How Does Your Garden Grow?

Here Are Instructions From 'The Passionate Gardener'

(CBS)  Before you know it, the prime planting season will be upon us. And if you have dreams of growing the perfect garden this summer, now is the time to start seeding your plants.

Georgia Raimondi, author of The Passionate Gardener, gave Saturday Early Show Co-Anchor Thalia Assuras pointers on how to get those seeds off to a good start. Here is her advice:

Why Seeds?
There is something almost magical about the ritual of starting your garden from seed. It's also a great project to do with kids. There is a great sense of personal satisfaction in sowing a tiny seed and nurturing it to maturity.

By starting with seeds you can choose from a huge selection rather than the limited variety of transplants available at garden centers. You also can get a head start on the growing season. Many plants such as tomatoes and peppers require a longer growing season and benefit from those extra weeks indoors.

Soil
Start with ready-made, store-bought, sterile soil-less planting medium, often called "seed starting mix." It is specially formulated for seed starting. It is not advisable to use garden soil. You need a light, fluffy medium that will drain easily and allow the seedlings to thrive. Soil should be moistened before you sow your seeds.

Seed Packets
Before you plant any seed, read the back of the packet for important information related to that particular plant. The packet will tell you when to start the seeds indoors, when to plant the seeds outside and how long it takes for the seeds to emerge, and will include any special instructions you need.

Some seeds have a very hard coating and need to be nicked with a standard nail file. You also can soften the outside of a seed by soaking it overnight in water. The seed packet will tell you how deep to bury your seeds or if they should be buried at all, how to sow your seeds, and how deep and how far apart.

Containers
You probably have cartons at home that can be recycled - from juice, milk, yogurt, margarine or cottage cheese. Those plastic "clamshell" containers from salad bars make great mini greenhouses. Wash all recycled containers with hot soapy water and a dash of bleach. Rinse thoroughly and punch drainage holes in the bottom.

Seed starting containers also are available from nurseries. Peat pots make excellent containers because they are biodegradable and can be transplanted right into the garden without disturbing the seedlings.

Be sure to label containers using wooden plant labels and environmentally friendly indelible markers. Popsicle sticks make great plant labels.

Requirements
Seeds need bottom heat and moisture to germinate. Always water the plants from the bottom to prevent the seeds from being disturbed or drowned.

Place the sed containers in a large pan of shallow warm water. When you can see that the soil at the top of the container is moist, remove the containers from the watering tray.

You can test to see if the seeds have enough water by touching the top of the soil. It should feel moist but not soggy. If it is dry, your seeds need water. The water should always be room temperature, and if your water is chlorinated let it sit out overnight before watering your plants. Be careful - over watering can cause as much damage as allowing the seeds to dry out.

Cover the containers and place them where they will get bottom heat, such as on a shelf above a radiator. Seeds germinate faster in 70 to 75 degrees. You may wish to purchase an electric propagation mat, which will provide a uniform temperature controlled environment. They are sold through garden centers and catalogs and cost about $55.

As soon as the first sprouts appear, remove the container from the heat and take off the cover. Place the new seedlings where they will receive plenty of light; a south-facing window is best.

When daylight hours are short, a sunny window may not provide adequate light. It is not necessary to buy an expensive "grow light." A standard four-foot fluorescent light fixture available at any hardware store works, too. Suspend the fixture from the ceiling by an adjustable chain. Keep the light approximately 4 to 6 inches above the tops of the plants.

Move the light up as the plants grow. You might put the light on a timer because plants need to sleep, too. Twelve to 14 hours of light a day is ideal.

Fertilizer
You should fertilize your seedlings once a week with a diluted solution of all-purpose plant food.

"Hardening Off"
A week or two before planting time in the garden, "harden off" the transplants by setting them outdoors in a sheltered spot during the day and bringing them in at night. The transition process will allow the plants to adjust to the bright sun and wind.