Seed Starting Do’s and Dont’s
Rev up those Engines gardeners! It’s February and, time to gather your supplies and start those seeds!
It’s been a year so let’s have a quick reminder course on the best seed starting practices.
DO use a heat mat.
It adds at least an extra 10 degrees of warmth right where you need it –
the bottom of your seed tray which speeds germination. 
DO invest in good lighting. If your only starting a tray or two, look into grow bulbs that can be used in a desk light fixture.
DON’T keep the germination dome on too long. As soon as you see them sprouting, remove the dome.
DO read the seed packet. There’s a wealth of helpful information from starting the seeds to planting tips.
DON’T start your seeds too early. If you seedlings became too leggy in the past, it could be a lighting issue, but it could also be that you started them too early. Read the recommended start date on the packet.
DO water from the bottom if possible.
DO provide some air movement. Even a small fan near the seed trays will keep air moving and help prevent damping off.
DO use a sterile seed starting mix. It’s been formulated and screened to give seeds a good start.
DON’T be afraid to try something new. If you tried starting seeds in the past without much success, give it another try.
Willow Ridge offers a large variety of seeds as well as starting supplies so come see us before the seed starting window closes!!!