Beginner Gardening: Help with starting seeds indoor, 1 by KaylyRed

KaylyRed wrote:
So you'll have to search less for information, I'll share my experiences here. This is the second year I've grown from seed, and I've had very good luck. Hopefully some of these tips will work for you, too. :)

- If you're not doing so already, make sure your seedlings are under lights or they will "reach" toward the nearest light source, growing too tall and leggy without a good root structure. I use cheap 48" shop lights from Walmart. In my area, the shop lights cost about $10 and the bulbs about $8. I have a setup for my seeds that includes a 4-shelf wire shelving unit. I attach the lights to the shelves with the (included) chains and S-hooks. Many people have similar setups and variations on this theme, and they work very well. (I'll include a pic below.)

- You can transplant your seedlings when they have their first set of true leaves. Some seedlings are more sensitive to transplanting than others, but most adjust better to transplanting when they're small. I prepare potting soil by putting it into a big plastic storage bin and moistening it first with a mister. (Mist...stir...mist...stir...etc.) You don't want to plop your seedlings into dry soil. It's also easier to NOT have to water them immediately after you've transplanted them, because the soil around the seedlings will settle and the roots can wash out, causing the seedlings to dry up.

- I use a 10-15-10 liquid fertilizer concentrate the day after planting my seedlings. (If you're going entirely organic, fish emulsion or the dried chicken/duck poop type fertilizer is a good option.) With the liquid fertilizer, it's best to use half strength just after transplanting. Then you can repeat the application every 2 weeks at full strength.

- I hold off on fertilizing my plants just before I move them outside. You'll want to give them a boost once they're in the ground outdoors. I give my plants a shot of compost in their planting hole and on the surface around the plant. They seem to love it.

- Don't forget to harden off indoor-grown plants. A week or so before you're going to plant them out, you'll want to move them outside into a shaded area during the day, then bring them inside or into someplace sheltered (a garage or shed) when the temperatures drop at night. Do this with them for about a week so they can adjust to life in the great outdoors BEFORE you actually put them in the ground.

Good luck!