When many people start an organic garden for the very first time, they focus on buying young plants to get things off to a quick start. However, you can also start your garden from seeds either indoors or outdoors to set your flower or vegetable garden up for success.
Here are some tips and best practices for seed planting in your organic garden this season.
Why Plant Seeds?
One of the biggest reason why gardeners choose seeds is cost. It is considerably cheaper to buy seeds than full plants from a garden center or nursery, especially if you want to create a large garden or grow many different types of plants. But with seeds, you will have to be more patient because they can take a while to grow and run the risk of dying if conditions become too cold or too wet.
Seeds Indoors vs. Seeds Outdoors
If you live in a location with a shorter growing season, such as in a cold climate, you might consider starting your seeds indoors in pots. This way, your seeds get a jumpstart on the season without being put at risk of freezing when they are just starting to grow. Indoor seed gardening requires containers, a potting mix, and fertilizer to get the process started.
If your home is located in a milder climate with a longer growing season, you might be able to start your seeds outdoors right away. It’s important to keep seed beds moist outdoors and to keep the seeds fully covered with soil for their protection. Seed packets provide information about temperature requirements, as well as spacing and depth tips so you can get the seeds planted in the most optimal positions.
The Right Seed Containers
It is very common to use seed-starting trays to initiate seed growth before the seedings become large enough to transplant. Trays should have good drainage so that the soil doesn’t get soggy too quickly.
Soil, Water, and Light
Potting soil should be moist but not soaking wet to grow seeds and be an organic mix, such as one with peat moss or coconut coir. Most seeds prefer a temperature of around 65 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Many types of seeds don’t need a lot of sunlight until their first leaves form, but placing seeds in a south-facing window indoors from the very beginning is a good choice.
Fertilizing Your Seeds
To give your seed-grown plants the best fighting chance at life, we recommend using Seagate’s Fish Fertilizer or Seaweed & Fish Soil Tabs. Our original fertilizer is derived from whole anchovies and sardines that are caught along the Baja California shores. It’s great for both indoor and outdoor use and can be easily poured into a small hole in the soil.
Meanwhile, our seaweed and fish soil tabs are composed of dehydrated sardines and dehydrated seaweed that is harvested by hand by our own contract divers. There is no danger of over-fertilizing or burning the roots with this organic product, and just one container will fertilize hundreds of plants. Fertilizing becomes especially important as your seeds sprout their very first leaves.
Happy spring gardening to our Seagate customers, and we wish you the best of luck with your seed planting!