Heat Mats for Indoor Seed Germination by Brenda Sterns

Photo:Suncore

As March brings 50-60°F warm days combined with all the winter snows, our yards are showing slight signs of life. For many of us, this tinge of greenness ushers forth images of what our 2024 gardens will hold.  What will we grow – vegetables, annuals, perennials?   We know the last frost date is two months away and now is the time to start seeds indoors.  As you eagerly grab your seeds, pots, and soil to start your best garden ever, take a moment to think about heat mats.

Cheap Versus Expensive Seeds by Nancy Shepard

Seeds can cost from $1.00 to $5.00 a packet or more. Are expensive seeds that much better? Turns out that less expensive seed must meet the same minimum germination standard as expensive seed, but that’s not the whole story. Federal and state laws ensure that all commercially available farm and garden seeds are properly tested for purity, noxious weed seeds, and germination rates. The 2017 Colorado Seed Act “prevents the distribution and use of poor quality seed through the regulation of labeling, labelers, and the sellers of seed for propagation.”  https://ag.colorado.gov/plants/seed

To direct sow, or not... what to do? by Vicky Spelman

John Porter - The Garden Professors

Transplant definition:  is the technique of moving a plant from one location to another. A fully germinated seedling is moved and replanted in a permanent location for the growing season.

So, why do we take the time to start seeds indoors?  Or the added expense of buying transplants?

1. Many plants that we start as transplants require minimum soil temperature of around 60ºF – with optimum germination between 70º-80ºF.  Waiting for the soil to reach these temperatures can shorten the growing season.  

2. You can extend the growing season by starting warm season crops by having a plant ready to go once weather conditions are favorable.  

Direct sow definition:  means that you start planting seeds in the garden, rather than buying small plants or starting seeds indoors earlier and transplanting them outside.

Why plant seeds directly into the garden?

1. Ease – Easier and less intimidating to just plant seeds into the soil versus starting seeds indoors.

2. Cost effective – Pack of seeds cheaper than buying transplants and/or equipment to start indoors.

3. And... Some plants don’t transplant well.  Root crops – like radishes, carrots and beets – don’t transplant well, and others likes cilantro and zinnias don’t do well with root disturbance. You would want to start cilantro and zinnias in large enough containers so you don’t have to repot them, and plant carefully to not disturb roots.

The seed packet will help with determining your grow method.  Some warm season crops – like beans, corn, cucumbers and squash can be started indoors and transplanted, but not necessarily needed – these crops typically grow much quicker from seeds and are hardier.  Other warm season crops – like tomatoes, peppers and eggplants should be started as transplants to take advantage of being planted in warmer temperatures.

Cool season plants – like lettuces, spinach and root crops - can be direct sown into the garden before the last frost date.  

Here is a graphic from Virginia Cooperative Extension for some guidelines – keep in mind your local area and growing conditions and remember to check your seed packet.  

Courtesy Virginia Cooperative Extension
John Porter's Article

A soil thermometer can help when determining soil temperatures get in range for direct sowing outdoors.  

Complete Article:  To direct sow, or not to sow – published by John Porter

Early Growing Season notes and reminders By Joyce D’Agostino

Photo: Joyce D'Agostino

For those of us who regularly garden, we often are already thinking what to grow and not grow for the next season. As the seeds are sown and seedlings planted, it often doesn’t take long for gardeners to find out what is doing well and thriving.

Starting Seeds by Vicky Spelman

 Isn’t growing from seed tricky, time-consuming, need a lot of space and well, just hard work? Happily, the answer to all these questions is No! -NGB (National Garden Bureau)

How to Make a Cold Frame for Early Seed Start by Carol King

Photo houzz.com

A cold frame is a simple structure that uses the sun's energy and insulation to create a microclimate within your garden. You can harvest and eat a salad in March! Cold frames allow starting plants as much as six weeks before planting-out time.

S.E. Newman, Colorado State University Extension greenhouse crop specialist has this to say:

Cold Frames

For an early start, sow seed in a cold frame and transplant it into the garden later. Seed may be started as much as six weeks earlier than outdoors. Locate the cold frame on the south side of a garage or dwelling. If built with a tight-fitting lid, the cold frame will hold sufficient heat from the sun to keep seed and seedlings warm at night. On warm, sunny days (50F or warmer), prop the lid open to prevent buildup of excessive heat. Close the lid in the late afternoon to trap enough heat for cold evenings.

Choosing the Best Seeds and Plants for Your Garden by Joyce D’Agostino

For gardeners, this time of year brings exciting arrivals to your mailbox – the new seed and plant catalogs. Sometimes the selections are so tempting that you might want to break your budget to buy as many of the wonderful varieties as possible.

Before you begin placing your orders or making the visits to your garden centers, an important rule is choosing the “right plant for the right place” which will bring more enjoyment and success. Even if you are an experienced gardener in our climate, there may be some plants that you want to try and not certain if they are appropriate for your region.

Tips for Saving Seeds By Joyce D’Agostino

Seed saving, photo courtesy modern farmer.org

Many of us enjoy starting our plants from seed. Some of these seeds may have been shared by friends or have been handed down through family members, which give them a special legacy of their own. Now that we are in late summer, there are many garden favorites that are producing and those that you may want to grow again next year.

How to Read a Seed Packet by Paula Hamm

Photo by Paula Hamm

Growing plants from seed is incredibly rewarding and fascinating but there are a few things you need to know before you get started.  You can find nearly everything you need to know on the seed packet itself.  

First, every seed packet should list the common and Latin name of the seed inside the envelope.  It is not uncommon for more than one plant to have the same common name;  the Latin name can help you figure out whether the seed packet you are holding has the seeds you want.

Stratification and Vernalization of Seeds for Fall Planting By Joyce D’Agostino

With the arrival of fall, typically most gardeners feel that their work is done, other than possibly pulling vegetable plants that are finished and raking leaves. 

But if you would like to get a head start on planting some great flowers for next season, fall is a good time. There are actually some plants whose seeds need to have a certain amount of cold and darkness in order to germinate and establish. We are all familiar with planting flowers and vegetables in the spring, but all plants have different preferences for reseeding and growing. For example, some perennials and biennial plants are best sown in the fall to allow them to develop a strong root system. This method is called Stratification and Vernalization.

Harvesting Amaranth by Donna Duffy

Amaranth ready to harvest, photo by Donna Duffy

You can begin harvesting amaranth plants for greens almost immediately. Young greens are perfect for salads, while older greens are better when cooked like spinach. Seeds ripen about three months after planting, usually in the mid- to late summer, depending on when you planted. They are ready to harvest when they begin to fall from the flower head (tassel). Give the tassel a gentle shake. If you see seeds falling from the tassel, it’s amaranth harvest time.

Got Milkweed? by Donna Duffy

Asclepias speciosa seeds about to disperse, photo by Donna Duffy

If you have  native Milkweed (Asclepias speciosa) plants in your landscape, now is the time to decide how many more you want. Milkweed seed pods are bursting open and each one releases numerous seeds that love to drift to other parts of your yard and take root. That’s great if you want more Milkweed plants! But if you don’t, now is the time to take action.

Choosing the Best Seed for Your Vegetable and Flower Garden by Joyce D’Agostino

Early Tomato "Glacier",  photo courtesy territorialseed.com

By now many of you have been receiving seed and plant catalogues in the mail and the retail stores have racks of seeds beaconing you to bring them home.

Before you make your purchases, here are a few tips to help you choose the best seed for your garden for best results.

Here They Come...Seed Catalogs! by Donna Duffy

Photo courtesy treehuggers.com

It's the stuff gardeners' dreams are made of: seed and nursery catalogs that fill our mailboxes in January and put us on the road to planning our next garden. Those catalogs are a lot more than a list of products the seed companies want to sell. They are encyclopedias of information that, among other things, tell us which plants won't grow in Colorado. That keeps us from throwing away money for plants destined to fail with our growing conditions. Dan Jewett, Denver County Master Gardener, offers the following information to get the most out of the seed catalogs that end up in your mailbox. 

Fall: The Best Time to Sow Native Plant Seeds by Donna Duffy

Tradescantia occidentalis, Western Spiderwort, photo by Donna Duffy

There are many benefits to using native plants for Colorado home landscapes. They are naturally adapted to our various climates, soils and environmental conditions. When correctly sited, they make ideal plants for sustainable landscape. Native perennials require less maintenance such as watering and fertilizing when the planting site mimics the plant’s native habitat.

Starting Those Hard to Grow Seeds: Stratification and Scarification By Brooke Colburn

Spring is creeping upon us here in the Front Range, and if you plan to start any of your flowering, perennial, native, or woody plants from seed, they may require some special treatment to overcome dormancy and germinate. There are two general types of seed dormancy: mechanical and chemical. Mechanical dormancy refers to a seed coat that is impermeable to water and or air, and it must be broken by a process called scarification. Chemical dormancy involves chemicals in the seed that must be leached away or broken down by a method called stratification.

Starting Seeds Outdoors Video

Starting seeds outdoors is not as easy as tossing them on to the ground. Learn how to warm the soil, keep it warm and choose cold season veggie seeds.

Successful Seed Storage by Rebecca Anderson

Photo courtesy Rebecca Anderson

I confess, I'm a seed saver. Not necessarily seeds that have been harvested from plants I've grown, but I save leftover seed packets from year to year. Most years I don't need 30 zucchini plants, but it seems like such a waste to toss a nearly full packet after only using four or five seeds. I learned recently that this may be a heritable trait. My mother has cut back on her vegetable gardening over the past few years, and during a recent visit she bequeathed me with her stash of seed packets. Some of them date back to the twentieth century!