When to Start Growing Seeds Indoors for Your Garden
2022-02-22
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1February marks the halfway point of winter in the northern part of the world.
2With spring arriving soon, many people are dreaming of working in their gardens on warm, sunny days.
3Some gardeners like to start the growing season early.
4They can do this by growing plants from seed inside their home.
5It is important to know when to start growing your seeds indoors.
6The answer depends on where you live.
7Gardeners use the average last frost date in their area to help them know when to begin growing seeds.
8Frost is a thin layer of ice that forms on the ground when the air is cold.
9Some places have special groups that can provide such information.
10But there are also good online calculators that can tell you about frost dates, too.
11The small packets that seeds come in usually advise you to start seeds a given number of weeks before the last frost.
12The recommendation will differ depending on the seed type.
13After finding your start date, it is important to respect it.
14If you start too soon, plants likely will grow weak and struggle to do well.
15If you start too late, your harvest will be delayed.
16While you are waiting, find and prepare your growing containers.
17You can use things like recycled yogurt or egg containers.
18Each container should have a hole in the bottom for water to flow through.
19If you still have containers you used last year, make sure to disinfect them with a strong cleaning solution.
20Fill each container with a clean, moist, soilless seed-starting mix.
21Place one to four seeds in each cell, depending on the seed kind and size.
22Water the seeds as needed to keep the mix from drying out.
23Cover the seed containers tightly.
24Put them in a warm place out of direct sunlight.
25Heating mats placed under the trays will help the seeds develop more quickly.
26Be on the lookout for "damping off," a fungal disease that happens in cool, wet, dark areas.
27If you see a white layer on the soil's surface, remove it carefully and let the soil dry completely between watering again.
28One way to help avoid damping off is to direct the wind of a small fan toward the soil.
29The wind from the fan can help train young seedlings to withstand wind outside.
30The seedlings will become stronger as a result.
31When seedlings first appear, remove the covering and put containers by a sunny window.
32You can also put them under special lighting devices called grow lamps for 14 hours a day.
33Costly lamps are not necessary.
34Ordinary lights will work. Keep the light source no more than 5 to 10 centimeters above the plants, changing its height as the seedlings grow.
35If several seedlings sprout in each container, cut the weakest at the soil line using small scissors.
36The aim is to keep only one strong-looking plant per container section.
37If you let more than one seedling remain, the roots may become mixed together.
38The young plants might not survive.
39A week before the last frost date, begin to "harden off" plants by placing them outside for longer periods of time each day.
40Place them in a shady area protected from wind. Leave them there for one hour and then bring them back inside.
41Repeat the next day, but leave them out for two hours.
42Continue adding one hour of outdoor time each day for one week.
43By the end of the week, your plants will be prepared to survive and grow in your garden outside.
44I'm Ashley Thompson.
1February marks the halfway point of winter in the northern part of the world. With spring arriving soon, many people are dreaming of working in their gardens on warm, sunny days. 2Some gardeners like to start the growing season early. They can do this by growing plants from seed inside their home. 3It is important to know when to start growing your seeds indoors. The answer depends on where you live. Gardeners use the average last frost date in their area to help them know when to begin growing seeds. Frost is a thin layer of ice that forms on the ground when the air is cold. 4Some places have special groups that can provide such information. But there are also good online calculators that can tell you about frost dates, too. 5The small packets that seeds come in usually advise you to start seeds a given number of weeks before the last frost. The recommendation will differ depending on the seed type. 6After finding your start date, it is important to respect it. If you start too soon, plants likely will grow weak and struggle to do well. If you start too late, your harvest will be delayed. 7While you are waiting, find and prepare your growing containers. You can use things like recycled yogurt or egg containers. Each container should have a hole in the bottom for water to flow through. If you still have containers you used last year, make sure to disinfect them with a strong cleaning solution. 8Fill each container with a clean, moist, soilless seed-starting mix. Place one to four seeds in each cell, depending on the seed kind and size. Water the seeds as needed to keep the mix from drying out. 9Cover the seed containers tightly. Put them in a warm place out of direct sunlight. Heating mats placed under the trays will help the seeds develop more quickly. 10Be on the lookout for "damping off," a fungal disease that happens in cool, wet, dark areas. If you see a white layer on the soil's surface, remove it carefully and let the soil dry completely between watering again. 11One way to help avoid damping off is to direct the wind of a small fan toward the soil. The wind from the fan can help train young seedlings to withstand wind outside. The seedlings will become stronger as a result. 12When seedlings first appear, remove the covering and put containers by a sunny window. 13You can also put them under special lighting devices called grow lamps for 14 hours a day. Costly lamps are not necessary. Ordinary lights will work. Keep the light source no more than 5 to 10 centimeters above the plants, changing its height as the seedlings grow. 14If several seedlings sprout in each container, cut the weakest at the soil line using small scissors. The aim is to keep only one strong-looking plant per container section. If you let more than one seedling remain, the roots may become mixed together. The young plants might not survive. 15A week before the last frost date, begin to "harden off" plants by placing them outside for longer periods of time each day. Place them in a shady area protected from wind. Leave them there for one hour and then bring them back inside. Repeat the next day, but leave them out for two hours. Continue adding one hour of outdoor time each day for one week. By the end of the week, your plants will be prepared to survive and grow in your garden outside. 16I'm Ashley Thompson. 17Jessica Damiano wrote this story for The Associated Press. Ashley Thompson adapted it for VOA Learning English. 18________________________________________________________________ 19Words in This Story 20garden - n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown 21calculator - n. a small electronic device that is used for adding, subtracting, etc. 22packet - n. a small, thin package 23moist - adj. slightly or barely wet : not completely dry 24damp - adj. somewhat or slightly wet 25fungal - adj. relating to or caused by a fungus (fungus - n. any one of a group of living things (such as molds, mushrooms, or yeasts) that often look like plants but have no flowers and that live on dead or decaying things) 26fan - n. a machine or device that is used to move the air and make people or things cooler: 27sprout - v. to produce new leaves, buds, etc.