- With the right know-how, you can grow your own plants from seed.growing plant image by Bartlomiej Nowak from Fotolia.com
Growing plants from seed can be a complicated and difficult task. Some seeds need certain conditions to germinate, while others take a certain amount of time to sprout. Plants can't tell you what they need, so experimentation often enters into the mix. Growing plants successfully takes time, patience and plenty of research. - Plants grow and thrive in certain temperatures. Knowing which zone you live in helps determine what kinds of plants you should be growing. Zone hardiness maps show different growth zones through colors and numbers. The maps indicate the lowest average winter temperatures in an area, with the highest-numbered zones being the warmest. For instance, if you live in zone 7, you'll have a hard time growing tropical fruit, since the temperature there goes below zero degrees Fahrenheit. You'd have a much easier time growing squash, corn, apples and cherries in that area. Tropical fruits grow best in zones 9, 10 and 11, because the temperature in these zones never goes much below 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Correct soil pH and moisture can help your plants thrive, while adverse conditions will kill them. Most plant seed packets are marked with the plant's needs. For instance, most evergreens prefer acidic, well-drained soils. These plants may need some evergreen or peat moss fertilizer to make the soil acidic enough. Sand mixed with the soil helps it drain. Moisture-loving plants might like a spot next to a water feature or may require a drip irrigation system. Fruit trees love a nitrogen-rich fertilizer and moist, well-drained feet. Fertilizer spikes can be a godsend when it comes to caring for your plants. Most spikes are named for the plants they fertilize, such as evergreen, fruit, tropical flowering or rose.
- Some seeds, such as cherries and other cold-weather fruits, require a cold season to germinate. Wrap these seeds in a paper towel and slip them into a plastic bag. Put the bag in a refrigerator drawer for about three months. When they crack open and begin to sprout, they're ready to plant.
Seeds of all kinds often thrive if you start them indoors and transplant them outside in the spring. Fill seed flats with potting soil formulated for your particular seeds. Sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil or poke a finger into the soil to make little seed wells. Cover the seeds with a light blanket of soil and water them until the soil is moist, but never soggy. Even if your seeds love wet feet, young plants drown easily. Grow lights, a sunny window or even fluorescents should work well as lighting.
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