SOME TIPS FOR STARTING VEGETABLE,
FLOWER SEEDS INDOORS

Some vegetable seeds, such as tomatoes, eggplants, peppers
and cucumbers are easy for home gardeners to start indoors
under lights or on a windowsill. A sturdy transplant can be
ready for the garden in four to six weeks.

Trouble is most gardeners start them too early and end up
with leggy, unhealthy-looking seedlings by mid-May.

Studies have shown that tomato seedlings with just two
pairs of true leaves will not only catch up to, but surpass older
plants during the season. Tomatoes and peppers started around
the first of April should be garden-ready after danger of frost
has passed.

Some seeds, especially those of onions, cabbages, cauli-
flower and broccoli, are more difficult for home gardeners.
Even under lights, they take longer to produce than tomatoes
or peppers, and sunny days on a windowsill are often too few
to grow sturdy seedlings.

Unlike tomatoes, these vegetables cannot be planted deep if
they get too leggy. Their crowns should be near the surface
when replanted, so it’s harder to get away with a leggy trans-
plant. For this reason, a cold frame is indispensable for grow-
ing cabbages and broccoli from seed.

When starting your annual flowers, such as snap dragons,
marigolds and zinnias, check the seed packet for the best time
to sow the seeds indoors.

Each is different, and some take longer from seed than
others. While most seeds germinate quickly, the seedlings may
have to be transplanted several times before being put in the
garden.

Don’t be tempted to start root vegetables like carrots or
beets indoors. When transplanted, the roots will never grow
straight again.

" Park Seed Co.s Tom Thumb lettuce is fun to grow from

seed. Excellent for container culture, sow the seeds of this
lettuce at intervals so the small heads mature in succession
rather than all at one time.

Seeds can be started in individual pots or flats. Dampen the
soilless seed-starting mix first to avoid the problem of wetting
it after the seeds are sown. In a large plastic bag, squeeze luke-
warm water -through the mix, or mix it with your hands in a
large pot. Pour the dampened mix into a seed tray or pots and
pat down firmly.

Make shallow troughs or rows in the prepared trays. Sprin-
kle the seeds sparingly, since transplanting will be difficult if
the seedlings come up too close together. To cover the seeds,
sift milled sphagnum moss evenly over the rows. Very tiny
seeds should not be covered at all.

To water the tray, place in a pan of room temperature
water until the soil mix is thoroughly moistened. Watering
from above may dislodge the seeds, disrupting their spacing.

Make a label for each type of seed sown, including the
variety and sowing date. Cover each tray with a pane of glass,
or enclose it in a plastic bag. This step is important with tiny
seeds, since the surface can dry out very quickly. Put the trays
in a warm place.

Check the trays each day for germination and to make sure
the surface is moist. Water from below if needed. When most
of the seeds have germinated, remove the glass or plastic and
move the seeds to a sunny window or light stand.

The seedlings should be transplanted to individual pots
when the cotyledon leaves are formed and the first true leaves
begin to appear. Pry the tiny plants apart, holding them by
pinching the cotyledon leaves together. Do not hold them by
the stem. At this stage, the seedlings will be about an inch tall.

If starting tomato and pepper seeds in individual pots, cut
off the extra seedlings at the soil line with a pair of scissors
rather than trying to transplant them. The roots of the seed-
lings ‘which remain will not be disturbed, and the plants will
grow faster.

Close attention should now be paid to watering and feed-
ing. The soilless medium should be damp at all times, but not
quite as wet as during germination. Always use room tempera-
ture water.

Feeding can be done at every watering, but dilute the fertil-
izer to half strength if this system is used. If the small plants
begin to turn pale green or yellowish, increase the amount of
food. Don’t spare the fertilizer — soilless mixes contain no
plant nutrients and the seedlings must be fed regularly during
this fast-growth period. Use a balanced soluble fertilizer.
(Organic)

If growing under lights, set an automatic timer to give the
plants 14 to 16 hours of light a day. If you don’t have lights,
put them in the sunniest window possible. In four to six
‘weeks, they’ll be ready to harden off.

Lindsay Totten Tips
Pittsburgh Press, 2/12/84

WEEDS AREN’T ALL BAD

1. They are deep divers and feeders. Through soil capil-
larity they help less hardy surface-feeding crops to withstand
drought.

2. They bring minerals, particularly trace elements up
from the subsoil and make them available to cash crops.

3. When used in rotation, they break up hardpan and allow
crop roots to feed deeply.

4. They fiberize and condition the soil, providing a good

~—environment for minute animal and plant life.

5. They are good indicators of soil fertility. Certain types
appear when there are deficiencies.

6. Weeds store minerals and other valuable nutrients that
would be washed, blown or leached away from bare ground.

OUT OF THE ATTIC, BARN, TOOL SHED,
BASEMENT, WORKPLACE

We’ve come to the conclusion that one needs money to
supplement what you can’t scrounge, salvage, build yourself
or have donated. You’d be surprised how far a little cash goes,
if you use it only to “fillin.” From time to time, The
Alternator, will express its gratitude to those who have re-
sponded to our needs by donating special skills, materials and
equipment.

This month we are offering our special thanks to: Trudy
Chandler of Total Travel, New Castle, PA who recently do-
nated $17,000 worth of computing equipment: this includes
a Honeywell Miniframe, a large printer, and five key-board
monitors.

John Balko of Ear, Nose, Throat and Allergy Associates of
Greenville, PA who donated a $40,000 passive solar system.

Bob Kobet of Energy Design Associates, Butler, PA and
Doug Lodge, Contractor, Cochranton, PA, who volunteered
their professional services to develop the renovation plan for
the farmhouse.

Darrell Fry, Sue Morrow, Dawn Shiner and Ted Simanek,
Permaculture Design Consultants who are volunteering their
skill in refining and implementing the Permaculture Design.