If you are thinking about starting your own garden of love, start from the beginning. Why waste money by buying plants from nurseries? When you can sow the seeds of your own nursery. Growing plants from seeds at your home can give you many advantages also. You can grow whatever plant you wish for. Besides, if you're planning to grow an edible garden, then it can give you fresh fruits or vegetables.
A beginner can also grow plants from seeds. It may seem like a hard task to do, but actually it is very simple and fascinating at the same time. From seed sowing to growing a plant, you will discover many things about gardening everyday. Why it is fascinating because you will witness a life developing from the seeds you sowed. Therefore, want to know how you can start your own garden? Here is the procedure.
How to start sowing seeds
- Timing of sowing is important: The timing, in which you are going sow seeds matters. The best time for starting planting is spring.
- Assemble all the materials you need: First, make a list of what plants you want to have in your garden and gather all the supplies. You will need seeds, seeding containers or pots and medium.
- Choose right containers: Choose a container which is at least 2 to 3 inches deep and has a drainage hole in the bottom. You can choose plastic pots, peat pots, planting trays, yogurt cups, and also egg shells. Just make sure whatever container you are going to use is clean. Later, you will need to transplant the seeding into a larger pot.
- Use a good quality potting mix: Do not reuse soil from your other plants, sow seeds in a fresh sterile or good potting-mix. You can find them in any nursery or garden appliance store.
- Seeding: Now it's time to sow the seeds, read the instructions given at the back of your seed packaging. Usually, cover the seed with enough thickness, but Do not sow them too deep. Then it is necessary to damp the soil a little.
- Watering: Do give too much water and too cold or too warm water. Always use room-temperature water with a spray bottle. Keep the soil moist, not drenched. Allow the soil to dry out a little before the watering session.
- Keep up the moisturizer level: After germination, cover up the container, pot or the tray to lock the moisture inside. Trays generally come with a lid, but if you don't have a lid, you can use plastic bags as well.
- Sufficient light: Generally seedlings require 15 to 16 hours of lighting. Place your seeding in an area where they can get enough light, south facing windows can be a good option. You can also grow them with artificial lighting. In that case you will need 40 watt lights and locate them 20 to 30 cm above the light for about 13 to 14 hours a day. If they don't get the right amount of light, they can get a bit leggy.
- Feeding: Once the plant develops leaves, it is the time to feed them weekly. Use half strength of liquid diluted fertilizer. You can use full-strength diluted fertilizer after 4 weeks.
- Hardening off: at the last step, try to move your seeding into the outside environment gradually.
Those are all the steps to create your own garden. However, the most important thing is, you have to stay positive, also love and care for them like you do to your children.
