1.30.2010

SherylXXXXXXXXXXXXXXOrganic Vegetable Seed Starting

2 recommended catalogs:

Gardens Alive
http://www.gardensalive.com/
Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply
http://groworganic.com/default.html?welcome=T&theses=6630489

Why start your own seeds? Four great reasons:
Cheaper
More varieties
Assured organic
Timing


Take care with seedlings; they never fully recover from damage due to wind, cold or lack of water - check seedlings daily.

Keep careful records - variety planted where and source of seeds.

Start your seeds indoors under lights

Two 4 ft. shop lights using 2 ordinary fluorescent bulbs will light 2 flats of plants.
Hang shop lights side by side on chains
Set flats end to end under the lights
use ordinary fluorescent bulbs; incandescent lights are too hot.
Adjust lights 2 - 4" above the leaves
16 - 18 of light or direct sun daily
Plants never fully recover from inadequate light as aseedling
Temperature 50 - 65 degrees
Start cool-loving plants first (lettuce, cabbage, bokchoi, cauliflower, kohlrabi)
When you can get the soil temperature to about 70 degrees start warm season plants i.e. peppers, eggplant, basil)