Please also visit my other website at:
Art For Sale - Saint Michael Miniature Pen and Ink Drawings
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Our Lady of Guadalupe, stippled ink on genuine sheep skin, a (finished) Work In Progress |
As war escalates around the world, please remember each day to pray for Peace.
including:
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Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, Inc.
The Society of Tempera Painters
Marians Of The Immaculate Conception
Starting
from Seeds
Starting plants from seed
is not only less expensive than buying starter plants, it sometimes provides a
wider
variety
of plants to choose from, and allows the grower to see how the
plants
develop. This greater sense of how the plant grows often leads to greater
success in cultivation as the plants mature.
Starting from seed can be easily accomplished provided some basic
requirements are provided. The first consideration is to know what
each plant type prefers, often outlined on the seed package. After
knowing this, a few simple steps follow.
| Fill seed flats or shallow pots with a quality seed starting mix. |
| Depending on the size of the seed, either sprinkle the seeds on the surface and do not cover (such as African Violet seed) or plant the seed the depth of the seed length itself (Calendula seed is approx. ¼” long, plant ¼” deep). |
| Place the seed flat or pot up to its rim in warm or tepid water until the top surface of the seeds is damp. |
| Let the pot drain of excess water. |
| Cover the seed flat in some way, either individually with a plastic bag, or in trays with a humidity dome. |
| Most seeds, but not all, require light to germinate – check the seed packet – if light is required, provide bright even light. This can be under a lamp as long as the seeds are not too close and get “burned”. It can also be on a windowsill as long as the tray is turned every couple of days to ensure even lighting. If no light is required, the seed flat may be placed anywhere that is over 45 degrees. |
| Bottom heat often will aid in germination and special heating mats are available for this purpose at greenhouse supply companies. Alternatives are on top of the refrigerator (remember to consider light), or on top of a radiator as long as the heat is not over 70 degrees on the bottom of the seed flat or does not cause a fire hazard. |
| In most cases, germination is from one to three weeks with some tree varieties taking longer and requiring stratification (cold treatment). Once germination takes place, the cover should be removed for an hour or two at a time over the span of a week until the seedlings are adapted to not being covered. Whether light was required or not for germination, at this point, bright even light must be provided for optimum growth. |
| Researching the cultural
information
for your plant will tell you how best to treat the seedlings after this,
including how to harden them off for adapting to out doors. |
Great satisfaction can come from starting your own seeds and watching them start from almost nothing and become a beautiful plant. Seed starting projects are also beneficial for children’s projects as it teaches not only the science of how plants grow, but how we can utilize plants for beautifying our spaces, to provide food crops, and to replenish our diminishing tree populations. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.