Sow like a pro! Grow your seeds indoors to get them ready for spring planting

Growing a garden can help you connect to nature, get more outdoor exercise and reduce stress. As part of the City’s Urban Agricultural Strategy, activities like growing your own food, tending to community gardens and supporting local farmers markets, are critical as they provide access to healthy food to improve a community’s well-being and overall health. Urban agriculture empowers residents to learn new skills about growing and harvesting produce to combat food insecurity, while helping to decrease the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with food production to create more climate-resilient communities.

A great way to do this in your own backyard is to use native plants, like Swamp Milkweed, Blue-stemmed Goldenrod, Fox Sedge or others to create a rain garden that will absorb excess rainwater to prevent flooding and beautify your home. And you can support pollinators like bees, butterflies, beetles and hummingbirds by planting varieties of flowers and plants that they prefer.

Start your seeds off is six to eight weeks before the last frost—which is around the last weekend in May. Start your indoor planting in March or April, to give your plants the best chance to thrive outdoors. Planting seeds are a great option as they are less expensive than purchasing young plants.

Getting started

Before you start growing, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind:

• Seeds: different varieties of seeds have different requirements. Read the seed packet to see what temperature, light and amount of watering is required. Need seeds? Try the Mississauga Seed Library for free access to open-pollinated and non-GMO seeds.
• Soil: choose a seed starter soil mixture to help seeds get the nutrients they need to grow. Avoid using standard potting soil, as it may be too heavy and could stop your seedlings from maturing.
• Container: choose small plastic pots, seedling trays or peat pots instead of clay pots for seedlings, to ensure the right level of moisture. Label your containers so you remember what you have planted.
• Watering: use a spray bottle to mist your seedlings to avoid overwatering.
• Light: seedlings can require up to 14 hours of light per day. Place your pots near a window or purchase an indoor plant light to control the amount of light the seedlings receive.

Interested in growing vegetables at home? Check out this article on tips and tricks to get the best harvest from your garden.

Planting your indoor seeds

You can speed up the germination of your seeds by covering the containers with a plastic sheet or a dome. Just make sure to remove this covering once you see the seeds sprouting up through the soil.

The most important thing to remember when growing seeds is to be patient. It could take a few weeks to see progress, so make sure to start your seeds early and plant more than you need, as you may lose some seedlings during the growing process.

Moving your seedlings outdoors

Seedlings need to slowly get used to the climate outdoors before you transplant them. This process is called hardening off. Bring your seedlings outdoors for a few hours a day and keep a close watch to make sure that they aren’t spending too much time in either direct sun or shade.

Once your seedlings can tolerate outdoor temperatures, it’s time to get planting. Make sure to plant your seedlings in nutrient-rich soil and water as required. Read your seed package to confirm if your seedlings need full or partial sunlight and pick an optimal spot for them to grow.

Is your garden prepped and ready for planting? Check out this article to make sure you garden is ready to start growing and thriving.

Whether you are looking to eat more fresh fruits and veggies, get your family involved in a green activity or want to support local pollinators by planting native species, now is the time to get started.

Tags

• Climate Change
• Parks and Forestry
• Things to Do