Do you start plants from seed indoors?

I usually start basil seeds indoors in late February. Everything else I winter sow.

I start several vegetables, most especially tomatoes, indoors in newspaper pots. Gets them off to an early start without transplant shock.

This message was edited Mar 14, 2011 11:17 AM

Tomatoes, Peppers and Basil this year.

I start tomatoes and peppers indoors ... just put them in yesterday.

This message was edited Mar 14, 2011 9:26 AM

I have bare places in my yard so I start annuals, perennials mostly.

I start veg AND annual flowers. Why am I only allowed one category?

I think because they have limited space for answers. Good thing we get to vent here! LOL

Living in Iceland we have to start most seeds indoors, in my windows now are tomato plants, sweet peppers, jalepeno peppers, melons, lemon plants, squash, cucumbers, bazil, goosberries and annual flowers.

208 Tomatoes and 65 bell peppers, inside under fluorescent lights! No damping off...

This message was edited Mar 14, 2011 1:33 PM

And here we have it.

Last year I started Tomatoes and Zucchini indoors, but once I mored them out side they died. This year I think I'll try buying some already started and see if I do better.

I have been mainly hopeless in the seed starting department. I don't have a greenhouse and am not good at the hardening off business. Even when I do succeed, my puny little seedlings often just don't compare to the robust teenagers available in the nurseries, and I end up buying starts anyway. I've reconciled myself to letting the greenhouse folks do my seed starting for me. That said, I am trying winter sowing this year on a few flower seeds as an experiment, and also plan some direct sowing of easy things like dill, basil, cilantro, some annuals.

I try every year but end of losing them to damp off always.

On that note I do have to say the Hyacinth Beans and the Castor beans I started are doing great. Have most of the hyacinth bean in a container with a 6 foot trellis and they are climbing up it already. The castor beans I think I should get into individual containers real quick, but then I've been thinking that for over a week now and still have done nothing about it. I know procrastination.....

Since I am retired, I have been starting seeds indoors.

I start broccoli, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, cantaloupes, cockscomb,nasturstiums, and morning glory.

If I start anything from seed, it's OUTDOORS in a large tub... if something is so sensitive it requires germinating indoors I don't want it.

I've tried for several years to start plants indoors, they get so big and then die. I will not do it anymore, will put seeds outdoors, and hope they will come up.

Annual and perinneal flowers, tomatoes, odd seeds that I collect and wonder if they will grow. The rest get planted in the garden or outdoors. Luciee {;^)

I answered annuals but the truth is that I start many things from seed. If I can't get it as a plant but can get the seeds I go for it! And down here there really isn't any "indoors" or "winter sowing" seed starting. I start them all outdoors. If it's going to get unusually cold them I move them up by the sliding glass door on the back porch & they won't frost or freeze there. The hardest time to start seeds here is the dead of summer. It's purely viscious here then so I will wait for the weather to cool a bit.

Really would of liked to pick more than one button!
I winter sow , start some veggies and most annuals inside.

I voted no because it is MY WIFE who sows the seed. Not me. We've been married 46 years and she has started seeds every year. All kinds of seed: annuals, perennials, herbs, vegetables, shrubs, trees, cactus, succulents. Some are started in the greenhouse but a lot are started right here in the house under lights . When they get a little size to them they are moved out to the greenhouse.

I've started a small variety of things indoors with some success and some failure LOL. It can be a challenge thinking ahead enough that it really works out! Like now- I better get on the tomatos this week. Luckily I started my Datura on Jan 1 - they took 4-5 weeks to sprout!

There was no way to tick more than one answer!

I start a variety of annuals, perennials, vegetables, and herbs inside. I made a seed starting rack for myself out of a 5 shelf wire shelving unit since I can't afford my own greenhouse. So far this year I have about 18 varieties of peppers, 11 of tomato, 4 kinds of basil, a mixed bag of lettuce, dill, cilantro, 3 kinds of petunias, some hollyhocks, and some foxglove growing. I'll be moving the petunias, hollyhocks, foxglove, dill and cilantro and lettuce out to the cold frame to start hardening off this weekend.

My husband grows annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs under lights. We plant them outside in May. I grow the basil and I grow the dahlia tubers. We've had as many as 3,000 plants growing downstairs but now we're closer to a mere 1,000.

How many of you guy's are in the Nursery buiness?

I'm not...just like the challenge of getting from a seed to an 8" robust, healthy seedling.

I actually find I'm enjoying starting the seeds more than growing the plants....

I am not--I like to have something green to care for when its still cold outside, seedlings grow fast and its nice to watch the changes,-- and the image of saving a few pennies.

No business for us either.

I agree with Gymgirl and Sally. There's a great satisfaction in growing from seeds as well as the thought we can grow plants not available commercially.

I'm not. I just love plants and growing things. My interests lie in this direction. Luciee

We all know, that the garden can be a way to save money at the supermarket each week. We also know that if we start our own plants from seed, they will cost a small fraction of the price that we would pay for "green house" plants.

Last year, I purchased a large number of seed from the "Seed Savers Exchange". In the hopes that my limited growing space would produce a bountiful supply of vegetables for at least the summer, even if I did not figure out how to properly store them for the winter.

Fortunately, even though the seed is extremely old (did not get planted last year because of the cardiac event) I am getting a good propagation rate.

Have to date only started peas but the results make me hopeful of a good harvest later in the season,

Care to all - Dyson

I voted annuals.. because that is the bulk of my seed starting but do grow veggies & WS as well

Dyson, be sure and at least try the older seed. Many are still good for several years! Onion and parsley are two off hand I have read are NOT good for long term, but I've had succes with most other veg seed.

Dyson,
I participated in a whole thread on the veggie gardening forum that discussed using "old seeds." The germination rates were encouraging enough that I will never again not try, because I think a seed is too old.

I started 208 tomato seedlings in January. Approximately 75% of them were from seeds I saved in 2007-2008.

We used to buy sample packages for a quarter from https://www.artisticgardens.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=9b8d8f07a9754f5d4c113e9ecdc6c395

One package was basil and each year I'd plant two seeds. A few years ago either I did something wrong or the last two seeds failed. Gee whiz! Guess I better buy more to last me the rest of my life - scary!

Many older seeds really do work.

Trying seedlings under lights and winter sowing both this year.

Pirl, you and the hubby are organized inside and out!

This message was edited Mar 16, 2011 8:22 AM

Sheila - thanks. The seeds are so much fun. The daylily seeds were the most fun and were the most beautiful but we enjoy the tomatoes most of all.

I don't have the time right now to deal with starting seeds indoors. With the exception of a few things like tomatoes and peppers, most veggies can be started here by just planting seeds in the garden directly, same for many flowers. Some years I winter sow various flower seeds such as wildflowers and poppies directly on unprepared soil/grass, but I haven't done that the past few years due to knee and back problems.

I love starting seeds indoors--it gives me something to do during the long winter months here in Wisconsin. By mid January I'm getting my seed starting setup ready. I almost always plant too early. I have impatiens blooming indoors already.

I even keep a blog with my experiences and advice on seed starting.

http://petiolejunction.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/how-to-germinate-seeds-indoors/
http://petiolejunction.wordpress.com/2011/03/04/build-an-indoor-seed-starting-setup/

Right now I have pansies, petunias, culinary herbs, a ton of coleus and impatiens and a bunch of baby hostas growing under lights.

Winters here are so brief and mild and summers so taxing that when winter does come along I'm just thankful for a chance to rest and maybe get some much needed garden and yard maintenance done before we jettison into spring once more.

Impressive indoor 'garden', KaylyRed.

Seedling coleus just do not like me