Get a Head Start on the Growing Season

• Important with slow germinating seeds such as parsley, peppers, eggplants
• Helpful w/ slow growing plants or ones that require extra heat
• Timing: 6-8 weeks before projected planting time in

Control Conditions Precisely

• Use potting soil, thus reducing incidence of soil borne diseases such as Pythium, which is a water mold fungi
• Control the temperature -- most seeds germinate faster with warmer temperatures -- up to a point. If you have a choice of warm air temps. but low soil, vs. low air, but higher soil temps. -- choose higher soil temps.
  Ex. at 50 degrees corn has 47 % germination rate, at 59 degrees it has a 97 % germination rate, at 41 degrees cabbage has a 27 % germination rate and at 59 degrees it has a 93 % germination rate.
• Control soil moisture
• Protect from predators such as snails, slugs, earwigs, sowbugs, birds and other critters by
• Place seedling trays upside down over seedlings
• Grow starts up on potting bench off the ground
• Cover with netting
• Use iron phosphate snail and slug bait
• Make earwig trap by placing 2" of soy sauce with tablespoon of oil in "margarine" tub. Punch holes all along top edge of side with hole punch. Place top on and sink this into ground Check each day.

Step by Step Seeding Procedures

• Choose containers 2-3" deep such as 6- packs, recycled 2"-4" pots.
• Be sure there is good drainage
• Fill container 3/4" full with moist soil & a slow release fertilizer
• Make smooth and level
• Place seed on soil and either press in as in the case of larger seed or sprinkle soil over and press down firmly.
• Sprinkle gently, but thoroughly with Gardena hose end sprayer saturate soil in flat
• Place in warm spot, preferably on heating cable and keep moist. Flat doesn't have to be in sunlight until germination, at which it should receive full sun all day or be exposed to grow lights.
• As soon as plants emerge and before they are crowded, thin so they aren't competing for sunlight, nutients and moisture. Probably have 2-3 plants per cell initially with subsequent thinning to the strongest one with 1 1/2" between plants .

Hardening off

• About 1 1/2 - 2 weeks before transplanting into the garden, gradually adjust seedlings to outdoors conditions
• Set containers outside on warm days.
• Bring in at night.

Other Resources:

• UC Vegetable Gardening site
• Temperatures required for vegetable seed emergence (.pdf)

Revised: 22-Jan-2003