It's also extremely easy and inexpensive to start your heirloom seeds indoors. You'll only need to purchase a couple of items and you'll be ready to go.
Gear required to start seeds indoors
- Peat pellets
- Tray with transparent lid
(Note that both of these items are optional -- it's not difficult to make do with subsitutes.
The easiest way to start your seeds is to use peat pellets. They look like this:
The pellets look like fat poker chips. In fact, they're made of dried, compressed peat moss wrapped in a biodegradable mesh. When you add water, the pellets expand to about 5-6 times their previous size.
You simply take a tray (or any sort of a dish small enough to fit inside a zip-lock bag) and arrange a single layer of pellets in the dish. Put in one for every seed you want to sprout. Then add 1/4 cup of warm water. The peat pellets may float at first, but soon they'll begin to absorb water and swell. You want just enough water that the pellets stop absorbing it, but there is no water left pooling in the bottom of the container. Pour off any excess water.
When the peat pellets are ready, place a seed in the small indentation in the top of the pellet. That's it.
Then put the transparent cover over the top of the tray. Or slide your dish into a ziplock bag. Place the tray in a warm place, out of direct sunlight. Add just a bit of water every day, enough so that the peat pellets soak up all the water. Within just a few days, you'll see your first sprouts.
That's all there is to it!
Using this method of indoor seed starting gives you an increased germination rate (in my experience, every single seed I've started in this fashion sprouts, with the exception of some very old spearmint seeds). Those of you who live in northern latitudes can get a headstart on the growing season as well.
It's also a thrill to watch your new plants change day by day. Now, get some seeds and get your gear together and start a seed today!
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