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Starting Seeds to Grow
by Diana Roberts
Why should you start your annual plants from seed indoors? All we have to do is look out the window for the answer.

The weather is still cold and snow is on the ground. Our growing season is very short here in the north, so we must get a jump on our planting.

Starting plants indoors will also allow us to start gardening earlier. For anyone with a love for gardening, the winter is much too long and getting your hands into some soil this time of year will help beat those winter blues.
First... the seeds.
Timing is important when it comes to starting seeds. Most annuals can be started 6-8 weeks before they are planted outdoors. However, there are some which require a 12-week headstart, such as lobelia, petunia, snapdragon, dianthus and salvia.
Soil mix goes into a convenient flat.
To start planting your seeds indoors you need to choose containers for the purpose. You can buy new flats, recycle containers from last year, or use any 3 inch deep tray.

If you are using last year's trays, they should be thoroughly cleaned, then rinsed in bleach water, to prevent your new plants from getting any diseases which may still be present from last year.

Fill the pots with a mixture of peat moss and vermiculite or perlite. You can buy this premixed, or mix your own. Peat is a lightweight sterile potting media which is excellent for starting seeds.

Regular garden soil should not be used as it can result in damping off disease in young plants.

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