starting seeds indoors

Seed Starting

Seed Savers Exchange 2013 Webinar Series

Presented by Jennifer Zoch

Our mission is to save North America’s diverse, but endangered, garden heritage for future generations by building a network of people committed to collecting, conserving, and sharing heirloom seeds and plants, while educating people about the value of genetic and cultural diversity.

Why Should I Start From Seed?

Transplants

82 varieties sold at LGVC

23 varieties of tomatoes, peppers, ground cherries available in the catalog

Seeds

12,495 varieties in theseed exchange (Yearbook)

597 varieties in the commercial catalog

1 transplant

$1.75 at LGVC

$3.00 in commercial catalog

packet of 25 seeds

$2.75 at LGVC and in the commercial catalog

earlier end product

long-season crops in short-season climates

Initial Planning

number of seeds

direct seeding vs. transplanting

*Source: Nancy Bubel’s The New Seed-Starters Handbook

Onions 12-14 weeks before safe planting-out date

Peppers 8-12 weeks before last frost

Eggplant 6-8 weeks before last frost

Tomatoes 6-8 weeks before last frost

Lettuce 5-6 weeks before safe planting-out date

Cole crops 5-6 weeks before safe planting-out date

Cucumbers and melons 2-4 weeks before last frost

potting mix

containers

labeling

heat

light

sowing seed

seed coat

epicotyl

cotyledonseed anatomy

seed depth

Humidity

water and humidity

growth phase

Troubleshooting

transplanting

hardening off

Recommended ReadingCutler, K.D. (1998) Starting from Seed: The Natural

Gardener’s Guide to Propagating PlantsTurner, C.B. (1998) Seed Sowing and Saving Ashworth, S. (2002) Seed to Seed: Seed Saving and

Growing Techniques for Vegetable GardenersBubel, N. (1988) The New Seed-Starters HandbookReilly, A. (1978) Park’s Success with Seeds

Thank you! Questions?

2013 Seed Savers Exchange Webinar Series

For more information please visit these resources:

Seed Savers Exchange website: www.seedsavers.orgForum: forum.seedsavers.org

Online Yearbook: yearbook.seedsavers.org

To learn more about seed saving

Read Suzanne Ashworth’s Seed-to-Seed

Visit www.seedalliance.org for the free publication, A Seed Saving Guide for Gardeners & Farmers

long-season crops

short-season crops