DATE:     2/22/01
WRITER:   Bob Polomski, Clemson Extension consumer horticulturist,
          (864) 656-2604
EDITOR:   Giles Singleton, (864) 656-3876

Start seeds indoors now, 
the easy way

     CLEMSON  - Planting seeds indoors weeks before the last 
frost is an annual rite of spring for many gardeners. This helps 
these vegetables get an early start on spring and a leg up on 
emerging weeds.  
     Waiting for the seeds to germinate is an exciting time, 
filled with anticipation; however, it is sometimes fraught with
disappointment, when after a month nothing is there but barren 
potting mix.  
     To avoid this feeling of helplessness and disappointment, 
you might try the sealed-lid seed-starting technique. This is a
fail-safe method for germinating seeds that allows you to see what 
the seeds are doing. It works for germinating large-seeded vegetables
like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and melons. 
     The materials for the sealed lid method include a small 
plastic container that has a clear or translucent plastic lid, 
such as a leftover margarine or whipped cream container, and a 
piece of paper towel about six inches square.
     Cut the paper towel into postage stamp-sized squares and 
place them on the inside of the lid. Wet each square towel with 
a few drops of water. Then, place one seed in the center of each
square.  
     For small seeds, picking them up may be a challenge. Break 
a toothpick, wet the jagged end, and touch the seed with it. The 
seed readily sticks to the end and can be easily deposited on 
the paper.
     Once you've placed the seeds on the lid, close the container 
using the lid as the floor and the container as a makeshift 
greenhouse. Then put the container on top of the refrigerator or 
some other out-of-the-way place.
     Depending on the seed, germination may take place in a few 
days, or it may take a week or more.  Every now and then inspect 
the seeds by looking through the underside of the lid for signs 
of the "seedling root" or radicle peeking through.
     Once you see the radicle, which is a sign that the seed 
is germinating, remove the container from the lid. Gently pluck 
the germinated seeds off the lid with tweezers and plant them 
into small pots filled with potting mix. Use the eraser end of a 
pencil to dibble a shallow planting hole. After placing the seed 
in the pot, run the pointed end of the pencil alongside the hole 
to cover the seed.
     Then put the potted seedlings in a south-facing window 
that receives bright sunlight or under fluorescent lights.
     This method is highly efficient and economical. For example, 
if you want six tomato plants, germinate six to eight seeds. If 
some of the seeds on the sealed-lid haven't done anything for a 
couple of weeks, quickly replace them with fresh, living seed.
               *********************************
     If you have gardening questions, write to PSA Media Relations,
A-101 Poole Agricultural Center, Clemson University, Clemson, S.C.
29634-0129. You might also want to check our website at
www.clemson.edu/psamedia.
                              END