As the cold temperatures begin to fade and the sun starts peeking out again, your garden is ready to be filled with life!
Gardening is about timing and planning. It can be confusing where and when to start seeding but follow these tips and tricks, and your garden will be in full bloom in no time.
The Plan
You’ll first want to decide what you want to grow – fruit, vegetables or flowers. Depending on what you choose, account for how long it will take your seeds to sprout, when they will need to be transplanted to your garden, how long they need to grow before being harvested, then create a work back schedule on when to start seeding.
However, if you haven’t gotten to that point yet and still don’t know what you want to start seeding, use this plant library to find what best suits you as a gardener.
Start Fresh
Seed starting tips: each year your seeds need to start in a fresh environment. Replace your soil, purchase new seeding trays (or thoroughly clean old ones), and try to find a lid for your trays as humidity is important. Trays with lids are inexpensive and a great way to ensure that your plants will get the most humidity and keeps moisture levels consistent.
If you are unable to maintain a constant warm temperature for your seeds, consider a heat mat or heat lamp to consistently keep your seeds on track for growth.
When to Start Seeding
Consider if you plan on seeding indoors or outdoors. If you plan to start seeding indoors, you will begin this process several weeks before outdoor growth.
If you plan to grow outdoors and live in an area that experiences freezing or frosting of the ground, be sure to check out when the last and first frost occurred.
Stay Organized
If you plan to grow a variety of seeds, being organized is key. You may want to keep a seeding calendar to keep a note of when you began seeding each one.
Keeping tabs on their watering schedule and growth progress can also help you have a good idea of your seed’s progress and what they may need going forward.
Start Seeding
The refreshing season of spring is upon us, so let the seeding begin! Begin with visualizing what your garden will look like and what you want to see grow this year.
Once you have a pretty solid idea of what you want to harvest, be sure to check in with recorded frost dates to ensure you are timing when to start seeding.
Use fresh soil and keep seeding charts and calendars to maintain organization and to stay on top of your garden. Visit one of our garden centres to find some perfect plants for your garden.
If you plan on growing vegetables this year, click to sign up now for our FREE PDF guide, Container Vegetable Gardening for the Urban Gardener.
Happy gardening!
