Dr. Grow: Starting your own bedding plants

Believe it or not I often have customers asking for tomato plants at this time of year. I just laugh and tell them it's just a little too early. Greenhouse growers are just now beginning to plant them so that they will be ready by the end of March.

In a way, many of these customers are not jumping the gun. They may have a small greenhouse or a well insulated cold frame. These structures allow them to start their garden a lot earlier than most of us.

If you have a unique growing situation, or if you're like my granddaughter who always says "Me do!" then you may want to consider starting your vegetable or flower plants yourself. It is really not hard to do if you keep a few things in mind.

You'll want to gather the following items before you get started:starter soil, 1020 flats, flat dividers, a transparent 1020 flat cover, seeds, soil heating cable, grow light and fertilizer.

First, place a soil heating cable in the bottom of a 1020 flat. Then cover the cable with starter soil. The soil cable will heat the soil so that the seed will germinate faster. If the soils remain cool, as they would in most homes, the seeds will germinate too slowly.

Now place an 806 divider in the flat. Fill the divider with a good grade of seed starter soil. Seed starter soil is a finely ground combination of vermiculite, peat and perlite. Many of the seeds that you plant are extremely small. In order for them to get good seed soil contact so that they can absorb water and germinate efficiently, the soil particles must be finely ground.

Place one to two seeds in each division. Next cover the seed with a fine layer of start soil. Placing soil on top of the seed, in effect puts the seed into the soil.

Next moisten the soil very carefully. If you use a strong stream of water you will move the seeds from the center of each divider, or you may move the seeds too deeply into the soil. Use a very fine mist and slowly water the flat until the soil is saturated with water.

As seeds start to germinate they must not dry out. If they do dry at this stage mortality usually results. You can reduce the possibility of drying out by placing a transparent cover over the flat. This cover allows light to shine on the plants and keeps the soil moist and the relative humidity around the plants near 100 percent.

Place a grow light over the covered flat. Adjust the grow light so that it illuminates the plants 12 to 14 hours a day. Most seeds require a flash of light for them to germinate. In addition, bright sunlight is needed for the plant to develop properly. If light levels are too low, plants do not develop enough chlorophyll. They then become anemic and leggy.

After the seeds have germinated, fertilize the plants with a fertilizer such as 9-58-8 that is high in phosphorous. A week later fertilize with fish emulsion. This natural fertilizer will provide most of the micronutrients that are needed for good plant development.

When the new plants have sent roots 1 to 2 inches into the soil, remove the transparent flat cover. Fertilize weekly with a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20.

Water as needed. Let the soil dry slightly before watering again. If you water too much, you encourage poor root development and the incidence of disease.

Before transplanting into your garden, I would encourage you to blow air over the plants each day for a few minutes. This wind action encourages the plants to develop a stronger and shorter stalk. These plants will withstand transplanting much better.

If you follow these directions you can start your own vegetables and flower plants at home. You'll not only get the satisfaction of having done it yourself, but you'll get the varieties you want when you want them.