So you want to jump start your garden this year by growing your own plants. Here are some tips for doing so. February is a good month to start so that your plants will be ready for transplanting in late March or early April.

First of all, start with seeds that are good seeds. By this, I mean ones that you bought this year or saved over from last year’s crops. If you use old seeds, you will probably not have good germination and thus will waste your time and effort.

Next, choose your containers wisely. You can start your seed in any type of container that will hold the dirt and provide good drainage. Wet feet kill more seeds and plants than any other.

I have used items such as yogurt containers, pudding and applesauce cups, paper cups and egg cartons. Paper cups make excellent growing containers, as they can be planted in the garden without disturbing the roots of your seedlings when transplanting. Just be sure, whatever you use, that you have drainage holes in the bottom of the container. Also, if you are using recycled containers, be sure and clean them with a solution of one part bleach to at least nine parts water.

Once your seeds have started to grow, you will need to give them some nutrients to help them grow successfully. You can use a complete, diluted, fertilizer that is labeled for this use. You can also add a fertilizer such as osmocote or other slow release fertilizer at the time you mix the soil. You can wait until you transplant to do this if you desire.

You need to fill your container almost to the top of the container, leaving about half an inch between the rim and the top of the soil. Then follow the planting instructions on the seed packet. Remember to plant them based on the date of the last spring frost for our area. It is best to contact the extension office if you do not have other means of learning when this will occur.

Keep the soil moist, watering as needed, and, as most seeds germinate in the dark, light is not needed at this time. However, there are some that do. Look at the seed packet to see if the seed needs light to germinate. The seed packet will usually tell you how much light is needed. If not, again contact your extension office for help.

When the seedlings begin to green, move them under light. About four inches above them As the seedlings grow, move the light higher. If they begin to be leggy, move your lights closer. If they are compact, move the light away.

Try to keep your temperature between 65 and 70 degrees for best germination. Keep your lights on the plants for about 14 to 16 hours per day. More than this will hurt your plants and you will be wasting money.

I’ll continue the next procedure in transplanting the seedlings in my next column.

Til next time...Let’s play in the dirt