How to Start Flowers Indoors

To get ahead of Mother Nature’s usual schedule, and your neighbors, start seeds inside right now. Then, in a month or so when the weather is warmer, your plants will have gained one and a half months growth before setting their roots in the soil outside. We usually start this project six to eight weeks before the safe time to set them out. By getting the needed materials soon you will be ready to start at the right time for your area.

Annuals, perennials, summer bulbs and vegetables can all be started inside at this time. The materials you will need include planting trays or flats, purchased or home made potting soil, two inch pots and a good adjustable light source.

Seeds are extremely temperamental to disease. Soil, either prepared or home made, carries many potential disease organisms. To reduce the threat of these organisms bake soil at a two inch depth for 20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or at 200 degrees for 10-12 hours. Make sure your kitchen fan is on because baked soil doesn’t always smell like a bed of roses.

Once the soil is prepared and the seeds are planted locate them under a direct light source. Natural sunlight, if available, can be sufficient, but more often than not the seeds need a stronger source. Set the plants on the table with fluorescent bulbs suspended on a movable chain one to two feet above the plants. The light can then be raised as the plants grow in height. Specially designed grow lights and tables are available; however, a simple table and fluorescent lighting will work well.

Before transplanting the seedlings into the outdoor soil, I recommend moving them to a cold frame for a few weeks. This provides the plants with a better light source and better acclimation to potential cold spring mornings in the first few weeks they are out on their own.

A cold frame is a closure of any size a foot high or more and usually sloped to one side to allow for rain runoff. It is covered with any light emitting material like clear plastic or glass, but they generally come with a shade screen so the concentrated heat of direct sunlight will not burn the plants. The lid is hinged so the cold frame can be opened during the day and then closed at night.

Starting plants inside can be a lot of fun especially as the end of winter still seems a long way off. Both your plants and you can get a head start on the growing season and be ready when spring does arrive.