Indoor planting season is upon us! Shannon, our sultana of the seed library, was kind enough to inform me that it's the perfect time of year to start a popular produce pick - peppers!
Starting seeds indoors is easy! Or at least, so I'm told. I did not inherit my mother's green thumb, so I look to the experts, instead. But here's what they have to say!
1. Give yourself time. Check your local weather service, gardening co-op, etc. to find out the last expected frost date for your area. Count backwards from there to find out the best time to start your seeds: it can take between 3 to 15 weeks for your seedlings to grow big and robust enough to replant outside.
2. Prepare your containers. Seeds can be planted in any shallow container that's about 2½ to 3 inches deep, with drainage holes (we don't wanna drown the poor darlings). They make special containers you can get in the gardening section, but you can make your own if you get creative.
3. Provide nutritious soil and sunlight. There are soil mixes you can buy that have extra nutrients added for starting seeds. As for sunlight, you want to set them in a location that stays between 65 to 75 degrees, with between 12-14 hours of light a day. If they don't get enough light, they could become "leggy" (tall and spindly without many leaves).
4. Ready your plants to go outside. Move them into a shady spot outside for a few days, then move them into a sunny spot a few hours each day. If the risk of frost has past, you can plant them outside after one or two weeks. (Don't rush!)
If you're interested in giving your seeds a head start, take a look at these articles for more information:
- https://www.countryliving.com/gardening/garden-ideas/a30753842/how-to-start-seeds/ (Similar info to what I put above, but with more detailed info);
- https://www.almanac.com/content/starting-seeds-indoors (Less detailed instructions, but with a great list of seeds that can/should be started inside).
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