![]() Some add small amounts of lime and fertilizer. They may also contain composted bark, compost, or coconut coir. Standard seed-starting mixes have a pH of about 6.2 and are typically composed of ingredients such as sphagnum peat moss, perlite, vermiculite. Seeds should be germinated in a sterile, fine-textured soilless mix. Containers that have been previously used for planting should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a solution of one part chlorine bleach to nine parts water. If you want only a small number of plants, skip this step and direct-seed into small individual pots. The seedlings will need to be separated and transplanted into individual containers as they grow. Using shallow trays or flats sold in garden supply stores saves space when you want to start a lot of a single type of seed. You can use containers made of plastic, compressed peat, or wood, or recycled containers such as the cut-off bottoms of milk jugs. Seeds may be planted in any clean, 2- to 3 1/2-inch deep container with adequate drainage holes. You’ll have even greater success if you add an antidessicant to the jar. Store your seeds in their original packets in a sealed glass jar in the refrigerator. Properly stored vegetable seeds can remain viable for between two to six years, depending on the species. Use seeds saved from a previous year only if they have been stored in a cool, dry place. Vegetables that are typically direct-seeded in the garden include beans, beets, carrots, corn, peas, spinach, lettuce, turnips, and zucchini. Some plants (mostly root crops) do not transplant well, or they mature quickly enough that starting seedlings indoors is not necessary. Using transplants instead of direct-seeding is especially important for plants that take a long time to mature or are sensitive to frost, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and melons. ![]() ![]() ![]() Commercial transplant sellers offer a more limited number of varieties for sale. Starting your own plants from seed also allows you to choose from the much broader array of varieties offered by seed catalogs. When you grow your own seedlings, you can get a jump on Maine’s short gardening season, and start enjoying flowers and harvesting vegetables four to six weeks earlier than if you had waited for the ground to warm up enough to sow the seeds outside. Updated January 2021 by Marjorie Peronto Frank Wertheim, Associate Extension Professor and Emma Fournier, Extension Community Education Assistant.įor information about UMaine Extension programs and resources, visit .įind more of our publications and books at /publications/. Developed by Marjorie Peronto, Extension Professor and Theresa Guethler, Extension Master Gardener. ![]()
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