Not Enough Time to Start Seeds
Some tips to start seeds efficiently to get your favorite varieties on time for the season
You may really want your favorite variety of tomato or pepper this season but sometimes it is difficult to get seeds sown on time because of other life demands. The key is to compromise. Let go of any instincts to organize & optimize the seed sowing process.
Mentally, sowing seeds appears to be a time consuming task because the entire process of planning and prepping comes to mind . When there are other life priorities needing your attention, skip the plan-prep & go straight to sowing the seeds.
Here are some tips to get it done:
- Avoid the temptation to browse through different website to find seeds. If you don’t have seeds at home, just go directly to the website you’ve used before and look specifically for what you need.
- Fill seed trays or seed containers ( or any containers from grocery) with any potting mix you have. No need to find the perfect seed mix or a dedicated seed tray.
- Sow the seeds and label the containers. If you can’t find proper labels, use card stock or cardboard strips or just write on the container with a permanent marker.
- Something that does make a difference in how fast seeds germinate is a heated surface and cover on top( to retain humidity). If you don't have seed tray and humidity dome, use any clear plastic lid or the clear packaging from grocery. Use either a heated seed mat or any other surface you may find in your house that stays slightly warm (definitely avoid hot).
- Just do a few containers, the varieties you absolutely want. It will be faster to sow and easier to take care of only a few seedlings. For other common varieties, buy the transplants from nursery.
If next season you have more time you can enjoy the detailed planning process. Browsing catalogues and ordering seeds is fun. Set up the seed trays, look for heating mat, grow lights, humidity dome and a cart. Dream of a nice permanent seed starting setup in future, a big grow cart in the garage or a small greenhouse in the garden. I love this process. Even though time consuming, it is definitely worth it. But if any season I am busy with other things in life and I really want a particular variety that season, then I have to stick to the absolute essential. Container, soil, seed and water.