It’s Time to Start Seeds Indoors!

Jackie Braitman — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 20:41:35 +0000

Perennials Grown From Seed

All of the perennials shown in this garden were started from seed! It’s a relatively straightforward process and saved the homeowner thousands of dollars. Plus it’s green! Most of what was shipped was lightweight materials and seeds not 2-year old plants.

It’s on my mind because I just started 12 flats of perennials and a few annuals and vegetables in my basement. See image below. I’ve recently moved into a new place and I’m converting all the lawn to plantings and outdoor living area. So I would have to buy a lot of plants. Ten of the flats are perennials — market value of approximately $3000. Two of the Flats are annuals and vegetables — market value of approximately $400. And my expense was a total of less than $400 — a savings of $3,000.

Seed Growing Set-up

Let me describe the set-up, above. It’s a mobile cart composed of wire shelving that’s 48″ x 18″ (about $150). You can probably get one used for much less. I used cable ties to attach a 6-plug outlet. Hanging above each shelf are two 48″ shop lights (about $12/each including the cost of the bulbs). You’ll also need a timer (<$10), (not shown in the photo) since seeds require about 16 hrs/day of light. You can purchase special grow lights but I’ve found that full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs work fine. I purchased 12 flats, humidity domes, and market pack inserts from a commercial supplier (approximately $36). I also used a commercial seed supplier to get the range of perennials that I wanted but you can also purchase from a variety of seed suppliers or go to your local nursery. I used a soil-less seed starting mix — total about $40. Finally, you might want a heat mat since some of the seeds require specific temperature ranges to germinate. ($80)

Some of the seeds require special conditions — such as putting them at 70 degrees than in the fridge then back on a heat mat. So for some, you might also need to have room in a 2nd fridge (this is my case). But all you really need is to be able to follow instruction and have some patience — since perennials take much longer to germinate than annuals and vegetables.

It’s been a very cold winter here in Washington DC. But I can feel spring coming — many of the plants in the garden are starting to bud. And I will soon have 12 flats of greenery in my basement waiting to be planted out in the spring or fall.

All images courtesy of Jackie Braitman

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It’s Time to Start Seeds Indoors!