Every year gardeners around the world proclaim optimistic hope for a new year by carefully and lovingly
placing seed in the ground. In the earliest days of gardening, the plants grown would have been limited to
varieties that would have grown and matured within the limitations of their particular climate and growing
season. But as man ventured forth and discovered new lands, new cultures and new peoples, they also would
have been introduced to new plants, new tastes and varieties they never knew before and started to grow these
in their own gardens. But not all plants can be successfully grown to maturity from seed placed in the ground
in all areas where people choose to grow a garden because the growing season just is not long enough.
Centuries ago, gardeners learned to avoid these limitations by starting seeds of long-season or hard to grow
plants in controlled environments where they could effectively lengthen the growing season. In the earliest
days, only the those who could afford a greenhouse or hotbed could enjoy this luxury. But with the advent of
electricity came a whole new dimension to gardening. Now gardeners everywhere can enjoy plants that
otherwise would have been unthinkable because of short growing seasons. Often, many gardeners have great
success and save a lot of money over buying plants while the rest are left wondering what went wrong and
thinking it's not worth the effort. But starting your own plants from seed is not nearly as hard as you might
believe and it does not take a "green thumb" or special accommodations to accomplish. With just a few simple supplies and the correct information anyone can grow their own plants from seed at home, save a lot of money and have that feeling of pride knowing you started those plants yourself. Additionally, starting plants from seed opens up many possibilities for varieties that are not available at your local nursery.
Start with the basic knowledge that seeds are complete "plants" with everything they need to become a reflection of their parents. There is nothing we can do to change that and seeds in general have a natural tendency to sprout and grow. But just as with any baby, they have fairly strict requirements that must be met or they will not develop properly or die altogether. Fortunately these requirements are not hard to accomplish, require no special talent and you can do it yourself. They are:
A clean environment - Like any baby, plants do not have a built-in resistance to external hazards like fungus and disease nor do they have the strength if they could. These take time to develop. All planting containers and tools must be clean and sterilized. This must also include anything that touches the soil, including your hands and can include the seed itself unless treated seed or seeds certified free from disease are used. One of the easiest ways is with a 10% chlorine bleach solution (1 part chlorine bleach to 10 parts water). Make sure that all remaining soil is removed from tools and containers before sterilizing as bleach has poor penetrating properties. Sterilize all containers, supplies and tools with the bleach solution for several minutes, rinse and allow to air dry. Unless you're buying known disease-free or treated seed, sterilize them as well by soaking the seeds for 15 minutes in a bleach solution (one teaspoon per quart of water) prior to sowing.
Soil The soil for good success with starting seeds must be light, airy and have an open texture that will adequately support the seedlings but allow easy root penetration. The soil used must also be clean and free from pathogens as well. So purchase special "seed starting" media that has been sterilized and avoid garden soil altogether unless it has been thoroughly sterilized. These mixes will normally be identified as "seed starting" mixes and normally will be soilless. But as with many things, not all mixes are created equal. Buy a mix from a reputable source for best results. Look for the addition of sphagnum moss to the mix as this produces chemicals that inhibit many soil-born pathogens. Test the pH. of your soil prior to planting. Seeds will sprout better and soil-born pathogens will be deterred in a soil that is slightly acidic to around 6.5.
For those adventurous gardeners who like doing everything themselves, you can sterilize your own planting media at home, but be advised the extreme odor of sterilizing soil by some methods is anything but pleasant and is certainly not the pleasant earthy smell you get when you scoop up a handful of soil from your garden and take a big sniff. To sterilize your planting soil use one of the following methods: 1] Place moistened soil into oven-proof pans to a depth of two to three inches. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a 160 degree F. oven until the soil has reached a uniform 160 degrees. Let bake for 10 to 15 minutes at 160 degrees. Remove, uncover the soil and let it dry and cool thoroughly before use. 2] Place soil into microwave-safe containers and heat until the soil has reached 160 degrees F. for 10 to 15 minutes.This is the fastest way to sterilize soil. 3] Place soil in a mesh bag or fine-meshed strainer and pour boiling water over the mix until it maintains 140 degrees F for 30 minutes. 4] Solarize soil by spreading it in thin layers in sealed plastic bags and place in full sun during the hottest part of the summer until the soil reaches 140 degrees F. for several days. Many gardeners keep bags of soil solarizing all summer and then store them in air-tight containers in a cool place until needed. Caution: Use extreme care when uncovering your soil, as steam may be trapped inside. Open the containers slowly to allow steam to escape.
Moisture - All plants must have proper moisture, both for proper germination and for growth. However, to much moisture or to much at the wrong time can cause total failure just as surely as if a virulent disease swept through like a bad nightmare. For the most part, you will gently mist your newly planted seeds with a spray bottle initially to settle the soil but afterward, water from below by setting your flats or containers in a pan of water until the soil is moistened and then set aside to drain thoroughly to avoid having the plants wet.. But not all seeds like to be watered from above and some like to be kept wetter, while some like it on the dry side. Get familiar with the seeds you wish to start and consult the chart below for special needs and above all else be consistent. Unless the seeds like to dry slightly between watering, keep the soil consistently moist, but not wet to prevent disease.
Many soil-born pathogens can be controlled by maintaining a slightly acidic condition in the soil to around 6.5 and since many municipal water supplies tend to be on the alkaline side as well as containing potentially harmful chemicals like chlorine and fluoride, use filtered, untreated bottled water or use a filter to remove these chemicals and test the water often for proper pH. If you need to adjust the pH of your water, try using one tablespoon of vinegar per gallon of water.
Heat - No seed will sprout in soil that is to cold. But to hot and your results will be erratic at best. Also, just like humans, different seeds have different comfort zones where they do best. This is natures way of telling the seed that the time is right to start growing. Fortunately, this is easy with the modern thermostatically controlled heat mats offered today. Consult the chart below for the optimum temperature for your seeds and group them according to their heat requirements.
Light - All plants need light to grow. But, odd as it may sound, many seeds will not sprout in the presence of light or will sprout poorly. Therefore, it is necessary to keep many seeds covered until they start to sprout and then provide them with bright light. Also, there is a big difference between bright light and direct sunlight. In the presence of direct sunlight, it becomes necessary to provide some shading during the brightest part of the day for many plants. For this reason many gardeners prefer to provide the right amount of light artificially through the use of fluorescent lighting. This form of lighting (with the correct combination of tubes or special plant growth tubes) is easy to manage and relatively inexpensive. Just keep your fluorescent lights hanging a few inches above your plants, adjust the height as they grow and provide them with 14 to 16 hours of light every day. This can be accomplished with a simple lighting timer like the ones used to turn household lamps on and off.
Fertilizer And Feeding As a rule, most plants need no extra fertilizer when sprouting, as the seed contains all of the nutrition it will need for the first days of its life. However, many potting soil manufacturers will put a slow-release fertilizer in their potting mixes. This may be of some use after the seed is actively growing beyond its first set of true leaves and the nutrients in the seed are depleted. However, you can often save money by purchasing good quality potting mixes without the added fertilizer and then providing it only when the plants need it. To accomplish this, wait until the plants have at least one full set of true leaves before providing any additional fertilizer. At that time it will be necessary to provide food for the seedlings, especially soilless mixes as these contain very little nutritional value alone. Use a water soluble fertilizer at one-quarter the manufacturers recommended strength with each watering at this time.
This is an excellent time to use a compost tea to feed your plants and add the fertilizer to the tea. The compost tea will provide many essential macro and micro-nutrients as well as valuable beneficial bacteria and enzymes that help to provide immunity and boost resistance. The best compost tea for this will come from a mix of both composted manure and conventional compost in equal proportions. The fertilizer will provide the major elements that the tea may be lacking, such as nitrogen for strong foliage growth and potassium for a strong root system. Use the compost tea roughly every three weeks until planting time and the fertilizer water between the tea waterings. If you see excessive or very fast top growth, withhold the additional fertilizer. At no time should you ever give full strength or excessive fertilizer to your new seedlings, as this will contribute to weaker plants and the possibility of damping off disease.
Air Movement Stagnant air will promote weaker plants and increase the possibility of diseases invading your plants. From the time the seeds start to sprout place a small fan, set at low speed to provide air movement around your plants without blowing directly on them. This helps promote transpiration and evaporate excess moisture. Approximately one week prior to the time the hardening off process is to start, I place one small oscillating fan on each side of the plants so that the fans gently blows across the tops of the plants, but not directly on them. The goal here is to provide some movement without actually blowing them over. Much like a gentle breeze would do. I find this helps to strengthen the stems before I move them outdoors.
A Hardening Off Period - Remember that your plants have been growing indoors, away from the rigors and extremes of the weather and do not have the strength and resistance needed to endure the outdoor environment. Hardening off is nothing more than a period of 12 to 14 days when your plants are gradually acclimated to the outdoor environment by introducing them to it a little at a time and is intended to slow plant growth; but if carried to an extreme, significant damage can occur. Hardening is accomplished by decreasing temperature and relative humidity gradually, and reducing water. This procedure results in accumulation of carbohydrates and thickening of cell walls. A change from a soft, succulent type of growth to a firmer, harder type is desired.
To harden off your young plants, find a location that is sheltered from the wind and shaded for all but the earliest part of the day and when the temperature is above 45 degrees F. If such a location is not available, you can create one by wrapping a couple of layers of black screen wire or cheesecloth around and over stakes to provide protection. But it will take at least two layers to provide enough protection against a hot midday sun and wind. After two or three days into the process you can gradually remove layers as your plants get tougher. A point to remember here also is that if squirrels, dogs, starlings or other critters are present that can dig out your plants, pull them out or cut them off, you will want to enclose your plants (top, bottom and sides) with chicken or other such wire netting. It would be a disaster indeed to get this far, only to have your hard work destroyed in minutes by critters.
Probably, by far the best method of hardening off plants is to use a "cold frame". Cold frames employ a sheltered environment with glass or plastic coverings that can be propped open for different lengths of time and can be covered with a covering to provide shade. The amount of exposure is regulated by how far open you leave the sashes. Just remember to monitor the temperature inside and adjust the sash opening to keep the temperature at safe levels and close the sashes tightly at night to conserve heat. In the event of freezing temperature, you will need to provide additional protection or bring your plants inside. By the end of the hardening off period, you will be leaving the sashes open fully or off all together and closing them only when frost is likely.
Transplanting - Depending on what you use as a starting container, all of your seedlings will need to be transplanted at some point. Either into larger containers or directly into the spot where they will continue to grow. Transplanting is always a shock to any plant. Therefore the fewer times you disturb the roots the better. Additionally, many plants, such as melons and squash are almost intolerant of having their roots disturbed. Ideally, the container you start the seed in will need be large enough to accommodate the root system until the proper time to plant. Most plants will tolerate being transplanted into a larger container if this is done when the first set of true leaves appear, but whenever possible it is best to start your seeds in a manner that results in no root disturbance.
This usually means starting seeds in biodegradable containers made of peat or composted manure. Another popular method is to recycle old newspaper into handy planting pots that will degrade into the soil. With these, strips of paper are wrapped around a mandrel and bottom folded under in a hand press. Another very good alternative is to use compressed peat pellets or plugs made from coconut fiber. Both of these latter methods have the added bonus of not harboring harmful bacteria that can cause diseases. With all of these methods, your new plants can be replanted easily either into larger pots or directly into the ground with no root disturbance. Regardless of the method you choose, never allow your seedlings to become "root bound" as this may cause the plants to become stunted and weak. Root bound is a condition where the roots grow to the outer limits of the container and will start circling the container, becoming a tight, tangled mass. If this occurs, gently tease the roots apart and loosen them before transplanting. With the methods outlined above, it is easy to know when your plants need to be moved into larger accommodations, because the roots will start to grow out of the container or pellet. The exception might be the newspaper pots because decomposition is slow until the pot is set into the ground.
The following chart is derived from tests done under ideal conditions by various entities and the data presented are best averages for each plant listed. Not all varieties listed are commonly started indoors. However, this does not mean they cannot be started indoors. Your results may vary. Listings for whether or not a plant sprouts better in light, darkness or either reflect only the results of various studies and tests performed on that variety.
Starting your own seed is not difficult and needs very little in specialized equipment. Everything you need for success is readily available at your local hardware store or from vendors of gardening supplies. The only other things you need to supply is a little time and space to start your seeds. This can be just about anywhere and is limited only by your imagination. Just choose a location that is somewhat out of the way, but convenient for you to tend your "nursery" daily. Remember, you are starting baby plants and just like any other baby, they will need a little attention daily.
Materials Needed
Before starting your seeds, you will need to get a few things together and have them ready before you start:
Seed
Potting soil mix
Large flat trays and/or
Trays with divided compartments and/or
Plastic or peat pots (2 to 4 inch)
Fluorescent light
Lighting timer to control the light
Shelves or stands to hold your starting containers (make sure these are water resistant or cover them with plastic)
Misc. items: plastic wrap, pencil or dowel rod, hand shovel or small scoop
Pot Labels and marker
Misting sprayer or waterproof pan large enough to set planting containers in
Optional Items May Include
Sifting screen to sift media to cover seeds
Large dowel or small block to firm soil
Rubber gloves to keep your hands clean and to prevent contact with sphagnum moss. Sphagnum Moss may contain a bacteria that many people are sensitive to. If this is the case, you may also wish to include a dust mask for protection from the dust.
It can't be stressed enough that good sanitation is paramount when starting seeds. Use the guidelines above to sterile containers, tools, labels, seeds etc. Even when good sanitation is practiced, diseases can occur. Therefore, it may be a wise precaution to treat your newly planted containers with an antifungal preventative to help insure that disease does not destroy your efforts. This is easily done by applying one or more of the following treatments after planting:
Chamomile tea
Seaweed spray
A fine layer of milled sphagnum moss on top of the sterile planting medium
Sprinkling a fine layer of cinnamon powder on your starting medium
Horsetail Tea
Along with the above measures, adding a small fan to keep air circulating around your plants can be a big plus in deterring diseases from invading your nursery.
Plan Your Planting
All seed starting must start with a plan. The plan starts with the number and varieties of plants you will want to plant and the second is the proper time to start your seeds. Many seeds are often in short supply and are not often available when you wish to plant them. So pre-planning and ordering early are vital in order to get the seeds you want to plant and have them available when you are ready to plant them. It is advantageous to order an entire seasons worth of seeds all at the same time. The seed can easily be stored in an air-tight container in a cool-dark place, like the refrigerator until you are ready to plant. If you choose to store seed for later use, add a little bit of dry milk or rice to the container to absorb excess moisture and keep the seed dry.
The second is planting at the proper time to have plants ready to plant at the proper time. The chart above can help with both of these. If in doubt about the proper time to plant, or you expect a delay, it is far better to start your seeds on the late side, rather than to attempt to hold them until you are able to plant them in their permanent location. Holding plants past their prime will result in weak, spindly plants that will not perform well in your garden.
Getting Started
With the above supplies gathered and properly cleaned and sterilized, you're ready to start planting. Start with a plan for the number of seeds you will need to plant. Unless you are planning on selling some plants, an average packet of seeds will contain more seed than most people will be able to use, especially varieties like tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, etc., but you will want to plant two or three seeds per container or cell. Save any extra seed for a second planting later. Keep this in a sealed container in a cool, dark place like a refrigerator.
Fill your containers with the planting media and gently firm the media down to the proper planting depth, plus 1/4 inch to allow room for watering later. Be careful not to compress the media to much or root penetration may be impaired. Remove some soil if needed here. Use a small block or wood or a large piece of dowel rod to help firm the soil evenly if needed. Place these filled containers in a pan of water and allow to soak until the media is completely moistened and then remove to drain thoroughly
After the media has completely drained, place two or three seeds in each container or cell. This is necessary to insure that at least one plant sprouts in each. The extras will be removed later. Next sift some sphagnum moss, perlite or planting media so that it is fine and of an even texture and cover the seeds to the proper planting depth and label with variety and the date planted. Seeds that need light for germination are best covered with a fine layer of sifted perlite and clear plastic to allow light to penetrate. At this point you will want to pre-treat your seed containers to prevent diseases later using one of the methods outlined above. Once covered, mist the media lightly to moisten if needed.
Cover the flats or containers with plastic to retain moisture, but do not allow the plastic to be in direct contact with the soil. At this point, your containers or flats may be covered with either clear or dark plastic, depending on whether or not the variety needs light or darkness to germinate properly (consult the chart above). Place the flats or pots in a warm location following the chart above and check them daily for signs of sprouting, drying, etc.
After Sprouting
Once the seeds start to sprout, remove the plastic and place the seedlings in bright light. This can be a sunny window or use fluorescent lighting. If you use a sunny window, it will be necessary to turn the plants daily in order to keep them growing straight. For artificial lighting, use either special plant growth tubes in a florescent fixture or a combination of "cool white" and "warm white" tubes in order to get the best mixture of color spectrum for your plants. These will need to be turned on for 14 to 16 hours per day and is best handled through the use of a lighting timer such as you would use to turn on lamps, etc. The light fixtures will need to be placed roughly 4 to 6 inches above your plants and periodically adjusted in order to keep them within that range.
Keep the air moving around your plants in order to promote transpiration and help prevent disease. At first, this will be just to keep air moving in the area, but later, prior to hardening off you may want to provide a gentle breeze on the plants to help build up strength in the plants. A small oscillating fan works very well here, but do not plug the fan into the timer with your lights. The fan should be kept running continuously.
After sprouting, remove all but the strongest plant from each cell or pot. This can be done by pulling out the unwanted plants, but it is better to simply clip them off with a pair of scissors in order to avoid damaging the roots of surrounding seedlings. The clipped off plants can be placed in the compost, however, the seedlings of many varieties make tasty additions to a salad. If you planted in flats or large containers with many plants, you will soon need to transplant your seedlings into individual containers. In days past, this process was called "pricking out", because the seedlings were "pricked" from the soil and placed into larger growing containers. This is generally done once the plants sprout their first set of true leaves. When they sprout, all seeds will be attached to the seed and feed off of it for a while until they are able to grow true leaves and have enough roots to sustain themselves. At hat point, the seed shrivels up and drops off as it nutrients are used up. These can be distinguished from the original "seed-leaves" by the fact that the will have the appearance of true leaves, while the seed-leaves will look like pieces of the swollen seed attached to the stem, which is what they are. Do not be mistaken here though, the first true leaves may not look anything like the mature leaf, but they will definitely look like a leaf and not a part of the seed. Also, not all plants emerge with their seeds attached to the top of the stem. Some will sprout, leaving the seed in the ground, while pushing the stem upward to develop true leaves only. In either case, the process is the same. Wait until the first true leaves have developed before transplanting. But do not delay the transplanting process because the older the seedlings get, the worse the transplant shock and level of difficulty.
Feeding And Care
When your seeds first sprout, they will have no need of extra fertilizer because the will not have the root system necessary to take it up. All of their nutritional needs will be derived from the seed itself. But as they grow older (usually indicated by the first rue leaves), they will need supplemental nutrition. This is especially true when using a soilless media. Soilless media is normally pretty devoid of nutrition. This is why many manufacturers of soilless media will add a slow-release plant food to the mix. If your media contains such added fertilizer, it will generally last for approximately 3 months and little else will be needed during that time. However, the use of compost tea applied every three weeks can be a big benefit to provide valuable micro and macronutrients.
If your planting media does not contain additional fertilizer, it will be necessary to feed your hungry seedlings in order to keep them growing well. Start your feeding regimen once the seedlings develop their first set of true leaves by choosing a water-soluble fertilizer (chemical or organic) and dilute it to 1/4 strength (based on the manufacturers recommendation) in compost tea for the first feeding. Use the compost tea mixture every three weeks and straight fertilizer water at 1/4 strength weekly in between.
Feeding and any supplemental watering is best accomplished by immersing the growing containers in a tray or other suitable container of water until the soil is thoroughly moistened and then allowed to drain thoroughly. For the majority of plants, it is best to avoid overhead watering altogether.
Hardening Off
Your lovingly planted and tended plants have grown vigorously in a sheltered location for many weeks and the weather is right to plant them out. At this point, the worst thing you could do is to rush out to stick them in the ground. Remember, they have been growing indoors and have no resistance to the rigors of the environment they will be growing in. They must be slowly acclimated to their outdoor environment in order to survive or perform well in a process called "hardening off". Hardening off is explained in detail above.
Transplanting
Whether directly into their permanent location, or into larger pots, at some point your plants will need to be transplanted. It is at this point that your plants will be susceptible to a phenomena called "transplant shock". This can be seen any time the plant undergoes a dramatic change in their environment and is compounded by disturbing their root system. Hardening off helps to minimize transplant shock and many plants will continue to grow without skipping a beat, while others will "sulk" and refuse to grow or grow poorly for many weeks. In extreme cases, the plant may die from this shock. Disturbing the root systems of many plants is the biggest culprit for transplant shock and can be minimized by starting your plants in decomposable pots that are large enough to contain the plant until it is planted out. Decomposable pots, such as peat, manure or paper are your best insurance against transplant shock as they can be planted into the ground, pot and all where the pot rots away and the roots grow through it.
A note on decomposable pots to note here is to make sure that the top edge is torn away so that none of the pot is protruding above the soil surface. This extra pot will act as a wick to draw moisture away from the plant and cause it to dry out. Another way to reduce transplant shock is to use a transplant fertilizer at the time of planting. These contain a hormone that helps to promote root growth as well as key nutrients to help build the plants immunity. Make sure to water well at the time of transplanting and keep it well watered, but not wet, until the plant establishes itself. At that time, gradually withhold water until you have acclimated the plant to your regular watering schedule. Mulching will also help to conserve moisture and keep the soil cooler.
Every year gardeners start their own plants from seed and often they experience results that are not desirable. Often these can be traced back to something that was not done or done incorrectly. Here is a list of some of the most common mistakes gardeners make:
My plants are weak and spindly. There are few leaves and they are far apart. Normally this is an indication of inadequate light. Seedlings must receive 14 - 16 hours of light either from natural sunlight or from artificial sources. If the plants are placed in a window, preferably it should face south with no curtains, blinds, etc. to block the sun. If artificial lighting is used, three common mistakes are made: 1) The lights are the wrong type. The tubes used in florescent lighting must be either the specially designed plant growth tubes or a combination of equal numbers of "cool white" and day white" tubes in order to provide the correct combination of light spectrum. 2) The lights are placed to far away from the plants. The intensity of florescent lighting decreases rapidly the further away they are. For optimum growth, the tubes must be kept no more than 4 to 6 away from the plants. However, allowing the plants to come into contact with the tubes can cause burning in some cases. Incandescent plant growth bulbs are available, however their use in starting plants is questionable and they do produce a great amount of heat, which can easily burn plants. 3) The plants do not receive enough hours of light. Regardless of the form of lighting, whether natural or artificial, is not as intense as that of late spring and summer. Therefore it is necessary to offset intensity with duration. You can not do anything about the length of day, but with artificial lighting, the length is easily controlled through the use of a simple lighting timer.
Other things can also contribute to weak spindly growth, such as to much fertilizer causing excessive growth, to much water, which will cause weak growth and lack of proper air movement. Old, weak florescent tubes can also be an issue.
Spindly growth, but with good color is a common indication of to much fertilizer. Plants need just enough plant food for steady, healthy growth. generally a quarter-strength, water soluble plant food is adequate. However, even this can be to much at times. If your plants start to grow to fast or to robustly, cut back on the plant food and use more organic sources such as compost tea.
To much water is often a big problem for growers. It will result in weak, spindly growth and the plants will generally display a pale coloring if this condition has existed for very long. Make sure you are using a planting media that drains well, water only when the soil starts to dry and then water by soaking the containers in water just long enough to moisten the entire medium and then allow them to drain thoroughly. Never allow the plants to set in water.
Lack of adequate air movement can cause the plants to be weak because they have to stressors to cause them to build strong stems. Placing a small fan to keep the air moving around the plants will help cause the plant to harden and toughen the stems. This generally results in shorter, thicker stems. Having enough air movement to cause the plants to move around slightly is a good thing. But do not place the fan in such a way as to blow the plants over. Later, just before you start the hardening off process you can give the plants more direct air movement, but you still want only as much as a gentle breeze, not a stiff gale.
As florescent lights age, the amount of light they put out also diminishes. After about 6 months of continuous use, the light intensity starts to diminish and after about 9 months, this goes down rather quickly. As a general rule, if you are using your florescent lights only for starting seeds, you can get about 2 usable growing seasons out of the tubes and then you should replace them.
My plants develop dark rings around the base of the stems, fall over and die OR My plants have developed dark spots up and down the stems and have lost their vigor or slowly died. Both of these symptoms describe what is commonly called "damping off disease". Without getting technical, damping off disease is a bacterial or fungal disease that is caused from a family of more than forty different strains of bacteria and fungus. Once it has invaded your plants, for the most part it is best to discard all infected plants and the soil they were growing in. Sometimes, you can treat the remaining plants with one of the methods above and save the rest.
The best defense against damping off disease is prevention through proper cleaning of containers, tools, seed and hands and properly sterilized potting media. Treating the soil with one of the methods described above is also a good preventative measure.
My plants droop and loose their leaves This is normally caused by improper watering, but it can also be sign of damping off disease. In the case of improper watering, allow the surface to dry slightly and then immerse the growing containers in a tray of water until the the soil is thoroughly moistened. Then allow the containers to dry thoroughly before placing them back where they normally grow. Never allow your plants to dry out completely as this causes stress and death on your plants. Conversely, to much water drives air out of the soil and causes the plant roots to suffocate and rot.
My plants grow to one side This generally only occurs when plants are grown in a window. This is the plants normal tendency to grow toward the strongest light source. This is easily eliminated by turning your plants 180 degrees every day.
My plants have outgrown the amount of space I have and are getting huge. Generally, this occurs from starting your plants to early. Your plants are going to continue to grow as long as they have the proper conditions for growth. The ideal situation is to have have plants that are not huge, but rather large enough to survive outdoors at the proper planting time. Often, the weather makes this tricky. But by knowing the average last frost date for your area will be a big help in determining the best time to start your seeds. If in doubt, or you are new to starting seeds indoors, start your seeds a little on the late side. The chart above can help along with a good plant hardiness zone map or map of the average last frost date. Find a map for the US and for Canada on this website.
Another cause of lack of room is that many first-time growers fail to recognize that their tiny seeds will grow into large plants and these will need room to grow. When planting your seeds, make sure to provide enough room for growth. A good general rule is to provide roughly twice as much room as the empty flats take up. If you do this, you will have plenty of room for growth before time to set out. This may appear as wasted space that you will want to fill when you first plant, but your plants will soon fill this space and you'll be glad you had "wasted space".
My seeds sprouted poorly, with many empty pots or cells Many things can cause poor sprouting, including: Seed that is not viable - This may be caused from the seed being to old. As a general rule, do not save seed more than a year. However, with proper care, many seeds will remain viable for longer than a year. To save your seed, place it in an air-tight container with a little bit of milk powder or rice and store it in a cool, dark place like the refrigerator. Also mark your seed with the date it was saved. Seed that has been planted to deep - All seed has limits as to how deeply they can be planted and still emerge. Consult the seed package or the chart above for proper planting depths. Growing conditions that are to cold or to hot - Nature uses temperature as a means of telling seed when it is ok to sprout. If the growing temperatures are not right, the seed either will sprout poorly or not at all. Use the planting chart above and a heat mat to provide the proper soil temperatures for sprouting. Planting media to wet or dry - Planting media that is to wet will cause seed to rot before it has a chance to sprout. However, if the media is to dry, there won't be enough moisture for the seed to sprout either. Your planting media should be kept consistently moist, but not wet. Wrong light conditions - Difficult as this may sound, many seeds require either total darkness or light in order to sprout properly. Consult the chart above for the correct light conditions for your plant.
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