See Starting Basics
 Soil: Use a sterilized soil or potting medium to reduce soil pathogens. Check the seed packet to know the planting depth. Stop by the mill to pick up a bag of sterilized soil.
See the coupon below to save on the purchase.
Light: Young seedlings will need about 14 hours of direct light a day. This may be the biggest challenge in starting seeds indoors. The sun will move past even the brightest window in a home, causing the seedlings to stretch towards the light and become leggy. Fluorescent lights work well because they emit very little heat and will not dry out the plants. Using a light timer set to 14 hours automates the task of controlling hours of light.
Water: Water enough to keep the potting mixture moist. Consider using a spray bottle to mist the soil or use a plastic dome or plastic wrap to keep the moisture in. Once the seeds germinate, loosen the plastic wrap (domes can be kept in place) and move the tray into bright light.
Hardening Off: Once the seedlings have grown, they will be ready to move outdoors when the temperatures warm. It's very important to get the seedlings used to being outside by hardening off. To do this, simply set the plants outside, out of direct sunlight for about an hour on a calm day. Increase this amount of time every day until the plants have stayed out all day. After about 10-14 days, the plants will be ready to go in the ground after the threat of frost has passed.
When to Start: To get more detailed information about starting seeds, the University of Minnesota Extension has this helpful link: www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/starting-seeds-indoors
March Reminders
- Clean wood duck and bluebird houses now. The mill has cedar shavings for wood duck house nesting material.
- Make sure your favorite pepper and tomato plants will be available this spring. Call 651-429-3361 or email Steve at steve@hugofeedmill.com. Speaking of peppers- check out this article at www.northerngardener.org/images/website/articles/MarApr17_Peppers.pdf. You may see a familiar face.
- Repot root-bound house plants now. Increasing length of day leads to new growth and pot-bound plants benefit with a larger pot. Use a pot 2" larger in diameter than the existing pot. At the end of this month, jumpstart all indoor plants with a water-soluble fertilizer mixed at half strength. The mill has the potting soil and fertilizer needed.
- Tips from the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum- Prune disease susceptible trees like flowering crabapple, oaks, mountain ash, and honey locust in March to prevent disease that could occur with later pruning. March is also a good time to prune fruit trees and grape vines if necessary.
Previous issues of Timely Turf Tips newsletters are available at our website: www.hugofeedmill.com
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