Seed Starting

Starting seeds is always one of my favourite things to do in the spring. I have had loads of questions about who I buy my seeds from and why so I thought I would share a little post about seeds and some of the other equipment that you need.

Sourcing Seeds

When sourcing seeds there are a few things to be mindful of – one of the most important things is to try to buy local seeds. These seeds will be more resilient to our climate and pests! Sourcing form a small local seed grower also keeps the passionate growers in business. Organic seeds that haven’t been conditioned to conventional methods are what I try hard to source. I did an Instagram Live with Denise O’Reilly from A’Bundah Seeds and she mentioned something that is so very true – a plant is a product of the environment it’s grown in – it can’t have anything in it that isn’t in the soil, but it will have everything in it that’s in the soil, something to remember. I source the majority of my seeds through Denise and the first year I started her seeds I was shocked at what germinated – everything! I had so many tomatoes that we had to have a little “plant sale.” I also buy seeds from West Coast Seeds out of BC.  

Equipment

Pots and trays

A few years ago I invested in some sturdy plastic pots that I can use year after year, as well as sturdy plastic trays. Although it’s still plastic, these pots and trays will last me for years to come. They are also the right size to fit into the trays which makes moving them about much easier.

I start my seeds in six packs which are flimsy plastic, but I reuse those as well. Then I transplant to heavier plastic pots – sometimes a second time into a larger pot before they get transplanted into the garden. You can of course save containers from your kitchen, just be sure to poke holes in them for drainage. One thing I find about having all of the same size pots is they fit in the trays more easily which makes it easier to move them around especially as you start to harden the plants off as the weather warms up before transplanting into the ground. I start a fairly large array of seeds though, so by the time we get to hardening off plants I have 20–30 trays of seedlings that I am moving in and out.  

Good soil and a good organic compost

I use a seed starting mix that I mix in about 35% organic compost into to start my seeds and transplant through. I don’t use any fertilizers and haven’t struggled to have healthy strong plants going into transplanting season.  

A spray bottle and a watering can

The spray bottle can make watering the delicate seedlings a bit easier. But as the plants get bigger a good watering can will of course be a handy tool!  

Grow lights or a big east facing window

I invested in grow lights a few years ago and an IKEA wire shelving unit that I hang the grow lights from. This year I haven’t pulled it out though and just have things on the kitchen table. The kitchen gets loads of light as there are big east facing windows. Be sure that your seedlings are away from any drafts or cool air. Most seeds like a bit of warmth to germinate.

My advice – is not what I do, ha, but if you are going to start a few seeds – start with just that, a few seeds. Plant a couple of tomato seeds, herbs or squash and have fun. Keep notes of when you started, how you started, what germinated well, what didn’t etc., and check these notes the following year, you’ll see patterns and trends of what is working and what’s not. I keep old seed packages dating them and write notes on the package about the seeds to ensure that next year I am growing varieties that produced well and that we enjoyed.

I am by no means an expert in this area, but if you have questions, shoot me a note and I’ll try to help. I hope if you haven’t ever started seeds or planted a garden that this can inspire you to do so this year – if you’re a seasoned gardener, enjoy this time of year, it’s the best isn’t it? I will try to keep writing a few updates as the season goes about what’s going on in the garden.