The ABCs of Indoor Seeding

Do you want to grow your own vegetables in the garden this summer? March is the ideal month to plant your seeds in anticipation of the sunny days and to start an indoor seed sowing activity. Besides being economical, sowing your own seeds allows you to enjoy a pleasant activity with children or by yourself. It's quite easy, and you will definitely be proud of yourself when you see your first little seedlings appear. Plus, once mature, you can feed your family with beautiful, fresh, local, and delicious vegetables... not to mention that it is much easier to get children to eat vegetables they have grown themselves!

Here's what you'll need:

• Vegetable and herb seeds of your choice
• Soil designed for seedlings or container plants
• Pots (think recycling – your recycling bin is full of perfect pots for sowing)
• A transparent plastic dome (or mini-greenhouse) to cover your seedlings – plastic wrap can work
• Sticks to identify your seedlings (a fun activity to do with your little ones? Make them happier with beautiful drawings on them)
• A spray bottle and a small watering can with a rain shower head

How to proceed

On the seed packets you find at your Passion Jardins® retailer, you will find all the necessary information for sowing your seeds. It's important not to plant everything at once, as not all varieties have the same germination time. The information on the packet will also tell you the depth at which to plant the seed and the spacing to leave between plantings. You will also know whether or not to cover the seeds with soil.

Seed packets contain a lot. Don't plant everything, or you'll be overwhelmed with seedlings, and you don't need all that. Plant 3 seeds per pot and plan a little more than your needs to keep the most vigorous plants. Store your seeds in a dry place so you can reuse them next year without any problem.

Step by step

1. In a bowl, thoroughly moisten the soil before placing it in the pots. Make sure your pots are perforated to prevent water from stagnating in them and place the pots in a tray to avoid mess.
    
2. Put your seeds in the soil following the supplier's instructions, and don't forget to label and date them to track their progress.
    
3. Lightly spray before covering with the plastic dome, which will ensure a good dose of humidity and warmth for seed germination. If you have watered well, it should not be necessary to do it again during the germination period. The dome will create the necessary condensation. If there is no condensation: spray again.
    
4. Place your seedlings in a well-lit area and be patient. In a few days, you should see the first little seedlings appear!
    
5. As soon as the first stems appear, remove the dome.
    
6. When your seedlings have their first pair of true leaves, you can thin your seedlings, meaning remove the weakest or too close plants to keep only the most vigorous ones. They will grow much better this way.
    

And there you go, it's not more complicated than that! Some varieties will need to be transplanted when they have 4 to 6 true leaves. Transplanting involves separating the plants from each other to give them more space to thrive by replanting them. Take this opportunity to plant deeper, up to the cotyledon (first leaves). This is the last step before planting in the ground!

Problems with your seedlings?

Have you followed the instructions to the letter, and your seedlings are not growing, or the seedlings are drooping or wilting? You might be a victim of damping-off. This is a fungal infection that causes seedlings to rot and spreads very quickly. There is no better solution than starting over from scratch. Be sure to disinfect everything to prevent the fungi from spreading to your new plantings.

If your seedlings tend to become leggy, growing long and spindly, it's probably due to a lack of light. Opt for artificial supplementary lighting to help them.

Have fun!