(Diana here: Of all the articles sorted through for this week, good old Farmer’s Almanac seemed to have everything anyone could need in one spot.)
Seed Starting 101: Get Growing Now!
Hello, gardeners! Ready to get growing? You’ve come to the right place!
Starting vegetable seeds indoors is a great way to get a jump on the season and extend your harvest. If you live in a location with a very short growing season (like we do in Maine), starting your seeds ahead of time is a must in order to have a diverse garden full of crops like tomatoes, peppers, or squash.
There are other great reasons to start your seeds a few months ahead. You’ll save money by buying seeds rather seedlings, you’ll have a wider selection of plants to grow, and you’ll give yourself a little bit more control over the germination of your plants to avoid potential climate or pest interruptions. Don’t be intimidated—seed starting is easy with these steps.
Get Started—It’s Easy
To get started you’ll want to choose the vegetables you plan to grow and purchase or gather the supplies you need. You don’t need a fancy high tunnel greenhouse or expensive supplies to start your vegetables.
Make Sure Your Seedlings Have…
A safe, warm, dray place away from drafts and pets to put your seeds before they move to the window. A south-facing or sunny window with a large ledge or a space to put a table in front.
Potting soil that you trust. You want one that has a light, loamy texture with a blend of vermiculite. Try to avoid buying a mix that is reinforced with synthetic fertilizers if you want your plants to have an organic start.
Pots and plant trays. You can find these materials at any garden store or you can recycle materials like yogurt containers, egg shells, egg cartons, or cut-off milk cartons. You can even use TP tubes! You want to make sure that your starter containers are at least 2-3 inches wide and 2-3 inches deep.
Continues here:
https://www.farmersalmanac.com/seed-starting-101-12003
My onions are in flats that I put our on the porch every day it is above freezing, once they have sprouted.
I keep them in until they sprout then work on hardening them off right from the get go.