Give seedlings lots of light to get a good start

Last week’s column was on the schedule you should follow when planting vegetable seeds indoors. This week’s column is on the process of setting up and planting your seeds.

All seeds need warm temperatures and good light to germinate properly. The best places in a house to start them are in an unused bedroom or a basement where you can control the heat to keep it around 70 degrees.

Seedlings need intense light for about 14 to 16 hours a day to grow well. This is best provided using either plant grow lights or, my choice, a bank of three 4-foot LED shop lights suspended on chains that can be lowered or raised. The lights need to be suspended 6 and 8 inches above the plants for the proper intensity. I use three lights side by side so that my trays get even light. Shop lights are relatively inexpensive and readily available.

Window sills are not a good place to start seeds because they are exposed to cold air especially at night. Also, we only get eight to nine hours of weak sunlight this time of year which isn’t enough for good growth.

The best soil to use for starting seeds is a germination or starter mix. It is finer than regular potting soil which allows the tiny seeds to push through it easily. Regular potting mix will crust over and make it difficult for the seedling to break through the surface. It is available at garden centers in the area and online. Moisten it to the consistency of a wrung-out sponge before you plant your seeds.

Your planting containers can be simple things like cottage cheese, yogurt or butter cartons with holes punched in the bottom for drainage. Set them on a cookie sheet or rimmed tray to catch the water before it can damage the underlying counter or table. I go one step further and use commercial seeding flats and recycled 4-inch pots set in lightweight seed trays. The seed trays don’t have holes. I like these because I can maximize the number of plants I can set under the lights, and they are inexpensive. They are available at the garden centers. To water the plants, fill the tray with enough water the plants can soak up within an hour. After the hour, remove any excess water to prevent drowning the plants.

I don’t recommend using egg cartons for starting seeds because the egg cups are too small for good root development, and it is difficult to get the baby plants out of the cup without damaging their roots. Lastly, the paper fiber in pulp egg cartons doesn’t break down quick enough to allow the small roots to penetrate through it into the soil.

When it comes time to plant, read the seed packet directions carefully. Most seeds are planted only a quarter of an inch deep. Planting them too deep means the seed will not have enough energy to push through the extra soil to the surface.