidity or cool

– Most seeds with germinate well at about 70° F

• Wait, Wait Wait– Check every day

(moisture, germination)

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South Facing Window

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Bottom Heat

Germination -

Congrats

First Signs of Growth

• Seedlings poke through the soil• Start to straighten up and unfurl• What look like two leaves will appear -

cotyledons– These serve as food sources until true

leaves are formed and the plant is capable of photosynthesis.

• Move seedlings under a light source

Cotyledons

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Germination• Remove the humidity dome once germination

occurs– Exception, very, very small plants (herbs)

• Monitor moisture levels• Use lights

– Place directly under a light source, seedlings need to be right next to light source

• Reduce temperature– Move to cellar

• If more than one plant comes up, clip the smaller one at soil level – Pulling could damage the other seedlings

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Moisture

• Dry = Death– If the tray dries out, for any period of time,

your seedlings are history– The smaller the plant, the more critical the

need for moisture

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Maintaining Growth• To maintain growing plants you will need to:

– Provide a light source (12 – 18 – 24 hrs)– Control air temperature– Ventilation

• Control moisture levels (control disease)– Fan

– Monitor soil conditions (dry, wet)– Fertilizer

• 1st set true leaves• Fish Emulsion/Seaweed or Kelp mix• Do not use highly soluble commercial fertilizers

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Bottom Watering

• Advantages: – Seedlings are not damaged by streams of

water– Encourages deep root development– Some plants don't like their leaves wet

• Wet leaves promote fungus growth

– Different media absorb water at different rates

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Bottom Watering• Purchase planting trays without holes

– Experiment• Add enough water so that the water is

absorbed by the cells. When surface is moist (not soaked) you have succeeded

– Don't leave plants standing in water for any length of time • Just long enough for the top of the soil to get

moist. You need to watch them!

– Keep seedlings away from radiators and heat vents – the media dries out.

True Leaves• As the seedling grows,

the cotyledons will wither• The first "true" leaves

form• Seedling begins actively

photosynthesizing• You need to start feeding• Use a balanced fertilizer

or one high in Phosphorous and potassium, to encourage good roots and healthy growth

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Thin Ruthlessly

• About two weeks after germination– Select the strongest plant in each cell and

snip off the others• Trying to remove the weaker seedlings by

pulling may damage the roots of the healthier plants

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Lights• Regular fluorescent lights 4 tube units

– Blue (cool)– Red $– Grow $$

• 12 – 16 hrs per day – All day– 3 days on one off

• Seedlings should be as close to the light source as possible– Adjust as plants grow taller

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As Close As Possible

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As Close As Possible

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Root Stimulator

• Strong healthy roots– Reduces transplant shock– Promotes greener, more vigorous plants

• Phosphorous– Stimulates early root formation– Stronger root development

• Sources – Bone Meal– Colloidal Phosphate– Rock Phosphate– Compost

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Fertilize• No fertilizer is needed for germination• After first week:

– Mist with a very weak fertilizer– Greens plants up

• After first set of true leaves develop:– Apply weak fertilizer ¼ strength

• Every other week:– Apply ½ strength fertilizer

• Goal– Want a dense root mass, dark green foliage– Short stubby plant

Transplant Inside• Seedlings can remain in their

original containers until you are ready to plant

• Seedlings may be transplanted into a larger pot after several sets of leaves have formed and the seedling is a couple of inches tall.

• 3”

to 4”

pots are typical transplant size

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Light System I

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Parsley Seedlings

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Transplant

• Plants with longer growing cycle may need to be transplanted into larger pots– Tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkins and peppers are

likely candidates– Plant in 3-4: containers save transplant labor

• Transplant after seedlings grow their second set of leaves

• Choose the healthiest seedlings to move to larger pots

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Why Transplant

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Harden Off

• Harden off means to acclimatize seedlings to the outside sun and wind

• Reduce fertilizer and water in order for the plant to build up reserve (carbohydrates)– Shade first, then gradually work out in full sun– Harden off for 1 -3 weeks

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Each day increase the plants' exposure to sun and wind

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Keep an eye on your plants –

dry out, stressed

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Harden Off

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Start with little ventures of short duration (1/2 to 1 hour)

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As plants toughen up, leave them out longer–

Mindful of sun (scald/kill) and wind (drying)

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Eventually, leave plants outside overnight •

Transplant into the garden when they can withstand daylight (wait for cloudy/wet period)

• Plant during a cloudy/rainy period

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Transplant• Watch the weather

– Ideal time is a cloudy, rainy period– Just before it rains

• Dig the planting hole– Add compost or a starting solution fertilizer– Add the plant– Add water, if not raining

• If it is raining, don’t plant. If the ground is too wet, walking on, and digging, the soil will destroy the soil structure.

• Keep an eye on the plants, water as necessary

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Problems

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Poor Germination• Temperature

– Soil temp was too cold or too warm

• Light• Moisture

– Soil was too wet. • Dig up and examine seeds. If swollen and soft, the seed

has rotted and you will need to start over.

– Soil was too dry• Did not germinate or dried up before their roots could

take hold.

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Seedlings Are Tall/Leggy

– No light source• Need 14 to 16+ hrs of light each day• Use grow or fluorescent lights

– Have a light source• Seedlings are too far from the light

– Need to be very close to the light source

– Too warm• Try lowering the room temperature.

– Too much fertilizer• Reduce/stop using fertilizer

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Damping Off

• My seedlings just toppled over at the base– Serious problem– Base is withered– Cause

A soil-borne fungus

– Difficult to eradicate– Avoid by:

• Using a sterile, soilless growing medium• Water less often• Provide good air circulation (very small fan)

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White Mold on Soil Surface

• Not a serious problem yet!• Growing medium is too wet

– Other problems will develop• Scrape the mold off or transplant seedlings into

fresh growing medium• Withhold water for a few days• Increase air circulation around the containers

by using a small fan.

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Purplish Leaves

• Not receiving enough phosphorus.– Too cool– Change from dilute fertilizer to full

strength.– The phosphorus content (the middle

number on the fertilizer analysis) should be at least a 3

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Disease

• Remove diseased plants immediately to prevent spread– You cannot fix them– They will only harm everything else

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Insects• Black

– Black fungus gnats– More nuisance, indicate very moist soil

• White– Problem– Whiteflies can damage/kill seedlings– Multiply exponentially– Hard to eradicate

• Red– Problem– Red spider mites are not noticed until too late

White Fly• Feed on the underside

of leaves. • Reduce plant vigor

and cause a number of plant disorders and viruses.

• Reproduce and spread at an alarming rate

• Whiteflies have an extremely wide plant host range.

• Not easy to eliminate• Bio-controls available

Fungus Gnat

• Commonly infest fungi, decaying wood

• Over-watering

Aphids• Soft-bodied insect use

feeds on plant sap

• Produce a substance called honeydew on plant leaves and stems

• Honeydew becomes covered with a black sooty mold

• Damage includes twisted, curled or swollen leaves or stems

Spider Mite

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Books

• The New Seed Starter's Handbook – Nancy Bubel– ISBN-10: 0878577521– Rodale Books

• Secrets of Plant Propagation• Storey Books

UNH Cooperative Extension

• Fact sheets that may viewed online or printed out from the UNHCE website:

• extension.unh.edu/resources/category/Ho me_and_Garden– Starting Plants Indoor From Seed– Planting and Maturity Dates of Vegetables

in NH– The NH Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Season– Timing Vegetable Transplants

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When to plant

• Mid Feb - March– Leeks, onions, parsley, celery, geraniums,

calendula, Herbs (long germination period)

• April– Tomato, pepper, eggplant, broccoli,

cabbage, coleus