Starting seeds indoors.

 

Between February and April it might still be cold outside for baby plants, so we'll start them indoors.

You will need:

a) A small container,

b) small rocks or gravel,

c) Some good soil or compost,

d) seeds of your chosen vegetable!

 

So,

Answering the most common questions:

Q: DO I NEED TO BUY POTS?? WHERE?! I DON'T HAVE MONEY FOR THIS!

A: You don't have to buy pots, you can also use small plastic cups or empty cans.

if you really want pots, get them from a garden centre, ask if they have spare ones to give away for free.

Q: WHERE DO I GET GRAVEL FROM??

A: From garden centres or pet shops, you can also just pick some small rocks in the street/parks/around or use egg shells, this are an excellent alternative as they also add calcium to the soil.

Q: COOL, HOW DO I START?

1. First make sure your pot (or can) has holes at the bottom for drainage, if it doesn't poke a few. Put some gravel or egg shells in the bottom of your pot and fill it with soil, see figure1

Q: HOW DEEP SHOULD I PLACE THE SEEDS??

2. Some say that seeds should be planted at a depth of three times the thickness of the seed. What I do is gently poke a hole in the ground up to my nail, so far it has worked.

Q: HOW MANY SEEDS DO I PUT!?

3. For chillies, tomato and lettuce, between 3 and 5 as not all will make it.

For sunflowers, just one.

Cover the seeds with soil.

Q: AND THEN?

4. Put them in a sunny window, water every two or three days, and watch it grow. When it's to big for the pot, transplant to a bigger pot.

Q: WHAT'S EASY TO GROW?

A: Particularly easy: chillies, lettuce, tomato. Lettuce being the quickest to grow, you get the sprouts just a few days after seeding which is quite exciting!

Off you go! now go and start a garden.