Believe it or not it is time to start thinking about starting seeds. There are a few things that can be started now and then come March there will be a lot to do. I have been bringing in my supplies and setting things up. I keep a list each year and check my quantities in the fall. Then I can keep an eye out for sales throughout late winter.
Part of the problem of honing your methods down to a science is that you become dependent on certain products and brands. I'm not at a stage where I want to experiment with my methods because I have had very good success. I recently brought in all of my consumable products. Most of these can be sourced locally if you have a good garden center, but the Pro-mix has to be mail ordered. Nothing like getting a huge, heavy box of dirt left on your porch in the middle of winter. Its a bit of a hassle, but sometimes it must be done.
For the initial germination Seed Starting Mix I always use Jiffy Mix. You can also sift regular potting mix to a fine particle size or use compost. Jiffy Mix has the added advantage of being readily available at Walmart and one bag will last me several seasons.
When I sow my seeds I immediately cover the surface with a sprinkle of ground Cinnamon and Espoma Organic Vermiculite . The cinnamon is just regular cinnamon you would use in the kitchen but it has anti-fungal properties which prevent fungus and white mold from forming on the damp soil surface. The Vermiculite helps hold the right amount of moisture on the surface where the seeds are. Also, if you are sowing tiny seeds which require light to germinate and must be surface sown, a light layer of Vermiculite will surround them with moisture yet not block (too much) light. Seeds and seedlings should initially be misted with a spray bottle of water or mister. I use a Mesto Mister which pumps up and will spray in any position, even upside down. This is my second season with this mister and it is a terrific product.
When the seedlings are ready to be pricked out and planted in cells or pots, I use Pro-Mix Organic Vegetable & Herb Mix as my potting mix. Pro-Mix also makes a seed starting mix which I use under some circumstances such as winter sowing in plastic jugs. It is a little more coarse than Jiffy Mix and will support seedlings longer than Jiffy without being bumped up to potting mix. Jiffy Mix is basically just pH adjusted peat moss while the Pro-Mix Seed Starter has added fertilizer for an NPK ratio of 6-1-2. You do not want to give newly germinated seedlings much food, that should wait until they have their first true leaves. Hence the pure peat, coir or compost for germination. I currently have my onion seeds sown in the Pro-Mix seed starter because I plan to leave the plants in those cells until they are set out the end of April.
The most permanent elements of your seed starting set up will be your grow lights. I have seen everything from large bakers racks set up permanently in a basement to a more decorative bulb that is geared more towards keeping a house plant in your living space. I think there is the most variation and personal preference in the grow light set up. Mine has not changed much over the years but it is in a stage of flux. Ten years ago I invested in two table top models which have obsolete fluorescent tubes and must be raised and lowered as the plants grow, Because you can no longer get bulbs for these, I am switching over to LED lighting which frankly, works better. So if you are shopping for grow lights, you have a million choices to sift through but be sure to get full spectrum LEDs and preferably high output. They do not have to say "grow light", "shop lights" are the same thing as long as they are full spectrum.
Another must have is a heat mat or two. I have found that the heat mat is an indispensable tool to get seeds started early. I do not want to keep any space artificially heated to 70+ degrees in the spring. Placing a heat mat under the tray will warm the soil and create a microclimate in your seed starting set up that is enough to keep seedlings happy without heating the whole house/basement/shop. A thermostat control is a nice addition but not necessary. It will drive the price up but is nice to have around when you really need it.
Finally, these items I also consider to be necessities: a good timer and a fan. My favorite timer is a strip that has one side timed and the other side on constantly. I plug the heat mat in on the constant side, and the lights on the timed side. I set the lights to come on at 6am and go off at 9pm giving them 15 hours of light. The fan will encourage your seedlings to stay shorter, to develop stronger stems, and make it easier to harden them off for outside living. It will also keep the soil a little drier on top and minimize rot and fungal issues. I have kept the fans on their own timer going on one hour and off one hour all day. I have also plugged them into the timed outlets with the lights and left them on all day. I either move the fan around, or if space does not allow that, just turn the trays each day so the seedlings get wind from multiple directions and strengths. The seedlings closest to the fan will be buffeted more than those on the end further away.
Below are links to some of my other seed starting posts.
