GARDENING : Seeding Your Way Clear to a Spring Harvest

Do you have visions of your spring garden teeming with healthy plants that promise to produce a wide variety of tasty vegetables? If so, now is the time to ensure such a garden by planting seeds.

Growing plants from seeds has a variety of benefits. Not only is it economical, you get the self-satisfaction of having a hand in your plants’ beginnings and your selection is much greater.

“At nurseries, I’d say we sell about five times more vegetable types in seed packets than actual plants,” says Scott Lathrop of Flowerdale Nursery in Santa Ana.

Growers only raise certain plant varieties for retail nurseries, which means that many plant types must be grown from seed by the gardener. And some vegetables, such as carrots, can only be grown from seed.

Starting plants from seeds takes time, so it’s important to plan your spring and summer garden now. Tomato seeds nurtured now means they’ll be ready to go into the garden in early April.

Spring and summer crops to plant now and in February include tomatoes and peppers, followed about a month later by cucumbers, eggplant, zucchini, beans and corn. The best way to determine the proper planting time for specific plants is to study each seed packet for important information, such as the time of year you can place transplants outdoors and the amount of time it takes for seeds to germinate.

At this time of year, most spring and summer crops should be started in containers, preferably indoors in a controlled environment. Many different types can be used to start seeds. Just make sure that whatever containers you use have drainage holes.

Paul Pirtle of Huntington Beach is a member of the California Organic Gardening Club. He uses microwave plastic trays that he drills 4 1/4-inch holes in for drainage. You can also use nursery flats, plastic six-pack and 4-inch pots and egg cartons.

Whatever container you use, make sure it is of uniform depth throughout so that all seeds get the same amount of water, says Gary Hayakawa of Three Star Nursery in Fountain Valley, which has grown bedding plants and vegetables since 1978.

“You also want to level the soil before seeding,” he says.

When choosing a soil in which to start the plants, use something that is light and drains easily.

“For healthy plants, you need a lot of air in the root system,” says Lathrop, who adds perlite to commercial potting soil to make it lighter. Pirtle has had success with agricultural vermiculite, which he sometimes mixes with fine peat moss.

“When planting seeds, there is no need to add fertilizer at this point, because the seed itself will provide sufficient nutrients for its early growth,” Pirtle says.

Moisten the soil before planting your seeds. This can be done by soaking the container in another container filled with water.

To plant small seeds such as tomatoes and eggplant, Hayakawa suggests broadcasting the seeds over the moist soil. Other larger seeds such as cucumber, squash, melon, beans and sweet corn can be planted directly into 4-inch pots.

Make a hole with your finger and drop the seed in. Pirtle places one to three seeds in each hole, depending on how likely he thinks the seeds will germinate.

“If they’re new seeds and you are confident they will all germinate, then just use one seed,” he says. Otherwise play it safe and plant more than one.

It is important to keep your soil moist while the seeds are germinating, because if they dry up, they will die. To do this, Hayakawa covers his with perlite and then plastic.

Lathrop also puts the containers in plastic bags but cautions against letting things get too wet as fungus may start to grow. “If you get fungus, open up the bag and let some air in. This should clear it up,” he says. “If not, you’ll have to replant.”

The key to germinating seeds is warmth, especially in the winter. The warmer the conditions, the more quickly the seeds will germinate. With this in mind, it’s a good idea to have some sort of seed incubator. Pirtle uses an old Igloo picnic ice chest which has lightweight wooden shelves and a 25-watt electric heating pad on the bottom.

You can also make an incubator by building a Styrofoam box and attaching a light bulb outlet in the ceiling. By using a low wattage light bulb such as 25, you can heat the inside of the box to 70 and 80 degrees, which is an ideal temperature for sprouting seeds. Keep a thermometer inside so that you can keep an eye on the temperature.

“You can also provide the same warm and humid conditions by covering the seeds with plastic and placing the container on top of your refrigerator,” says Pirtle. “If your refrigerator is in an alcove, the warm air from its coils will rise and flow over the top and keep your container warm.”

If you have an incubator, most seeds will sprout within three to seven days. If you don’t have an incubator, it could take longer for some plants.

Tomatoes, peppers, parsley and carrots might take two to three weeks, depending on soil temperature, according to Lathrop. “Some vegetables that germinate more quickly include beans, which come up in five to six days, radishes in three days, melons three to four days, and cucumbers and corn in one week,” he says. “If your plants don’t come up, you’ve probably got bad seeds.”

To store seeds, put them in a cool dry place. “You can keep them cool in the refrigerator as long as you seal them in a glass jar so they stay dry,” says Lathrop.

You will probably not have to re-water your seeds until they germinate, although you should do so if they dry out.

“Check your seeds daily, and as soon as sprouts are visible place the individual containers in good strong light on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouse,” says Pirtle. “This will ensure that the plants won’t develop spindly stems.”

Once seedlings appear, you may have to thin the plants. The best way to do this is to cut the plants off at the soil level, which will avoid disturbing the root system.

If you started your seeds in 4-inch pots, you can wait until the plants are large enough to transplant into the garden. If you started them in more limited space, you will probably have to place them in 4-inch pots so they can grow large enough to transplant.

“Transplant your plants no later than the appearance of the first set of true leaves,” says Pirtle.

“Tomatoes should be put into the ground when they are 4 to 5 inches tall,” says Hayakawa. “If they are too ‘leggy,’ you may plant the stem deeper than it was previously planted. This can also be done with bell peppers. Squash and cucumbers should be transplanted before they are 2 to 2 1/2 inches high.”

Before transplanting outside, it’s important that you harden off your seedlings. This refers to gradually exposing them to outdoor light and the elements. You don’t want to abruptly place them outside, because this could cause a fatal shock. Get the plants acclimated by placing them outdoors in the light for more and more time each day. After about a week, they should be strong and ready for transplanting into your garden.

There are some plants that cannot be started in pots, such as root crops such as carrots, beets and radishes. To have luck seeding outdoors, make sure the soil is finely textured, and if there is the possibility of rain, cover the newly planted seeds with plastic, burlap or newspaper so that they don’t wash away.

Then sit back and wait for a bountiful harvest come spring and summer.