Starting Seeds for your Victory Garden

So you’ve decided to become more involved in your food production. Congratulations! Welcome to a community of urban, backyard, and traditional homesteaders. On behalf of us all, I welcome you with open arms and wish you the best of luck.

I have been contacted numerous times over the last several days with questions regarding starting a garden. More specifically, starting seeds.

The old saying “There’s more than one way to skin a cat” sounds true for gardening and seed starting as well. You can look at many different references and find different recommendations (sometimes even contradictory information!) You just have to find what resonates best with you, your budget, and your family’s needs.

If you can’t afford to purchase started plants from a nursery or greenhouse, starting seeds can be a good option for you.

If you have decided to start your plants from seeds there are a few things you’re going to need.

There are affiliate links in this post.  Read my disclosure policy to learn more.

Seeds

There are many seed companies we recommend in a previous post that you can order from. However, if you find you can’t order seeds online, check your local farm stores and grocery stores for seeds as well.

Each packet will have growing information located on the back that will guide you for the specific variety you’ve chosen. Take note: You will want to check out which USDA growing zone your in for hardiness, and what your estimated last frost date is. There will also be noted if there are any special planting instructions (such as soaking the seeds overnight), depth of planting, and time allowance for germination and harvest estimates.

• 

• 

We are in USDA zone 5b, and our last frost date is estimated April 23rd. For many seeds, if you’re starting indoors, you want to start them 6 weeks before your estimated frost date to ensure proper growth but not overgrowth in the seed trays.

Growing medium

I prefer a well draining, highly nutritious soil for starting seeds. Pick an organic soil, when you can. Know that your seedlings most likely need fertilized before they are ready to be planted, the seed cells they are in don’t hold much soil (and therefore, not many nutrients) to support full and healthy growth. Fertilizing after 2-3 weeks will help keep your plants fed and happy until you can put them in the ground.

I prefer a soluble fertilizer for seedlings that I can add into my watering can. We use Jobe’s Organics for our house citrus trees, and I’ve been very please with the results!

*I DO NOT like the Jiffy’s Organic seed starting soil! It comes in a yellow bag and usually accompanies seeds in the garden section. It dries out too quickly and I’ve never had strong seedlings when using it!

Containers

Plastic seed trays have been the easiest for us to use in the past. I’m trying out a hexagon shaped 72 seed cell tray this year for the first time. This design is supposed to be more supportive for the root systems. Trays do come in varying sizes, however I usually recommend 10″x20″ trays.

If seed trays aren’t in your budget right now, use what you can find! Reuse food containers, red solo cups, repurpose the cardboard insert from your toilet paper. Just make sure what you’re using has drainage for excess water to run out.

Lighting

Grow lights definitely come in handy when starting your seeds indoors. I recommend these LED grow lights as you have a little more control over each light strip. LED grow lights don’t need to be placed as closely to to the plants as a fluorescent grow light.

Another good option for your seedlings (if you’re able to purchase them) are seed warming mats. Many seeds need roughly 60F-70F (15.5-21C) soil temperature in order to sprout. Once the seeds have sprouted, you usually don’t need the heat mat, allowing you to move your mat onto another tray after a few days.

If you have a window that receives bright, full light most of the day, you can start your seedlings indoors and rotate the trays daily. The seedlings will reach for the light, so in order to make sure they don’t grow crooked, rotating is necessary.

Your seedlings will tell you if they aren’t getting enough light. The stems will become ‘leggy’ (long, thin, and weak as they over exert themselves to get more lighting. Move them closer to the light source if you notice this or add another grow light.

Greenhouse

A greenhouse is completely optional (although it does make things much easier!). This doesn’t have to be anything fancy or huge! A greenhouse is another step for your plants to slowly harden off to being outside and planted in the soil.

For many years, I used clear plastic totes as mini-greenhouses and empty, plastic salad containers. They work well for small scale growing. Some gardeners save their plastic milk jugs, cut out the bottoms, and cover their seedlings that they have planted in the garden to protect from the elements while they are still young and tender. A few years ago, I was able to get windows for free from someone nearby. Bryce and Stirling used some scrap wood, and created a window greenhouse!

I do not recommend the small frame greenhouses you can find at the grocery store that get covered in plastic. They do not stand up well and a mild wind (or sneeze) will blow them right over, dumping all your sweet little seedlings onto the ground.

If you don’t have a green house, you will need to keep your seedlings indoors for longer. Take care to monitor that they’re getting enough light (Have your grow lights on for 12-16 hours, controlling them with a cheap outlet timer). You can tell a plant isn’t getting enough light by the color of their leaves. They should be rich and deep, a lighter or yellowing plant can be a sign it’s not receiving enough light to photosynthesize. The stem of a seedling will also tell you if it’s not getting enough light.

Hardening off

A few days before planting, you will need to begin hardening off your plants. They need to be acclimated to the outside environment slowly each day. Starting with a few hours and increasing time over the next several days. This will allow their stems to strengthen against the wind and prevent sunburn on the leaves.

Direct Seeding

Direct seeding is taking the seed from the packet and placing it directly into your garden beds. Some plants do better this way, as any disturbance to their root system will cause them to shock so badly they may not recover.

Plants that do well with direct seeding are carrots and other root vegetables, spinach, lettuce, gourds and melons, peas, and beans.

Our Experience

I have started seeds in varying degrees every year. Some years have been very successful, others felt like a terrible waste. From what I have found, starting the seeds indoors has worked best for us. This keeps the seed at a warmer temperature and encourages growth. The seedlings are kept under a grow light for 1-2 weeks before moving them out to our greenhouse.

Monitor them for soil moisture, too wet an the delicate roots will drown but too dry and your babies will wilt (and may not recover).

While the Farmer’s Almanac estimates late April as our last spring frost, I have found waiting until Mother’s Day (in the US that’s in mid-May) before planting cold sensitive crops. (Tomatoes, peppers, most gourds, etc.)

Cold crops can be planted sooner! I currently have snow peas, beets, carrots, turnips, radish, potatoes, onions, and garlic planted in our garden already (Direct seeded).

I do encourage you to shop local, if you’re able! Call your local greenhouses and see if they have any seeds you can order over the phone or started plants you can swing by for roadside pick up! Stirling and I always say, “Teamwork makes the dreamwork!”

If we come together during this time of fear and uncertainty as a community to support and help each other, we will come through this quarantine better as a society together.