Spring has sort of sprung, and most of us are pondering and hoping we know where this year's garden-planning expedition is taking us. True to form, we've all perused the seed catalogs in front of the woodstove or fireplace during the icy-cold cabin fever days of January and early February. We may have even taken the time to map out so very carefully our personal garden or income-earning plots for vegetables, salads, salsa, flowers or herbs. Yet we find ourselves awaiting the opening of the local nurseries and greenhouses in order to purchase the starter plants we need to make our 2008 garden dreams and goals happen. Big question at hand would be: Why wait?

It doesn't matter if you're a "pot on the deck" enthusiast, plan to stock up on your garden harvest by canning, freezing or dehydrating for the family pantry, or are intending to sell some of your harvested products commercially. It's just a given that you can keep the momentum of your gardening intentions alive and flowing (and be well-ahead of the game) by germinating your own seeds on your own place, and then transforming the seedlings into starter plants ready to transplant in your garden when the air and soil temperature in your region are ready to welcome them and help them to flourish. Not only will you be able to reap the rewards of the seeds you sow now, but you can pick and choose the seed varieties—and the amount of each variety—you really want to plant.

Plus, given the continuously accelerating fuel prices (which have impacted the commercial greenhouses immensely in their ability to produce starter plants at a fair market price), you've got a shot at saving some mega-bucks doing it on your own. But, before we talk about how to go about this now, let me explain how things have changed since I first shared information on this very same subject way back around the turn-of-the-new-millennium eight years ago.

At that time Jimmie and I at Timberlakes Farm in the Missouri Ozarks operated our own very large greenhouse where we germinated in excess of 30,000 veggie and herb seeds which eventually became starter plants for our commercial fields (the harvest from which was sold to upscale dining houses and restaurants throughout the season). I am sure I recommended that anyone who needed 200 or fewer plants was probably better off purchasing starter plants at a local greenhouse or nursery mainly because those folks were experts at that endeavor and also because the price was soft (four to six plants for $1) in comparison to starting your own greenhouse operation.

However, times have changed and that information no longer holds true. Because of the constant fuel hikes over the ensuing years, the cost of heating commercial nursery-size greenhouses (usually with propane) has become prohibitive, and so has the cost of powering up the necessary fans to keep the greenhouse(s) well-ventilated. In addition, the cost of the necessary plastic supplies (flats and flat inserts) have more than doubled and the price of potting soil mixes have also soared—because these are considered petroleum-based products. These costs are of course passed on to the buyer by nursery owners—those who are still in business, that is. I know of three who've had to drop out over the past few years because the operations became less than economically feasible for them. This has raised the cost to well over $1 per plant in some instances. For this reason, whether you need one or a thousand starter plants, you're far better off starting your own plants from seed at home.

While starting your own plants from seed may seem like a tall order, it's actually a fairly simple and straight-forward practice—as long as you get a handle on the elements necessary for success.

What you need to get started

First of all, here's what you'll need to get started: Seeds, potting soil, some sort of vessel with compartments (and adequate drainage) to place your seeds, a fairly warm place to set them, a heat source from underneath, a sunny spot for overhead light and warmth, plus water.

Seeds

Seeds are perhaps the most critical element contributing to whether or not you end up with a successful starter plant and the best advice that I can offer is to make a point of buying quality seeds from a reputable seed house or dealer.

Get creative! You don’t need a fancy, expensive setup to start your seeds. An old car is used as a mini-greenhouse, where it's bright, warm, and protected from the elements. Barbara Douglas stated white paint worked better at keeping the hot sun out than the plastic she first tried (pictured).

You'll often see seed packets on sale that go for 10/$1 and these really should carry signage that reads "Buyer beware" since frequently, they are outdated and/or over-dried.

While some of last year's seeds may germinate successfully, it's kind of a Russian roulette as to whether they will mature successfully into quality plants.

Some outdated seeds are just duds and never pop their little seedling heads through the top of the potting soil. Others may start for you and then, for no good reason at all, just peter out. The problem is the time that's invested (and wasted) while you watch and wait to see if you've got a viable product. By the time you realize that you don't—and never are going to have—a viable plant, it's often too late to re-start the entire process as you need about six to eight weeks from seed to garden transplant time. Always check the back of the seed packet for a date. If it doesn't have a date stamp don't purchase those seeds. And if the packet carries a date stamp that goes beyond the past six months, don't buy those either.

My best advice (and our practice) is to purchase seeds from a reputable seed company. Generally, these seed houses send out catalogs and then you can order your seeds straight from the catalog either by mail, phone or often over the Internet.

The main thing is that these seed companies are solely in the business of producing and selling quality seeds and depend upon satisfying their customers in order to stay in business.

Plus, should you run into any snags, they not only stand behind their product but usually have trained professionals on staff who can give you suggestions and advice over the phone if you run into any problems (from seed on through the entire garden/harvest process). While the cost of small seed packets from these companies may seem a bit pricey at first, if you check the number of seeds against the packet price, they're generally pretty competitive with the cost of seed packets that are available at many of the discount super stores (which often cost less per packet, but contain fewer seeds).

Potting/germination soil

Getting a quality workable potting soil in which to germinate your plants comes in as a close second on the list of "musts." Shy away from purchasing the bags that are sitting in front of the local grocery store entrance—those that are on sale for "too cheap to be real." (To make your own "soilless" potting soil, see the recipe at the end of this article. — Ed.)

These cheaper potting soils will, in fact (and I know because I've been there during a personal greenhouse emergency on a Memorial Day holiday when everybody else was closed), allow your seeds to germinate. However, because the soil is not loose enough and does not permit proper aeration, these on-sale varieties have a tendency to eventually lock up around the tender roots of the seedlings and technically suffocate them during the maturing process.

Because these small bags (generally the size of a 10# bag of potatoes) of "muck" run about $3-4, my advice would be buy one large bag of top quality potting/germinating soil (such as a MetroMix variety) at a reliable nursery.

If your local nursery doesn't carry the MetroMix brand, just explain what you need: a potting soil that will germinate your seeds and support your seedlings to garden-transplant maturity, and they no doubt have something you need on hand. (If you're lucky, they'll sell you a sack at their wholesale cost!) These large bags (weighing in at around 50 pounds) which will handle about 500 germination-to-starter plants runs about $10-11 these days.

While one bag may probably be more than you'll need for a home garden, this type of germination/potting soil will get the job done from start to finish.

And because these quality types of potting/germination soil are of the proper light consistency, are appropriately aerated and also include time-released fertilizers and supplements, you can place any overage into your garden plot.

Containers for germinating and seedlings

Commercial plastic flats

Plastic flats and their inserts (we use 1204s, which yield 48 plants per flat) are still probably the best way to go. Yet, they're getting pretty pricey these days, petroleum-based as they seem to be.

You can purchase them wholesale/bulk by the 50-lot (which would yield around 2,500 plants) for much less than the one-per price, but unless you have a whole bunch of friends who can split the cost with you (or if you want to be set with a lifetime supply), you're better off just purchasing a few at a local greenhouse or nursery. For 100 plants, buy three flats and three 1204s, which should run you less than $10 and will give you allowance for some extra plants (and some non-germination goof-ups). While most larger commercial venues discard the 1204s each year (and often the flats themselves), you can save these, dip them into a water/bleach solution each year and re-use them. Your $10 initial expense can last about three years or even more. If the $10 is hard to come by, check in again with your local nursery. See if they have some used flats/inserts they're going to discard and ask them (or politely beg if you must) if you can take that surplus off their hands for little to nothing. Then, take them home, bleach them and get started.

Often, as with the potting/germination soil, they'll just sell you a few and pass on their wholesale/lot cost discount.

Egg cartons

You can always use used egg cartons (cardboard or Styrofoam) for ideal germinating vessels. They're ready-made, compartmentalized, and they're just about the right depth for germinating your seeds. Simply poke a hole in the bottom of each to allow for drainage and set them on a baking pan to collect that drainage, and you're ready to get started.

However, if you use this method, understand that at some point when the seedlings begin to mature, you will have to transplant them into a larger container. If you have some old plant pots around, they will do fine for this transplanting purpose. If you don't, go to the nearest discount store and pick up some Styrofoam cups (like for a picnic) and poke holes in the bottom for drainage (place a pan or something underneath these, too), and you'll do just fine.

Bottom heat

No matter what anybody tells you, it's not just the sun shining overhead that transforms the seeds you plant into healthy starter plants. There's a lot to be said about the heat underneath the pots that keeps their little roots nice and cozy, especially during those days of germination. (Of course, you'll still want the sun shining from above.)

In our commercial operation at here at Timberlakes, Jim and I have devised a seeding table which can handle about 50 flats at a time. It's simply a flat table lined with heating cables that are connected to a thermostat and topped with sand.

It won’t be long before your tiny seedlings are producing a bountiful harvest.

This has lasted us for over 15 years with no replacements, except for a little new sand topping each year, which we can get and strain from the water's edge. While it has proven to be a successful investment for starting out 25-30,000 plants for the field, it's hardly worth the time or trouble for quite the lesser amounts. Depending on the number of plants you plan to start from seed, a heating pad or heating blanket placed on a shelf or table would work just as well.

If you use this method, place the heating pad (or blanket) on a table or shelf in front of a window where the seeds/plants will receive sunshine (heat) from above. Then, on top of the heating pad or blanket, place some baking sheets on which your seeding flats, pots, or egg cartons can drain. Do not place the seeding vessels directly on these heating pads where water will drain onto them—that's an electrical hazard just waiting to occur. Right before you get ready to seed, turn on the heat of your heating pad (or blanket) and place the baking sheets on top, allowing the pads to heat up the baking sheet surface from underneath and the sun to heat it from overhead. Once everything is toasty warm, prepare your seed germination vessels, set them in place, water/or mist them, and you're ready to give them a great start to life.

Find a sunny spot

Before you begin the process of starting seeds from scratch, you'll want to find a spot in your home, porch or wherever, that gets the best shot at overhead sun for the maximum hours of daylight. If your home is anything like ours, you may find that sunny overhead spot, but also discover that even though it gets a maximum amount of daylight, the space surrounding it is pretty chilly. While the seeds are germinating, this is not really the biggest issue because you have the heat from the heating pad and sun. But when the seedlings poke above the potting soil, the slightest chill can wreck them. So, during this period (one to two weeks) you'll need to circulate some heat in that area, whether it comes from a small energy efficient space heater or circulatory fan heat from your woodstove.

After the plants have about four to six real leaves and are flourishing, you'll want to cut down on the heat supply anyway, underneath and sometimes overhead. You may have to put netting or a sheer curtain over the window during the hottest time of the day, so you're not looking at a long haul for this space heat supply.

Water

From the time before your seeds are even planted to the time they're ready to be transplanted into your garden, water is an integral part of the process. So ensure beforehand that you have a water supply ready and available. First you will want to soak the potting soil in the compartmentalized containers where your seeds will be germinated. You can accomplish this by placing the potting soil in the containers and then soaking them down by hose, watering can, in a bathtub, or even a kitchen sink. The main goal here is to get the soil soaked all the way through and allow it to drain off.