Step-by-Step Guide to Indoor Seed Starting

There's nothing like seeing the first seedlings breaking through the soil to get you excited for the coming spring. Photo: John Athayde via Flickr.

It's time! For those of us looking to get a jumpstart on the growing season, now's the time to begin thinking about starting your seeds. And if you're like me and you're going to grow onions, now is the time to start planting.

Below you'll find a step-by-step guide to growing seeds indoors. But first I wanted to talk dirt. No, not dirty. Dirt. Soil. Earth. Terra firma.

Your seeds need something to grow in. After pre-soaking them or pre-sprouting them, you have to put them in a medium to grow. Lots of gardeners simply use a store bought potting soil mix to get their seeds going, and that's a good start because it's a sterile medium. But I prefer going a different way.

There are typically two types of starting medium I like use: vermiculite or sand and sawdust. What? No dirt?

Nope. Well, at least not at first.

Soil-less soil
Most of the time I use an 8 oz. plastic cup filled just with vermiculite to get my seeds going. It's one of the easiest methods of getting my transplants growing that I've found.

Stack your cups together, turn them upside down, and drill a series of small drainage holes in the bottom so that you can water the seeds from the bottom and not disturb them. Fill the cups almost to the top with vermiculite and sprinkle as many seeds as you plan on growing onto the surface. Then cover them with an additional thin layer of vermiculite.

I always add 10% to 20% more seed than what my garden plan calls for just in case there's a problem with germination. If I get a high germination rate -- and using quality seed and taking the proper steps to get my seeds off to a good start, I often get 100% germination -- I still grow all the tiny plants because sometimes one or two can still suddenly die off. But once it becomes time to transplant them into the garden, I'll give the extras to a neighbor or toss them onto the compost pile.

With the seeds in their cups, I give them a good watering (again, from underneath) and then place them on a heat mat.

Keys to good germination
Seeds need two things to germinate: moisture and warmth. So after "planting" my seeds in the cups of vermiculite, I transfer them to my PVC seed starting grow station where I place them on a seedling heat mat.

The one I use is the Hydrofarm 9"x19-1/2" Seedling Heat Mat. I own six of them: four for my grow station and my wife wanted two for her own plants.



Once the seeds sprout, I immediately turn on the grow lights because the third component of a plant's life is light.

I just use regular fluorescent bulbs in a shop light housing. If I was going to be growing these plants indoors I'd probably get special bulbs, but because this is just to give the plants a head start on the season, I just use regular cheap bulbs. And I use a timer so that they're getting 16 hours of light daily.

Just make sure the seeds never dry out because that will kill them off faster than anything.

Once the leaves sprout their first leaves -- not they're first "true" leaves, but those the ones that appear soon after they break through the seed casing -- I transplant them into seed growing containers. In the past I've used plastic six-pack containers that you get transplants in from the nursery or local garden center, but this year I'm trying a 72-cell tray. We'll see how that goes.

Mel's Mix
But my soil medium is one of my own creation: equal parts compost, sphagnum peat moss, and vermiculite.

For gardeners familiar with the Square Foot Gardening method popularized by Mel Bartholomew, that growing medium is what he recommends and is commonly referred to as "Mel's Mix." However, while he says to use at least 5 different kinds of compost to ensure a complete, well-balanced soil for your seeds, I simply use the compost I make from kitchen waste and yard debris that's aged and sifted.

Because of the varied components that end up in my compost bins -- it's not just grass clippings and leaves -- I think it possesses a wide range of nutrients. And that's it! I've given the seeds as beneficial an environment to grow in and now it's time to sit back and wait.

A seed starting medium alternative
Now with all that being said, if I don't have vermiculite on hand to get my seeds going, I have used sand and sawdust with great results. You might want to consider it as a cheaper alternative to Mel's Mix as well. The one caveat though in using sand and sawdust to grow plants in is that it's basically inert. It has no beneficial nutrients so you'll need to fertilize the plants, whether with commercial fertilizers or organic sources.

Again, I only use that as an alternative in case I don't have vermiculite, and only before I transplant the seedlings into "soil" to grow in. But it is possible to do so, and it represents a much more affordable medium.

Step-by-Step Guide to Starting Seeds

Everything you need to begin starting seeds indoors

Supplies:

8 oz. clear plastic cups
Vermiculite (or other grow medium)
Seed starting station
Light source, like shop lights
Hydrofarm heat mat (optional)
Drill
1/8" drill bit







Step 1: Stack plastic cups upside down and drill series of drainage holes in bottom of cups.

Step 2: Fill each cup almost to the top with vermiculite, tap lightly to settle. Write the name of the seeds you're growing on the side of the cup, and maybe even the date if you wish.

Step 3: Sprinkle seeds on top of vermiculite.

Step 4: Cover seeds with thin layer of vermiculite

Step 5: Give your seeds a drink of water (they've had enough when the vermiculite uniformly turns a different color).

Note the different color of the vermiculite
as the water wicks its way up

Step 6: Place on heat mat.

Step 7: Watch for first signs of growth, then immediately transfer to light

Step 8: When seeds have their first set of leaves, transfer to a soil-filled seedling tray

Resources: 

Hydrofarm MT10006 9-by-19-1/2-Inch Seedling Heat Mat




Jiffy 72 Cell Professional Seed Starting Tray

Adventures in Hot Water Heater Repair

Left unattended, this water heater rust and corrosion would have
become an expensive repair job.

Unless you're living off grid, immediately available hot water is pretty much taken for granted. Since I know my wife isn't so far along in her preparedness mindset that she'd willingly boil water to take a hot bath, when I saw my hot water heater at the Rugged Homestead had developed a very small leak -- almost imperceptible except for the persistent bit of wetness on top of the tank -- I figured I better take care of it sooner rather than later.

Previously I had seen some corrosion on top of the tank, and because it was an older model I figured they hadn't used dielectric fittings so that when two different metals touch -- in this case copper and steel -- you get corrosion. I had cleaned it up, but it came right back, and now I had a leak so I decided it was time to pull on my plumber's cap and tackle the job.

Except I'm no plumber and one time before when I had first bought the house, my plumbing "skillz" led to -- well let's say I have a whole new kitchen and upstairs bathroom as a result. So I got the skeptical eye from my wife when I said I was going to "fix" the hot water heater.

But this seemed a pretty straightforward job. I knew I would have to cut the copper pipe for the cold water and since I suck at soldering, I decided I would use the Shark Bite fittings that you just push into place. They grip the pipe with tiny teeth holding it in place -- hence the "Shark Bite" name -- and prevent leaks.

And just to spice things up I figured it would be a good time to change the anode rod as well.

What your anode rod should look like, and what it probably does.
Image source: Arico Plumbing Heating Cooling

The anode rod's purpose is to corrode. Seriously. Since you have a steel tank, the water would want to corrode it, so manufacturers insert a sacrificial rod into the tank whose sole function is to attract the corrosion, drawing it away from your tank. They should probably be replaced every 5 years or so, and I know mine hadn't been changed in the 7+ years I've owned the house. I could hazard a guess it hadn't been replaced by the previous owner either and I was up to the task, particularly after viewing some YouTube videos on water tank maintenance and repair.

That's when I discovered it would probably be a good think to check on and replace my dip tube too.

The dip tube is where the cold water pipe enters into the tank and it takes the cold water to the bottom where it gets heated up. The hot water rises and then exits the tank through the hot water pipes. If you notice it takes a long time for your water to heat up, it's probably because your dip tube broke. The cold water it entering the tank at the top, and then staying there. It takes a while for the hot water that's been heated to make it to the outlet. Repair your dip tube and you should get hot water more quickly.

And this is what causes problems? This plastic tube shuttles
cold water from the top of the tank to the bottom

And since I was already going to be removing the connection where the cold water was, why not repair the dip tube at the same time?

Well, because no one sells those parts locally. Home Depot and Lowe's don't sell them, and the local hardware stores don't either. Finally one told me that because I have an A.O. Smith heater (supposedly a good brand) they tend to use parts unique to them. I'd have to find a parts distributor. Yeah good luck with that.

In the end, after a lot of Internet searching, I found SupplyHouse.com. They had the best prices on the parts, very reasonable shipping rates, and best of all an overnight guarantee. I placed my order at 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m. I got an email saying my order had shipped, and at 12:30 p.m Thursday, UPS dropped them on my front porch. that's quick turnaround time!

So then it was off to Home Depot to get the Shark Bite parts. I was expecting a lot of small pieces would be needed, but it turns out all that was necessary was a dielectric nipple, a length of shark Bite flexible hose, and a Shark Bite 3/4"x1/2" male fitting.

Building codes require water lines be 3/4" now. My house being older has 1/2" pipes. With those three parts though (and some $35 later) I was ready to go.

I started with the anode rod, figuring that was easiest and it was. I sprayed some Freeze-Off onto the nut that held the anode rod in place because I assumed it had been rusted in place (and I was right). Using a 1-1/16" socket, I attached a length of black pipe to my ratchet as a breaker bar and was able to muscle it loose without moving the water heater and bending the supply lines.

Once removed, it was a simple thing to replace it with the new one. I wrapped some teflon tape around the threads and screwed it into place.

Job 1 complete!

Onto the more difficult task of cutting the copper pipe. Not that it's hard to do with a tube cutter, but it's one of those irreversible decisions you make once you get started. Once you've severed the line you have to see the job through till the end.

Fortunately it was again a lot easier than I'd feared. The nut and old nipple easily came out so that after a bit of clean up of the threads I had the new nipple installed. It was then a quick matter to attach the hose and the reducer fitting and slide it onto the copper pipe. Viola!

A little baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and elbow grease.
Ain't perfect but it's better than before. And no more leak!

I then spent some time cleaning up the top of the water heater from the rust and corrosion that was present. Using hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, I made a paste, applied it, and let it set for about 15 minutes before coming back and scrubbing. It didn't look like new, but certainly looked a heckuva lot better than it did.

And that was when I realized I forgot to install the dip tube!

So I backed out the nipple and peered in. The old dip tube looked good as far as I could see, which really wasn't very far at all. And it didn't easily lend itself to coming out as it was set down inside. Since I wanted to use the new tube I'd bought the only thing I could do was push the old remnants (presumably) of the tube down inside the tank. Not an optimal solution, but not a problem either.

The new tube slid right in, I attached the nipple once more, and turned on the water. No leaks! Success. I could face my wife with a bit of manly swagger in my step.

It turns out it was a much easier repair than I anticipated. There was a lot of waiting around for the tank to drain (you should do that once a year anyway) and wrenching the rusted nuts off was a bit of a chore but not impossible. In all, a job that anyone with reasonable handyman skills can readily accomplish in a relative short amount of time.

Now I just gotta wait for the tank to fill up with hot water so my wife can take that hot bath.

The 2015 Rugged Homestead Garden Starts in Earnest

The Rugged Homestead garden circa Spring, 2014

It's not even the end of January, but here at the Rugged Homestead we're already beginning our 2015 vegetable garden. We've completed the planning of what we're going to grow where, and how much of each vegetable to plant. Now we're diving headfirst into starting the seeds!

No, it's not too early for us here, even though we live in northern New Jersey and there's a forecast for snow overnight (and a heavier snowfall predicted for the weekend too!). Our first seeds of 2015 are onions, and they need a lot of time to get going and now's the time to start!

I found this neat planting calendar at Margaret Roach's A Way to Garden that plugs in your seed starting time for all your vegetables based on your estimated Last Frost Date (LFD). Sure, there are a lot of calendars out there that help you count back, but this one calculates the dates for you. Yeah, I'm easily pleased by things like that.

For my area I determined my LFD was Apr. 29 and the calculator said onions can be sown indoors beginning Jan. 21 to Feb. 11. So here we are on Jan. 21, and I've got my seeds soaking in water to give them a head start (I'll discuss my seed starting/growing methods in another post).

Walla Walla onion seeds presoaking to give them a head start

Last year was my first year with a pretty sizable garden: two beds 4-foot wide by 16-feet long, or 144 square feet. That's big for me. Up until three years ago all I had was a simple 4'x4' plot. Then two years ago I tripled its size with three 4'x4' plots. I was going to double it again last year going for six 4'x4' plots, but having stumbled upon a garden system known as the Mittleider Gardening Method, I decided to build my garden following those methods.

After building my raised-bed garden I ended up not using the system because it's not organic (it relies upon commercial fertilizers for its super-abundant production), but I kept the beds and have melded it into the Square Foot Gardening method popularized by Mel Bartholomew that I typically follow.

Because it was such a hybrid system last year -- and I was also battling ravenous groundhogs for a good half of the year -- my success was somewhat middling. This year I am to achieve greater success and document more of my efforts, both here and in my garden journal.

And this entry is the first step in that effort. Along the way I'll also be discussing my efforts at turning my home into a homestead as we strive towards creating a more sustainable future. I hope you'll come along for the journey.