by Kathryn Doubrley, Master Gardener The weather is still disgusting and you have spring fever – what can you do? Start SEEDS! Starting seeds is a lot of fun because it convinces that little skeptic in each of us that winter is not forever. Something about those little green shoots is so hopeful. A few seeds can be direct sown as early as January if you have a somewhat protected garden bed. There is no guarantee of success, but some years, early sown snow peas, english peas, hardy oriental greens, lettuces etc. do succeed, especially if you can cover them at night or use breathable row covers all the time. I use the beds right next to the house for this and benefit from the wind break of the structure. Note that soil at the base of the house may not be wholesome for food plants because of paint residue, termite-proofing, etc., but built-up beds with soil imported from other areas of the garden solve that problem. You can begin seeds of warm weather crops indoors a few weeks before transplanting time. Most seed packets give starting suggestions that are in the neighborhood of right for us, although usually a little overly over-confident. Unless you provide ideal light, heat, fertilizer and moisture, you plants may take a little longer than the packets suggest to be ready to set out. At least, mine always are! Try to be as perfect as you can – the key to healthy starts is in how close you come to what the plant would choose itself! If you don’t get it right, anything from failure to sprout at all to damping off (very early death of seedlings) can happen. Mainly, you need: Light More than you would imagine. If you don’t have a bright south facing window, use reflectors or grow lights. Insufficient light cause spindly plants and susceptibility to disease. Warmth Some wonderful catalogs, such as Stokes’, tell you exactly what temperature – usually 70-80 degrees – is good, but some exotics are extra picky. With plants such as begonias, the range is narrow, so if you can’t control your heat levels, they are not a good bet. for tomatoes, peppers, and most flowers, the average household temperature will do, if consistent. You may find a spot like the top of the refrigerator that’s just right. if not consider heat tapes or mats. If you have a lot of time and not much money, you can keep warmed bricks under the seed trays. Use good sense and don’t use a heat source not designed to tolerate moisture. Also, don’t overdo it. Too much heat can cook the seedlings. Clear covers, if not carefully monitored, are famous for doing this on sunny days. Moisture Consistent and moderate is the order of the day unless otherwise specified. In spite of the danger of overcooking, clear covers are a big help with this. So are wicking fabrics that sump water from a well to just below the starting medium which takes it up as needed. Sterile Potting Medium The right seedling mix is the best way to avoid damping off and insure good root development. Even if you use garden soil for everything else, splurge on seedling mix. If you MUST use garden soil, then at least sterilize it in the oven before starting seeds in it. (Dampen the soil on baking trays and heat at low for an hour. It does smell!). Attention Seedlings don’t need much but they need it when they need it – be vigilant! Fertilizer Get one especially developed for seedlings and use it according to the directions. Even if you usually fertilize organically, seedling fertilizer is much easier to apply in the correct amounts. In recent years, I have come to love a seed starting system that involves a water reservoir, seeds cells of styrofoam and wicking fabric. Park Seed Company seels it under the name of Park’s E-Z starter kit. I have also found it at Kmart and other garden centers. It helps a lot with all seedling needs except light. My successful germination to transplant rate has gone way up. While it doesn’t do anything that extreme vigilance can’t accomplish, the system helps make up for the fact that gardeners are busy and imperfect people. Growing your own seedlings allows you to have exactly the varieties you want when you are ready for them. Home grown seedlings have not been exposed to the rigors of transportation and possible infection from other plants and handlers. Besides, without seedlings to fuss over, what would a gardener do in February and March? Copyright 1998 Atlanta Garden Connection, Inc.