Giving your seedlings enough light is an important step in successful seed starting. Since most people do not have access to a greenhouse, they need additional light.  I use everyday shop fixtures with energy efficient fluorescent bulbs.

Hang lights with an adjustable chain so that they can be raised and lowered as necessary. The goal is to have the lights about  two inches above the growing plants. Light is critical in these first weeks of growth. If a seedling is searching for light it will become spindly and weak. A tall, thin seedling will never be as healthy or productive as a short stocky dark-green seedling.

Lights should be replaced before they burn out or show darkening on the edges. Use them for other lighting, but not for seedlings. If you notice plants not responding well to light, replace the bulbs.

I always use a potting soil with certified organic compost or worm castings in the mix. This is not a sterile mix, which is what is normally recommended. However, it is alive with microorganisms that feed your baby seedlings for up to the first six weeks of growth.

Typical components of a organic seed starting mix are the following:

Peat Moss or Coir (waste product from coconut production)
Perlite or Vermiculite – for drainage/aeration
Sometimes Yucca (if soil dries out, this helps the peat to reabsorb moisture)
Compost/ worm castings or a mixture of organic dry fertilizers.

You can purchase organic seed starting mixes at almost all local nurseries in Chicago. The selection increases every year.

This year, I am using a combination of two local/regional soil mixes. The local mix is 50% coir and 50% worm castings from Growing Power. The other is Purple Cow that is peat, vermiculite, perlite, organic fertilizers, and compost.

Want to make your own mix? Do not use backyard compost or garden soil for seed starting. Worm castings though are a perfect addition to a sterile seed starting mix. Generally people recommend adding 30% worm castings to your mix. If you are using your own worm castings avoid adding vegetable scraps with seeds. Otherwise, you will have random plants germinating and may not be able to identify your seedlings from the others. This is particularly an issue with tomato seeds in worm compost, since tomatoes are one of the favorites to start indoors.

Moisten Soil Mixes before planting. It should be like a wrung-out sponge, moist but not dripping.  Use room temperature water that has set overnight to off-gas the chlorine in the water. I keep a pitcher of water close by to use for watering seedlings.

Photo by Patricia Evans

As some of you know, I started my professional life as a librarian so it gives me pleasure to see public libraries serving the needs of our changing, churning society. The New York Times covers why libraries have not gone the way of the postal service: “In upstate New York, the Library Farm in Cicero, part of the Northern Onondaga Public Library, lends out plots of land on which patrons can learn organic growing practices.” Just how cool is that? Got your library card ready to garden?

The Kitchen Gardener is very pleased to announce a new partner: Kirsten Akre.

Kirsten Akre has over twenty years of experience connecting youth and adults to food and nature through community gardening. Most recently, Kirsten managed the Chicago Park District’s Kilbourn Park Organic Greenhouse where she grew over 20,000 seedlings for the annual heirloom plant sale, developed the outdoor spaces into a community and children’s garden, and expanded its educational programming. She previously managed the demonstration garden and volunteer programs at the Garfield Park Conservatory and worked on the Resource Center’s Turn A Lot Around community gardening program. She developed her love of nature while exploring the mountains of Montana with her family and at her grandparents’ farm in Minnesota. Kirsten is thrilled to take her knowledge and passion to support and enhance edible landscaping and organic vegetable gardening through her position at The Kitchen Gardener.