• Wednesday 22 February 2023
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It's time to start thinking about planting your seeds in readiness for spring as February draws near. Even if it's freezing outdoors, you must get started right away.

When Does Spring Start?

The beginning of spring is in February, according to the Gaelic calendar. At this time of year, trees and shrubs will start to develop buds, and there will be more light and longer days for growing.

On the other hand, we tie Spring meteorologically to March 1. If the weather improves before Easter, you'll like to see a few blossoms or early vegetable growth. Best to start right away. How? It's time to start growing inside, of course!

Let's look at how you can accomplish this.

Why Plant Seeds Inside?

• Intense winter storms and rain could wash away seeds that are too little.
• Defend seeds against roosting birds that are hunting for anything to eat in the winter.
• Keep seedlings safe from springtime frost.
• Some seeds simply can't stand the cold.
• Make the growth season longer. Give them a head start with a longer growth season because some plant seeds won't develop to fruition in time for summer if they are allowed to germinate outside during a cold spring or summer. In the Irish summer, plants like tomatoes might not ripen in time.
• Some vegetables, like Brussels sprouts, require a lot of growing time since they take a while to develop from seeds.
• Some plants, like radicchio, may favour lower temperatures.

Enabling Fruit and Vegetable Seeds to Grow

Start now to make your vegetable garden ready for the big spring growth surge. By shielding your seeds from the weather, you can help them grow into stronger seedlings and avoid wasting your seeds.

These vegetable types are some you might try right away.

• Cauliflower
• Mung beans
• Radicchio
• Tomatoes
• Okra
• Watermelon
• Eggplant/Aubergine
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Kale
• Peppers

Using seeds to grow flowers

When the weather begins to warm up, you might want to have a ready supply of stunning blooms for your window boxes, beds, or driveway. Another benefit of planting flowers early is that they will be excellent for feeding pollinators at the beginning of the season.

 

The following is a list of seeds you may start planting inside for a dazzling early spring bloom and that pop of colour that will have your neighbours drooling.

• Marigolds
• Zinnias
• Cosmos
• Alyssum
• Celosia
• Impatiens
• Dawn Glory
• Nasturtium
• Sunflower
• Susan the Black-Eyed
• Lupine
• Pinks (Dianthus) (Dianthus)
• Primrose
• Daisy Shasta

How Are Indoor Seeds Planted?

 

Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to plant seeds inside and encourage seedling germination.

 

1. Purchase or make pots or seed trays

Purchase a propagator or seed tray that is specifically designed for this purpose.

Alternatively, reuse some old cardboard to hold little amounts of compost, such as toilet paper rolls or egg cartons that have been split into pieces.

Old yogurt cups with holes in the bottom for simple draining are another option. Some folks utilize takeout boxes that have been punctured at the bottom.

Finding a container that can store compost and let water drain easily is the most important step.

 

2. Add the Correct Soil to the Pots

Multi-purpose compost fit for seeds should be used to fill the pot. Make sure to water it to keep the soil moist and make sure it drains properly,

Ensure that your soil is in good condition and devoid of trash, insects, pests, and other seeds.

Make sure to source dirt for potting or other specific purposes rather than taking it from your garden outside.

 

3. Place the Seed

You must equally distribute your seeds across the soil. Each source should be spaced 2 to 3 cm apart. Make sure a layer of compost is placed over each seed at a depth equal to how thick the seed is.

 

4. Protect the Ground

To cover the seed trays and compost, clear plastic is essential. This helps by preventing the soil from drying out in the winter and maintaining an equal temperature, this will help to keep it warm and moist. Additionally, it can prevent any indoor pests from entering the soil.

If you don't have a specially designed seed propagator, recycle where you can. For instance, use cling film or cut apart or apply larger old freezer bags. It will do to use a clear plastic bag that has been cut into a single sheet.

To keep it in place, tape it to the seed posts or tray or tie an elastic band around the pot.

 

5. Place the Soil in an Area with Natural Lighting

Your soil and seed container should ideally be placed in a warm, well-lit area with access to sunlight. One option you can consider is a windowsill. Better still if you have a special heated propagator, use it!

Be careful if you leave these on the windowsill because night-time temperatures might drop significantly. Take them away from the spot and place them somewhere warmer.

 

6. Keep an eye out for sprouts and take off the covering

Look for germination indicators in the soil. You must expose the seedlings once you notice growth indicators and green leaves budding.

At this point, you should take off the plastic or glass covering and nurture them indoors.

 

7. Keep an eye out for the "True Leaves" and prick the seedlings

Eventually, a second pair of leaves known as "true" leaves will appear. When this occurs, you are ready to shift them into a bigger pot or soil container. This is also known as 'Pricking out' your seedlings. 

Be gentle and only touch the seedlings by their leaves while handling them. Their stems could be torn if you pull on them.

Pricking the seedlings entails placing the transplanted developed seedlings in a seed tray with additional compost and spacing them about 5 cm apart. The seedling can go more easily from the "seed" stage to the "growing on" stage as a result.

Make sure the new trays or pots have well-drained soil.

The seedlings must be buried all the way to the surface of the earth when you gently plant them. It is necessary to gently bury the seedlings up to the base of the first set of leaves in the soil.

 

8. Repotting two weeks later

The seedlings will get big enough to move into larger pots after about two weeks. A container should be at least 7.5 centimetres across.

You can also plant them outside in properly prepared, well-draining soil if the weather is milder.

On the other hand, don't allow the soil to become dry; check on it daily to see whether it needs watering to stay moist.

 

Shopping List for Indoor Sowing

There are a few things you might want to pick up in the local hardware or garden stores:

 

• Seeds can be purchased or saved from a previous season by being harvested from seed pods at the end of the last summer.
• Plastic cover for the seed pots trays
• Propagator/Seed Tray
• Peat-free, all-purpose compost
• For planting seeds and cuttings, Growise Multipurpose Compost 50L is the perfect choice. Use this multifunctional compost for flower beds, borders, pots, hanging baskets, and more. Bord Na Mona produces Growise, which is perfect for Irish weather.
• Give mother nature a helping hand with your garden and inject rich nutrients with Shamrock Multipurpose Compost 75 Litre. ideal planting yummy vegetables, or sowing seeds
• Seeds, coir, and feed are all included in Miracle-Gro Flower Magic Flower Seeds, Feed, and Coir, which has everything you need for a flourishing garden. Still, it is advised to lightly weed before usage and to maintain the seeds well-watered after planting.
• A tiny watering can with a rose attachment to evenly distribute the water.
• Labels or label sticks for seedling identification