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  • Neighborhoods
  • About Me
    • Real Estate >
      • Lending
      • Settlement >
        • Documents needed to close
        • Title Insurance
      • Home Buying
      • Home Selling
  • My Listings
  • Explore Annapolis
    • Places to visit >
      • Architecture
      • Alex Haley Memorial
      • Banneker-Douglas Museum
      • Eastport Walking Tour
      • Hammond Harwood House >
        • Pumpkin Walk
      • Lighthouses
      • Paca House & Garden
      • Maryland Inn
      • Naval Academy
      • Parks >
        • Dog Parks
        • Leon Wolfe Park
        • Quiet Waters Park
        • State Parks
      • Severnside Farm Tour
      • St Anne's Church
      • Tiffany Stained Glass
      • State capital building
      • Wall Murals >
        • Design District Murals
        • Historic, Murry Hill & Eastport
        • Others Out & About
    • Events >
      • Annapolis Cup Croquet Match
      • Art Walk
      • Boatyard Beach Bash
      • Bourbon Bowties Cigars
      • C.R.A.B Cup
      • Crab Feast
      • Puppy Plunge
      • US Powerboat Show
      • US Sailboat Show
      • Waterfowl Festival
    • Runs
    • Holidays >
      • Memorial Day
      • Labor Day
      • Halloween
      • Christmas
    • Festivals >
      • Anne Arundel County Fair
      • Art in the Park
      • Beer & Wine Festivals
      • First Sunday Arts
      • Irish Festival
      • Homestead Gardens Fall Festival
      • Kegs and Corks
      • Maryland Seafood Festival
      • Renaissance Festival
      • West Annapolis Oktoberfest
    • Markets >
      • AA County Farmers Market
      • Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre
      • AA Medical Center Farmers Market
      • Diehl's Produce
      • DNR Farmers Market >
        • Annapolis Farmers Market
      • PA Dutch Farmers Market
      • 2017 Farmers Market Guide
    • Concerts & Shows >
      • All Saints Concert
      • Annapolis Town Center Concerts
      • Fast as Lightning
      • FOQWP Summer Concert Series
      • Middletons
      • Rams Head On Stage
    • Tours >
      • Ghost Walk Tour
      • Red Trolley Tour
      • Circulator
    • Places to stay
  • Gardening
    • Composting
    • Fruits and Veggies >
      • Apples
    • Gardening Clubs
    • Native Plants
    • Insects >
      • Friends or foe
    • Trees
    • Where to buy plants
    • Butterfly Garden >
      • Butterflies in Maryland
      • Location
      • Plants for Butterflies
      • Butterfly Life Cycle
      • Monarch Butterfly
    • Spring >
      • Seed Starting
    • Summer
    • Fall >
      • Preparing your yard for winter
      • What to Plant in the Fall?
    • Winter
  • Resources
    • Important Numbers
    • Maryland History & Resources
    • Schools >
      • Annapolis Public Schools
      • Private Schools
  • Blog
All About Annapolis

Seed Starting

All you need to know about starting your own garden!

Tips for Seed Starting Success
Start seeds 4 to 6 weeks before you plant in the garden.  Cool season crops like broccoli or lettuce can go into the garden before the last frost.  Warm season crops like tomatoes & peppers should not be planted until all danger of frost is past.  Almost anyone can succeed by following the guidelines below.
◾Fresh is best. Always start with fresh, high-quality seeds. 
◾Non GMO seeds, certified organic and open-pollinated varieties from Botanical Interest, Seed Savers and Renee’s Garden are available
◾It’s all in the mix, try Espoma Organic Seed Starter
◾A good mix ensures that you have a lightweight, clean and sterile medium without insects, fungus or weed. Moisten the mix with a little water…damp, not soggy.
◾Packets know best. Plant your seeds according to the depth & spacing directions.
◾Cover the seeds with soil mix and tamp down to ensure that seeds are in firm contact with the soil.
◾Bottom’s up. It can be challenging to apply the right amount of water using normal methods, so water from the bottom! 
◾Place the planting container into a larger pan of shallow water for a short time (few seconds to a couple of minutes).
◾Take cover.  Loosely cover with plastic wrap after watering to retain moisture
◾Check the moisture daily and watch for germination. As soon as the seeds germinate, remove the plastic wrap.
◾Stay warm. For most seeds, sprouting requires a minimum temperature of about 65° to 75°F.
◾If the ambient temperature is less than that, you can position a space heater nearby. Just make sure that the soil doesn’t dry out.
◾Let the sun shine in. Most seeds need about 12 to 16 hours of sunlight each day.
◾Place your seed containers in a sunny location such as a window with southern exposure. Once the seeds sprout, turn the container a little each day. This will prevent seedlings from overreaching in one direction toward the light.
◾The need to feed. Don’t use fertilizer on seedlings until they have sprouted! 
◾In the very early growth stage, the seed provides its own nourishment, but once leaves develop, it’s time for a little fertilizer like Espoma Plant-tone.
◾Harden them off. Your sheltered seedlings need to get ready for the outdoors! 
◾ For 7 to 10 days, put your plants outside for a few hours each day, increasing their exposure to sunlight & wind. Cut back on watering a bit, too. Your plants will become heartier and better prepared for transplanting.
◾No stripping. Gently remove plants from their containers without stripping or tearing the roots. 
◾Plant them in the ground and mix in a really good starter plant food like Bio-tone Starter Plus in with the soil.
Thanks to Homestead Gardens for their tips!
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