Starting Plants from Seeds

Starting plants from seeds. To some people, it seems easy. “Just put a seed in the ground, water it, and it grows. What’s so hard about that?”

I actually heard that come out of someone’s mouth on national television, and they weren’t kidding. In fact, it was a man who then became “President” of the United States. Maybe you heard him say it, too, like I did. At the time, I was an occasional gardener, certainly not a professional grower or a farmer, and yet I felt insulted. It made me angry.

If you’ve ever tried starting plants from seed, you know how difficult it can be. It’s much easier to buy a seedling plant at the local nursery and plant it, than it is to buy seeds, plant them, and expect them to turn into vegetables.

I have had some success growing from seeds, so I thought I’d give it a try again for the fall.

Make a Plan for Fall, Starting Plants from Seed

First, I created a plan for my fall garden, based on good companion planting. I have two raised beds: 4×8 and 3.5×12 feet. This drawn out plan is rough, I know. But, at least it’s a plan.

Some of these plants are recommended to sew seeds straight into the ground, and others, in starter pots indoors. I’m NOT an expert yet (this is being written in October of 2022), but you can follow along with my progress.

Starting Seedlings Indoors

To start some seedlings indoors, I filled small plant pots with potting soil. Here you can see the brand I used, the texture of it, and all my pots, filled and ready to receive seeds. All the seeds were planted in the same potting soil. I’ve used other soils and peat starter squares, and these plastic pots seem to work better for me.

Staying Organized when Starting Plants from Seeds

Once the pots were filled, I made these handy little signs to label each plant. Starting by cutting 10-inch wooden skewers in half, and cutting note cards into 4 pieces. Since these are staying inside, I used paper.

When planting the seeds, I planted only one type at a time. All cauliflower seeds were planted in this set, and labeled, before I moved on to the next. I planted two seeds in each pot of each type.

My Results when Starting Plants from Seeds

Because I’ve had some experience starting plants from seeds, I know that not all the seeds will come up. So, I planted a few extras.

But, then even less came up than I expected.

I kept them “evenly moist,” so I thought, and followed the depth listed on the seed package, and planted them at the right time of year for a fall garden in my area. I am in Zone 8A in Texas, and planted these October 1st.

But, I still had issues.

First, the ones that did come up were getting “leggy,” meaning they were getting long and falling over. I got some advice which confirmed my suspicions that they needed more light. I’m using lights that are not full-spectrum lights; they’re just what I had on hand. These plants are about 5 feet from the window in the room.

Also, I had been giving them too much water.

So, I added more soil around the base of each seedling plant to hold it up, and to help dry it out. And, I began to water from the bottom only, and less often.

But, mold began to grow on top of the new dry soil.

So, I flicked the moldy soil away from the stems, lovingly added more dry soil, and am currently watering even less often, still from the bottom only. But, the plants are really small, and it’s been almost a month since I planted the seeds.

Am I doing it right? I have no idea.

And, it’s taking a really long time to experiment with the “best” advice from the internet. I’m a perfect example of someone who needs to take a homesteading class in growing homegrown foods. I’m determined to learn, so I’m creating the class with the help of experts. You can learn with me!

No matter what size and shape of your chosen garden bed area, building the bed foundation with the right ingredients is key. You can learn how to start a garden bed now with this FREE guide.

Since writing this, I have planted the seedlings in my garden beds. Soon, I’ll let you know how they’re doing in this crazy Texas weather! Stay tuned . . .

Strength. Empowerment. Freedom!