Starting Seeds Indoors for your Pacific Northwest Garden

It’s that time of year, and that means starting vegetable seeds inside, so they are ready to go when the last freeze is behind us. With the rather short growing season in the Pacific Northwest, it is helpful to start things like tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers indoors. This adds several weeks to the growing season and will get you fresh food on your table that much sooner. There are some things you will need to start your seeds inside, and you will find them at Greenwood Hardware.

Seeds

Obviously, you will need seeds to start your garden. There are numerous varieties of every vegetable. Decide whether you want cucumbers to eat fresh or whether you want cukes to pickle. Tomatoes that are big and great for slicing or small and plump and perfect for canning into sauce. Once you know what your goal is, you can pick the right seeds for your needs.

Starter Pots

You have a couple of options here as well. If your seeds will be indoors in their starter pots for several weeks, you may want to go with the larger pots that the plants will not outgrow within a matter of weeks. The smaller pots are great for seedlings that will be going into the ground in a couple of weeks. You can choose pots that go directly into the soil or plastic pots that you will need to remove the start from.

Soil

Because your seeds will get all of their nutrition from the soil you buy, you want to make sure it is nutrient-rich and designed for seed starting. A standard potting soil is best for established plants. For new seeds, you want a loose soil that will not hinder the sprouting process.

Grow Lights

You never know when we will have a series of cloudy days. It is helpful to have a couple of grow lights to supplement the new plants on the days the sun refuses to make an appearance. The lights are very inexpensive and will help your plants sprout and thrive.

Labels

It is very hard to tell the difference between seedlings. Make sure you have plenty of labeling sticks to put in every pot to help you keep track of what is what. If you are plenty several varieties of tomatoes, you will definitely want to label them.

Your garden is waiting for you! Get a jump-start on the growing season by getting your plants started early. This is a fun project to get the kids involved in. They will love watching the tiny seeds sprout into plants they will soon be picking food from. Head into Greenwood Hardware today and pick up what you need to get your garden started. Come on in, or contact us today.