The ground is hard and the air is still cold but longer daylight hours keep tricking me into thinking that spring is here and I need to hurry up and start all the plants that I've been getting excited to grow this year. In the past I've rushed to get the bare basics together that will allow me to rip into those seed packets and start planting. With each passing year I gain a bit more self-control and channel my excitement into proper preparation. My essentials for getting my baby plants off to a bright start in the world follow; soil, heat mats, propagation trays, inoculant, and perhaps most importantly, a calendar.
Perhaps the analogy that has helped me get into the right headspace is that just like a human baby so much of a plants lifetime health outcomes are determined by how it comes into the world. The proper soil starting mix can help prime your plants for a long, healthy, disease free life. Good seed starting mix is light and holds moisture well allowing for both air and water to navigate the young plants rhizosphere (root zone). We have tried a number of seed starting mixes however having discovered a local business New England Compost that uses their biologically rich compost as a base for their seed starting mix we recommend finding someone local and passionate about soil like Jeff from New England Compost.
Seeds have a range of temperatures in which they will germinate well. Read the back of the packet and follow that as a guide. A good heat mat will ensure you get the best germination possible and avoid the frustration empty cells. Make sure you carefully monitor your plants on the heat mat as they will dry out much more quickly.
Cell trays and plastic pots are both common ways to start your plants and having the right size makes a lot of difference to your your plants development. Making sure you have the right trays before you start can save a lot of headaches later on. Many people are also using soil blocking which can work very well for creating air pruned healthy young starts.
A compost starter mix like the one we use is a great way to ensure your plants are exposed to wide array of beneficial biology right from the beginning of their lives. We often provide some additional inoculation in order to nurture mycorrhizal relationships between the plant and soil right from the start. Another inoculant that we will use with our legumes, peas, beans, clover, and hairy vetch is a bacterial inoculant that helps these plants fix nitrogen in the soil.
I mentioned the calendar as an important tool because you can do everything right to get your plants off to a healthy start in life but without proper planning of when they will be ready to go into the ground you can end up with rootbound, leggy stressed out plants. Make sure you know when and where your plants will go into the ground well before you plant the first seed.
Stephen Kassel
Farm Manager
Thank you Harvey Hubbell and Chanticleer Acres for introducing me to their Raw Honey. There has been a significant difference with my seasonal allergies. Much less watery eyes and runny nose. Teaspoon every morning is all it took.