Seed Starting Tips Part I: Containers

Spring is here! And across the world, gardeners of every age are getting ready to plant their gardens - whether they're growing containers of herbs on the porch, a plot of vegetables, or a sunny bed of flowers.  Nurseries, garden centers and even drugstores are stocking up on potted plants and seedlings to sell, but those of us who like a little more variety, and maybe want to plant a larger garden cost-effectively, will know to pass up the potted plants and head over to the seed rack.  Buying seed to start yourself will give you far more plants for your money, as well as offer many more varieties - usually varieties of heirlooms and other neat flowers and vegetables you can't find as seedlings in pots.  Plus, starting your own seeds is always so much more rewarding!  And with a little patience and practice, it's really not difficult to get the hang of!

With that in mind, I wanted to address a series of seed starting issues, step-by-step, and pass along a few tips.

Containers for Starting Seeds

Unless you plan to sow seeds directly into the ground (a perfectly viable option), planting in containers will allow you to keep a closer eye on germination and give your seedlings a little extra protection.  Seedlings in containers can be easily moved into a protected area if there is heavy rain or an unseasonably hot day, then transplanted into the garden when they're big enough to take better care of themselves.  So, you're going to start your seeds in containers... but what type of container?  Really, mostly anything you can find that's two to four inches deep will do, as long as it's clean (so disease isn't spread to your new seedlings) and allows drainage.    

I'm a recycling, reusing, composting fanatic (not to mention avid do-it-yourself-er), so some of my favorite seed starting containers are also the simplest solutions:

• Reused nursery flats, pots and six pack containers: Wash and disinfect with hot soapy water and rinse in a dilute solution of water and white vinegar.  (Or bleach, but bleach is pretty nasty, unnecessarily harsh stuff, both on your skin and the environment, and vinegar works fabulously as a substitute.)  Rinse and save for next year or recycle them after transplanting.
• Paper egg cartons:  Avoid the polystyrene (Styrofoam) ones, all the time, always.  Once it's created - from chemically altered fossil fuels - the stuff sticks around forever, filling landfills and polluting ecosystems... So really, just avoid it altogether, in every form.  Besides, paper egg cartons are biodegradable, so there's no need to even transplant your seedlings.  Just pull or cut apart the individual cups and plant; the seedling with grow roots right through the carton, and will be even happier for not having had those little roots disturbed in transplanting!           
• Yogurt cups:  Wash and punch holes in the bottoms for drainage.  Rinse off and recycle (or save for next year) after transplanting.

• Milk or juice jugs/cartons:  Cut off the tops, punch holes in the bottoms, and plant.  Cardboard cartons can be composted after transplanting, and plastic jugs saved for reuse or recycled.

• Cereal boxes:  Cut out one large panel (the front or back) and tape the top flaps closed.  The cardboard does start to get soggy and break down after a couple weeks, but by then the seedlings should be ready to be transplanted.  And, the best news, soggy cereal boxes can be composted when you're done with them!  Hooray!

Next up... How to make your own seed starting mix!

Taking Slips - An Old-Fashioined Approach

Today, I suppose the more commonly used term for slips is "cuttings."  But even though the miracle of growing a whole new plant from a tiny piece of the original is new to some, the practice of taking slips as a method of plant propagation is a very old one.

In Victorian times, taking slips of plants like roses, hydrangea, begonias, and geraniums was a favorite way to share the favorite and most popular varieties with friends and neighbors. And it still ought to be a favorite way of creating more plants to share!

Through the years, plant propagation has become an extensive science. We have specially formulated rooting hormones, rooting media, propagation houses and chambers in which we can control temperature and humidity... the list goes on. But for centuries, plant enthusiasts have been propagating plants using much simpler methods.

Slips or cuttings can be rooted in a few different medias, such as moist sand, soil, or just plain water.  I usually use a mixture of perlite and peat moss, to provide a sterile balance of water retention and drainage.  (But plenty of times have I come home with a bag full of slips and simply stuck them in a jar of water on the windowsill... and been very successful!) 

To begin, select donor plants that are healthy, free of pests and disease, and have been well-watered.  Also, do a little research on the specific type of plant to determine the best time of year to take cuttings (often when the plant is actively growing, in the spring and summer), if they should be softwood, semi-hardwood, or hardwood cuttings, and what type of cuttings to take (stem, leave, root, etc.).  Stem cuttings are the most common, and what I will be demonstrating.

When cutting material from the plants, keep in mind that it's helpful to do a little shaping and pruning while you're at it.  Avoid taking cuttings in the heat of the day, and make sure to keep them moist!  
Individual slips should be between three and six inches long, with at least two nodes (the swollen parts along the stem where leaves are attached) - one at the bottom and at least one at the top.  (The exception in length is if you're taking slips from a plant with very long internodes, or the spaces between two nodes.  In this case, just be sure to include two nodes, and rooting media that is deep enough to support the extra-tall cutting.)  Remove the leaves from the bottom node, and make sure that no leaves will touch the rooting media.  Leave the leaves growing from the top node(s) to photosynthesize and provide energy for the developing roots; if the leaves are very large (like hydrangea leaves) you can trim them back slightly. 
 

 From left to right: Feverfew, Autumn Sage, Hydrangea, Lavender

Before inserting your slips into rooting media (other than water), you may want to dip the bottom node in a rooting hormone.  I use a general powdered hormone, indole-3-butyric acid, that works for most types of cuttings to speed root development. 

Any type of container can be used for starting cuttings, as long as it will provide drainage.  I like to recycle, so I use whatever little nursery pots I have around... Just be sure you clean and disinfect whatever you use to as not to spread disease to your new little plants.
 



Stick your cuttings into moist rooting media, and mist with water. Again, preventing them from drying out is very important! To raise the humidity around the cuttings, you can make a mini-greenhouse by placing a plastic Ziploc-type bag over the pot and placing it on a windowsill out of direct sunlight. I also put cuttings in a cold frame, which keeps the environment warm, humid, and out of direct sunlight.

After a few weeks of keeping your slips warm and well-watered, test for root development by tugging gently on the tops: if they pull out easily, the roots are still forming; if they resist when tugged, you should have roots! Gently remove one of your slips and check!

 



Now, your new plants can be planted in the garden, or potted up and shared with friends or neighbors over the garden gate, in true Victorian fashion.