Seed Starting with Johnny's Selected Seeds
Be sure to tune in to The Roku Channel today to see my latest episode when I demonstrate the best ways to collect, store, and sow seeds. You can stream "Martha Gardens" for free on The Roku Channel.
We start sowing seeds indoors soon after the New Year. We sow thousands of seeds - all those wonderful seeds I enjoy purchasing during my travels, and seeds we order from our favorite sources. Many of this year's seeds, seed trays, and other supplies are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds in central Maine - a company I’ve been using for quite some time. Starting from seed isn’t difficult. They can be planted closely together in seed starting trays, and then pulled apart easily when they're ready to move into larger pots or outdoors.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
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- Here at my farm, we keep all our seed packets in plastic envelopes, and plastic bins – all are labeled and filed for easy reference. Mason jars with tight-fitting lids, or glass canisters with gasket-type lids also work. Humidity and warmth shorten a seed’s shelf life, so we store the organized seed packets in a greenhouse refrigerator.
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- Johnny’s Selected Seeds is a privately held, employee-owned organic seed producer. Johnny’s offers hundreds of varieties of organic vegetable, herb, flower, fruit and farm seeds that are known to be strong, dependable growers.
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- When buying or ordering seeds, be sure to read the hardiness of a plant. And know your hardiness zone, so you can select the right seeds for your area. Here in Bedford, we are zone-6b. It is easy to look it up online. Here, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, writes the seed variety on markers, so he’s ready to place it in the trays after planting the seeds. It’s also helpful to put the date of planting on the back. Ryan determines what order they will be started in trays depending on how long it takes each plant to germinate.
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- Ryan chooses all the necessary seed starting trays. These can be saved from year to year, so don’t throw them away after the season. Seed starting trays are available in all sizes and formations.
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- Select the right kind of tray based on the size of the seeds. The containers should be at least two-inches deep and have adequate drainage holes.
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- It’s best to use a pre-made seed starting mix that contains the proper amounts of vermiculite, perlite and peat moss. Seed starting mixes are available at garden supply stores.
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- When possible, prepare several trays in an assembly-line fashion, and then drop all the seeds. Doing this saves time and simplifies the process.
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- Ryan spreads the soil mix across the seed trays completely and evenly, filling all the cells of each tray.
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- Each of these trays has 128 cells – perfect for planting small individual seeds.
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- Here is a packet of seeds with its corresponding marker.
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- This hybrid Kelvin celery is a farmer’s favorite. It performs well under heat and moisture and grows thick and juicy with dark green stalks. I love celery and use it every day in my green juice.
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- Ryan drops one to three seeds into each cell. It’s always a good idea to keep a record of when seeds are sown, when they germinate, and when they are transplanted. These observations will help organize a schedule for the following year.
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- These seeds are pelleted. Each seed is coated with a layer of clay to increase its size for easier handling.
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- Next, Ryan covers the tray with a layer of vermiculite. Vermiculite is a mica-like mineral often used as a soil amendment. It is mined out of the ground, exfoliated, treated with high heat and pressure to force it to expand. The porous surface is great for retaining moisture and nutrients.
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- Here is a tray marked for herbs. Using his fingers, Ryan makes a hole in each cell, and then drops seeds into each one.
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- Seeds are small, so be very careful when pouring them out of the packet. These are sage seeds, Salvia officinalis, an aromatic herb of the mint family.
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- Again, Ryan begins to drop the seeds evenly into each compartment.
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- Look closely and one can see the seeds in the cell. These seeds will be selectively thinned in a few weeks. The process eliminates the weaker sprout and prevents overcrowding, so seedlings don’t have any competition for soil nutrients or room to mature.
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- Next, Ryan covers the seeds by leveling the soil and filling the holes back in with the medium.
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- This tray is also covered with a layer of vermiculate. Fortunately, my greenhouse is large and can accommodate lots of seed starting.
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- Ryan places the trays in our Urban Cultivator growing system – it has water, temperature and humidity all set-up in this refrigerator like unit. And then it’s back to seeding more trays – there are a lots and lots of seeds to plant. Seeds are usually started about two months before the last frost – we will be planting seeds well into March. Learn more about seed starting on “Martha Gardens” streaming free on The Roku Channel.
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