 |
Have you ever tried growing your plants from scratch?
It's such a
rewarding feeling as you watch the seeds burst open with life and grow little
by little as the days go by, into beautiful flowers or edible veggies the whole
family can enjoy.
If you've never tried it before, it really is much easier than you
may think. Here are a few tips to get you started:
1) Choosing Seeds – We have lots of different seeds for you to
choose from here at the Garden Centre - From wildflower seeds to annuals to
vegetable and herb seeds. Annuals and vegetables truly are the easiest to grow
yourself. Perennials however are a bit trickier and often require a cold spell
to break dormancy. They also take a couple of seasons before flowering. We have
plenty of finished perennials in stock for you to choose from so you can enjoy
their full appeal this year. Follow the direction on the package for best
results. |
| Liz putting container displays together for the 2013 season |
2) Containers – You’re going to want to make sure you have
propagating kits. We have many different cell packs and trays that will get you
started including Jiffy Pots. It’s a good idea for your tray to have a lid in
order to keep the seeds at a warm enough temperature for germinating. If you already have some propagating kits on
hand from last year, you’ll want to wash them out really good with soapy water
before you use them.
3) Planting Medium – Seed starting mixtures are available at the
store. It’s best to use fresh soil as last years may have gone moldy. We also
have ready-made soil plugs to make it even easier for you. You simply have to
moisten about a half-hour prior to starting. Don’t over water. You don’t want
them to be soaking wet.
4) Labelling – Be sure to label your seeds correctly. Over time
you may forget what is what and many seeds once sprouted look very similar
5) Atmosphere - It’s best to put your seeds under a grow light but
if you don’t have one, a bright window will do. Seeds do require a lot of light
per day to get started and grow (an average of about 16 hours).
6) Watering – Be gentle with your seeds. Use a spray bottle or
small watering can to carefully water once the top of your soil starts to dry
out. Too much water can lead to mold.
7) Fertilizing – Once your seedlings have two sets of leaves you
should start using a mixture of 20-20-20 water soluble fertilizer at
half-strength to keep them nice and strong. Over the next few weeks you can
slowly bring the solution to full strength.
8) Be Choosy – Planting a few seeds in each cell is always a good
idea in case a few don’t take. When you find yourself with more than one sprout
in each cell, you’ll want to pinch off the ones that look spindly and weak.
Keep only the strongest sprout for best results.
 |
| Simon transplanting plugs into larger containers |
9) Transplanting – Once your seeds are getting too big for their
individual cells and outgrowing your trays you may want to transplant the plugs
into 4” containers. Or, if the last expected frost date has passed you can
start hardening them off by bringing them outside for half the day, placing
them in a shady, sheltered area. Be sure to bring them in before nightfall.
Keep doing this over a period of a few days in order to get your new plants
acclimatized to their new environment.
10) Planting time – Once you’ve hardened off your seedling their
ready for planting. Throw on your old jeans and your gardening shoes and get
busy. Before you know it you’ll have a full garden that you can sit and enjoy
for the whole summer.
If you have questions please feel free to stop by the garden centre and talk to one of our gardening experts. We're always happy to help!
The Glasshouse Nursery & Garden Centre - 56 Creek Rd. Chatham, ON
No comments:
Post a Comment