K-State horticulture expert offers tips for buying, caring for seed
In case cabin fever has Kansas gardeners longing for warmer days, there’s good news: January marks an early opportunity to get some vegetables and flowers started.
“January is often a cold and dreary month for many gardeners,” said Cynthia Domenghini, a horticulture expert with Kansas State University Research and Extension. “But planning for and starting vegetables and flower transplants from seed can make this a much more interesting time of year.”
Domenghini outlined the steps needed to purchase and plant seeds indoors in a recent issue of the Horticulture Newsletter, a weekly publication from Kansas State University that is available online and by email.
Her recommendations include:
• Purchase recommended, quality seed. The varieties recommended for Kansas are available in a publication from K-State Research and Extension. “Also, talk to your neighbors, friends and your local garden center about what has worked well for them,” Domenghini said.
• Obtain your seeds from a reputable source. These may include garden centers and seed catalogs. “If choosing seeds from a business that does not specialize in plants, pay special attention to the package date to make sure the seed was packaged for the current year,” Domenghini said. “Though most seed remains viable for about three years, germination decreases as seed ages.”
• Determine the date to seed. You should know the target date for transplanting outside and the number of weeks needed to grow the transplant indoors.
• Sowing seed. Do not use garden soil to germinate seed. It is too heavy and may contain disease organisms. Use a media made especially for seed germination.
Domenghini said additional tips include keeping seed moist and growing the seeds in appropriate lighting and temperature conditions. A little TLC also helps, she said.
“Plants react to movement,” Domenghini said. “Brushing over the plants with your hand stimulates them to become more stocky and less leggy. Try 20 brushing strokes per day. However, brushing will not compensate for a lack of light or over-crowding.”
Move plants outdoors prior to transplanting so that they will become hardened to the sun and wind. “Start about two weeks before transplanting and gradually expose the plants to outside conditions,” Domenghini said. “Increase the number of hours and degree of exposure over a two-week period.”
