Starting Plants from Seeds
Starting Plants From Seeds
Ray R. Rothenberger
Department of Horticulture, University of Missouri-Columbia
Plants of many annual flowers and vegetables may be started from seeds indoors. Vigorous plants started indoors flower sooner and produce an earlier harvest. Some, however, are best sown directly outdoors when weather conditions permit and are actually delayed by transplanting.
Growing plants from seeds can be a rewarding hobby and also allows home gardeners to grow varieties that may not be available from local plant growers.
Time for seeding indoors
The proper time for sowing seeds depends upon when plants may normally be moved outdoors. This period may range from four to 10 weeks, depending on the speed with which seedlings grow and the cultural conditions in the home.
Selecting seeds for planting
Purity and trueness to type. Good seeds should not contain seed of other crops or weeds and should be the correct variety. For best results, buy quality seed from a reliable dealer.
Packages and storage. Seeds sold in packages should show crop, variety, germination percentage and chemical seed treatments, if any. Seeds should be kept dry and cool to ensure good germination at planting. Laminated foil packets ensure dry storage. Paper packets are best kept in tightly closed cans or jars until seeds are planted.
Hybrid seeds. Many new vegetable and flower seeds are hybrids. Hybrid seed often costs more than seed of nonhybrid varieties. However, hybrids usually have increased vigor, better uniformity, better production and sometimes specific disease resistance or other unique cultural characteristics. Each gardener must decide whether the added benefit justifies the added cost. It often does.
