© Mark Torregrossa/mlive.com/TNS Now is the time to start planting indoors. I started with tomatoes because I wanted to try this variety called Super Sauce. Mark Torregrossa MLiveWe are getting closer to the time when we can plant vegetable plants in our garden. Here are some tips for getting those big, healthy seedlings before you finally plant them.
Michigan has many microclimates due to the waters of the Great Lakes, mountains and valleys. Your location with these three landforms determines your "safe" planting date for your location.
Planting dates are mid to late May for most Lower Michigan plants that cannot tolerate frost. This vegetable usually ripens in the months of summer, August and September. If you have to wait a long time to pick it, it's probably a heat-loving vegetable that can't tolerate frost. The most popular plants damaged by frost are tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and basil.
Vegetables that tolerate light frosts include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and some lettuce. This cabbage can now be planted.
We usually can't plant warm southern tree starters, says Matt Bowie, owner of Abel Greenhouse and Garden Center in Saginaw. These are mainly grapes, cucumbers, melons and pumpkins. This vegetable grows so fast that it starts in mid-April.
© Mark Torregrossa/mlive.com/TNS Now is the time to start planting indoors. I started these tomatoes by planting them in February. Mark Torregrossa MLiveSo let's grow vegetable seedlings.
Seeds germinate with moisture and heat. I switched to buying a bag of starter soil instead of using my own garden soil. The initial seed soil goes a long way.
I like to soak my seeds overnight in a small cup of warm, not hot, water. Water helps seeds germinate. You plant "pre-watered" seeds. Planting the seeds is a bit of a pain because they get wet and stick to your fingers or planting stick. The seeds seem to germinate faster and more seeds germinate if I soak them overnight.
How confident are you about your seeds' ability to germinate? After all, you only want one plant per cell. Some people prefer to plant two seeds if only one sprouts. If both sprout, you may need to cut back the weak plant. Do not pull it or you may break the tender roots of another plant. If you follow the steps here, you will plant one seed per cell. Most will sprout.
Planting depth is important. Most of the seeds we plant now are quite small and need to be planted under the surface. I take a small Phillips screwdriver and drill a very shallow 1/4 inch hole in the center of the housing. Place the seeds inside. This is where my soaked seeds are frustrating because they stick to your finger and then to the screwdriver. They end up falling into the pit. Then very gently push the soil into the hole and press with your fingers.
© Mark Torregrossa/mlive.com/TNS Now is the time to start planting indoors. Mark Torregrossa MLiveThe key is constant moisture and heat until the plants come out of the ground. Notice I didn't say wet. I have found that the watering device you use is very important. I use a spray bottle and spray each cell. You don't need to drain the water from the cells yet, as you will when the plants are large and have many leaves. So that the soil does not dry out, I cover the apartment with cling film.
It is also important to find a warm place. Because the seeds don't need sunlight (which Michigan lacks right now) or light to germinate, you can choose locations based on temperature. I have a water heater that is heated by a boiler, so the top is flat. I put the green apartment in my warm technical room in the basement and above the hot water boiler.
So I look above the clouds and see. After a few seeds have germinated, I remove the wrap and move them under the grow light. If you want to be successful in growing your plants, you need grow lights. Some basic grow lights available at hardware stores are fairly inexpensive and will work.
Related reading: How to get enough light for your plants in cloudy Michigan
The key to getting enough light from your grow lights is to place the lights just two inches above the plants.
Take the first step toward your big garden this summer: Plant your seeds this week. I will take you to the next step over the next six weeks.
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