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I'm working on a story on No-Fail Seed Starts for home gardeners. I'd love to have some home gardeners weigh in on this with their best tips and tricks for starting seeds indoors without any fancy equipment. I want to inspire readers to start seeds for the first time without worrying about an investment in any fancy equipment. I'd also like to offer tips for gardeners who have done this a time or two but would like to improve their methods. There are by-the-book tips for starting seeds and then there are the little tips and tricks and rules of thumb you learn from doing it every year. I’d love to know your best tip or trick for No-Fail Seed Starts.
I'm also looking for some input on seed catalogs. In January, I look forward to getting seed catalogs in the mail and planning my summer garden. I’d like to put together a list of the best-of-the-best Seed Catalogs Gardeners Love and Why. Consider your favorites for heirlooms veggies, flowers, widest selection, unusual varieties, equipment, etc. Let me know what you love and why.
Here's a no frills technique I use for starting veggies in the winter.
I place seeds in seed starting trays & I have also used egg cartons.
Cover with plastic wrap until germination occurs
Place on top of my dryer (bottom heat)
Luckily laundry room has a window so they get lots of natural sunlight
My favorite seed companies:
Park Seed
Harris Seed
Homeharvest (Ferry Morse)
Select Seeds
Thompson & Morgan
Annodun, I'm afraid I'm not much help. My seed starting is pretty poor unless I have a heat mat; it seems to have made the difference, along with some sort of dome to contain humidity. Plain fluorescent lights right smack on top of the seedlings. That's all I can do!
I have been working with the cheap equipment idea. Posted my idea under vegetable topic at the end of the Feeding soil first thread - and the transplanting thread.
I like Baker Creek Seed Catalogs.
For catalogues check out Kitazawa (www.kitazawaseed.com) Asian vegetable seeds. It is always fun to grow something you will probably never find in your local grocery. Plus, the catalogue includes recipes. Brilliant!
