To enjoy flowers, veggies and herbs this spring, start your seeds now

Get It Growing for 01/31/25

Tired of the cold, gray doldrums of winter? Here’s something to look forward to: Spring isn’t all that far away, and now is the time to get your seeds started for many warm-season annuals, vegetables and herbs.

While it may seem early to think about spring gardening, it’s really not, especially when we are talking about growing plants from seeds.

We want to be able to transplant seedlings into the garden soon after the average last frost date. In south Louisiana, the danger of frost usually passes by about March 15, and in northern parishes, that date is typically around April 1.

Because it can take up to eight weeks for a seed to grow into a small plant that’s sturdy enough to be transplanted, it’s important to get started now.

Go ahead and make a list of what plants you want to grow and acquire your seeds. It’s still winter, so you should start your seeds indoors. That means you’ll need good-quality potting mix and some kind of planting containers.

You can purchase seed-starting trays or miniature pots. But you can grow your seedlings in common household items like egg cartons or paper cups — anything that can hold small amounts of potting mix and that either drains or can be modified to do so. There’s a plethora of do-it-yourself inspiration online.

Once you have all your supplies, fill your planting containers with the potting mix. Before you start planting seeds, carefully read the package, which will indicate how deeply seeds should be planted. Some seeds won’t germinate if they are covered with too much or too little growing media.

After you’ve sown your seeds, it’s a good idea to label what you’ve planted in each container.

Place your containers in a bright, warm spot. Don’t let them dry out, but don’t drench them either. Aim to keep them moist.

If you find that the heater in your home dries out the potting mix quickly, you can place a clear cover over the containers to help retain moisture. Some commercially available seed-starting trays come with a dome-shaped lid for this purpose. If you are improvising with household materials, you can shroud the containers in plastic wrap; just be sure not to seal the edges completely so air can still flow in and out.

After seedlings have their first few sets of true leaves, fertilize them very lightly with a balanced liquid fertilizer mixed at half strength. Make sure they are getting enough sunlight and keep up with watering. Before long, you’ll be ready to transplant your seedlings.

Vegetables generally germinate and grow faster than flowering plants. Most seed packets will tell you how many days germination takes and how many days until harvest or bloom.

Small containers filled with potting mix.

Seeds can be started in cell pack containers. Photo by Jason Stagg/LSU AgCenter

Small containers filled with potting mix.

It’s a good idea to label which seeds are planted in which containers. Photo by Jason Stagg/LSU AgCenter

Information on the back of seed packets

Seed packets list important information such as planting depth and how many days it will take until germination. Photo by Olivia McClure/LSU AgCenter

1/28/2025 2:02:05 PM
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