STARTING SEEDLINGS INDOORSI've found the best kind of bagged soil to buy for seed starting is, believe it or not, the stores' own brands of Potting Soil. It does not harden up like some of the others. I've been using the Sobeys brand recently.
If you have a fluorescent light in your home, it will give the best light for your seedlings. A position which is a few inches away from growing seedlings is ideal. I've used a gooseneck lamp to grow a single tray, or you can set up a shop light on chains to raise and lower it. Other than that, as close to a window as possible and as cool as possible will do. It will not hurt if the window is open a bit! If it is too hot, the young seedlings will be thin and leggy. It does get very hot in front of a window in spring.
Make your soil wet. I mix it in a pail with my hands or a big spoon, until you squeeze it hard and a few drops of water come out. It should be pretty damp, so that you won't have to water it again until the seeds have sprouted.
Do not pack the soil too tightly; I just tap down lightly with my fingers after filling the container and then add a little more. Leave 1 or 2 cm of space at the top so water will stay in and not run over the edges.
Seeds get buried at 2 times their depth. The bigger the seed is, the deeper it goes. If it is very small (some seeds look like pepper!), you only put it on top and press down on it.
If the seed has been stored properly, most of them will sprout, so there is no need to put more than two in each little dish (I usually put only one in). The smaller seeds can be put on by spilling some into your hand and using a damp finger to tap a bit on each cell.
Cover with a lid only until your plants come up! If you don't have a lid, put the containers in a plastic bag and tie. This is so the soil will stay damp. You will not need to water until sprouting. Check each day for signs of life.
When the weather gets better (in Nova Scotia we're talking June), the plants will have to be "hardened off" to get them used to outdoor weather. This is done by setting them outside each day, changing the exposure gradually. Put them in a sheltered spot so they are not blown around until they are stronger. I usually start with a cloudy day, and if the sun comes out, I put them in the shade. After a day of being in the shade, I start giving them some sun each day, starting with morning sun only, then morning and late afternoon only, gradually increasing it to being out all day. Once they are out all day in the sun, they will be able to be transplanted into your garden or into a bigger pot. The whole thing usually takes me about a week in total.
GOOD LUCK!
