Indoor Seeding Tips and Tricks -BY TARA BERNARDIN

LEARN HOW TO GROW SEEDS INDOORS, INCLUDING THE TIPS AND TRICKS, INVOLVE IN SUCCESSFUL GARDENING WITH TARA BERNARDIN, A BLOGGER, PROFESSIONAL SPEAKER, AND FREELANCE WRITER WRITING ACROSS VARIOUS TOPICS INCLUDING GARDENING.

1. Keep it small and simple

A GOOD OPTION IS TO SOW A SMALL NUMBER OF SEEDS SUCCESSIVELY EVERY TWO WEEKS TO ENSURE YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRESH PRODUCE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR LONG. THE GOOD THING IS THEY HAVE DIFFERENT GROWTH STAGES AND YOU CAN ALWAYS START EARLIER WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE PERFECT TIME TO KICK IN. HOWEVER, A STARTER I9N GARDENING WILL HAVE TO KEEP THINGS SIMPLE AND EASY. THIS IS BECAUSE EACH SEED HAS ITS UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS AND REQUIREMENTS. PLUS, IT CAN SOMETIMES GET OVERWHELMING WHEN THERE IS FAILURE OR MISTAKES. HENCE, START SMALL, ESPECIALLY WITH LESS DIFFICULT SEEDS, LEARN THE PROCESS, AND WALK YOUR WAY UP TO MORE CHALLENGING ONES.

2. You do not need expensive kits to kick start the seeding journey

IF YOU ARE NOT IN FOR AN EXPENSIVE PROPAGATOR, THERE ARE A WIDE ARRAY OF OPTIONS YOU CAN OPT FOR THAT WILL YIELD AN EXCELLENT RESULT. TARA BERNARDIN SUGGESTS SMALL DRINKING CUPS, EMPTY YOGURT CONTAINERS, EGG CARTONS, OR A SEED TRAY. IN SHORT, A CONTAINER WITH HOLES PUNCHED IN THE BOTTOM WILL DO TO PROMOTE DRAINAGE AND ENSURE THE SEED ARE NOT OVER- WATERED. YOU CAN ALSO REUSE OLD POTS AND WHATEVER CONTAINER YOU DECIDE TO USE, ENSURE THEY ARE THOROUGHLY WASHED AND STERILIZED. THIS IS TO ENSURE THESE CONTAINERS ARE FREE OF PATHOGENS THAT CAN BE HARMFUL TO YOUR DEAR SEEDS.

3. Understand the steps and techniques in seeding

To get the most result in your seeding: • PEAT FREE MULTI-PURPOSE COMPOST WORKS WELL WITH MOST SEEDS. FILL CONTAINERS WITH THE COMPOST, WATER IT THOROUGHLY AND LEAVE IT TO DRAIN.

• PLACE YOUR SEEDS ON TOP OF THE COMPOSE LEAVING SOME SPACE IN BETWEEN. THEN COVER WITH THE COMPOST ABOUT TWICE THE SIZE OF THE SEED. THIS MEANS FOR INSTANCE IF THE SEED IS VERY TINY, IT SHOULD BE THINLY COVERED. WHILE THE LARGER ONES NEED TO BE BURIED DEEPER. • COVER THE POT WITH A LIGHT OR TRANSPARENT BAG. A POLYTHENE BAG IS ALSO A GOOD OPTION IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A GOOD TEMPERATURE AND KEEP THEM MOIST. FOR THOSE THAT NEED A DARK ENVIRONMENT TO GERMINATE, COVER WITH DARK POLYTHENE OR USE SEVERAL FOLDS OF THE NEWSPAPER.

• YOUR SEED NEEDS THE RIGHT LIGHTING TO FLOURISH. HENCE, PLACE THE POT IN A WELL-LIT WINDOW STILL FOR NATURAL LIGHTING. OR GO FOR THE FLUORESCENT LIGHT TO ENSURE CONSISTENT LIGHTING. • WHEN YOU START NOTICING THE SEEDS COMING OUT, REMOVE THE COVER. HOWEVER, UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE NOT THEIR TRUE LEAVES AND YOU WILL HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE SECOND SET WHICH IS THE “TRUE” LEAVES TO SPROUT OUT BEFORE THEY CAN BE PRICKED OUT.

• WHEN THE TRUE LEAVES EMERGED, CUT THEM FROM THE GROUND AND NOT FROM THE STEM IN ORDER NOT TO DAMAGE THE FRAGILE PLANTS. TRANSFER THEM TO ANOTHER CONTAINER FILLED WITH THE COMPOST MIX AND GROW THEM AT LEAST 5 CM APART FROM EACH OTHER. • “AFTER A COUPLE OF WEEKS, THE YOUNG PLANTS HAVE ALREADY OUTGROWN THEIR POTS AND THEY ARE READY TO BE TRANSFERRED INTO BIGGER POTS OR GARDENS. ENSURE YOUR BEDS HAVE BEEN PREPARED AHEAD OF TIME AND WATER CONSISTENTLY TO PREVENT THE SOIL OR COMPOST FROM DRYING OUT,” TARA BERNARDIN CONCLUDES.

Thank you