Gardening Questions? … Ask Anna – How do I start planting veggies from seed…

Hello everyone! My name is Anna and I manage your local Harvest Garden Centre on the corner of Vincent Massey and Powerdam Drive in Cornwall and I’m here to answer you’re questions about Gardening.

The question for the March column is “I want to start a few vegetable plants inside by seed, where do I begin?” but you still have time even now…

Let’s start with what to plant. I recommend vegetables that take longer to start producing like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. You’ll need to make sure the seeds are getting 4-6 hours of direct light to give them the best environment for photosynthesis and to avoid them growing long and stringy. Make sure the seed is near a window or a growing light so it’s close to the light source. Rooted vegetables, like carrots, beets, and radishes, should be started directly outside in the soil in early spring. Maybe these are plants to avoid starting inside.

You can have fun with the container that you use for the seeds. It can be a metal can, an egg carton, a plastic container, or anything really as long as it has proper drainage. Be sure to label and track what is going into each container as it can be hard to remember exactly what is where if you’re doing a lot at once. As for soil, potting soil mix is my go-to. Make sure you read the seed packet for the information on how deep to plant the seed. This can vary on the variety and type of vegetable, so it’s important you’re following the directions. Be sure to keep an eye on the soil and be sure to keep it evenly moist. I also recommend having a thermometer near the level of the seedlings to ensure the seed is getting between 20-24 degrees Celsius.

For some extra information, when you’ve used the seeds you need from a package, you don’t need to throw the rest away. A common misconception is that those seeds are no good, but you can store them in a cool dry place and they will be fine for next year, so don’t throw them out!

If you give this seed growing project a try, come land et me know how it turned out! …and if you would like me to answer one of your questions next month you can send your question to me at: [email protected] attention Ask Anna. I hope everyone has a fantastic month and be sure to stop by and say hi.

ALSO remember, you can pick up your copy of The Seeker each month at Harvest (on Vincent Massey) OR you can subscribe to it (at theseeker.ca) and get it delivered to your home…