Different ways to start seeds

Some seeds, like those from Seeds of Change, are very expensive. In this case, I try to maximize every seed and get as many to germination as possible.

Any home pot grower will tell you that the best way to start seeds is to place them between sheets of moist paper towel in a plastic zipper bag.
THIS IS A TERRIBLE WAY TO START SEEDS.
The problem with paper towels is that the wood pulp fibers have a very loose weave. Once the seeds sprout the root tendrils get snarled in the paper fibers. When you try to remove the seedling for transplant, the roots get all ripped up. Instead, place seeds between 2 wet paper coffee filters, the round fluted kind, in plastic zipper bags. A note scrawled in Sharpie tells you the plant, the date, and the expected days to germination. This technique is well suited to bigger seeds like cucumbers.

Some seeds are so small that the coffee filter trick doesn't work so well. Take lettuce seeds. Tiny! I start them indoors to give them a fighting chance against slugs. For seeds like this I reuse cardboard egg cartons as mini planters, and clear plastic bins that held baby lettuce as a mini greenhouse (approx 6 quart container, with tight fitting lid).

Step one- soak a small amount of seeds, say a half teaspoon, in lukewarm water for a few hours or overnight.
Step two- cut the top half from away from a clean cardboard egg carton
Step three- fill the egg carton with damp potting mix
Step four- stir the seeds in their bath water and scoop out a tiny amount of seeds and water. If you use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon, you should get just a few seeds and a little bit of water.
Step five- tip the seeds into one of the egg hollows
Step six- stir, scoop and tip into the next egg hollow. Repeat until all sections of the carton have seeds
Step seven- place the egg carton into your plastic bin. It should just fit. You can add up to a quarter cup of water, so that the egg carton is well dampened without sitting in water
Step eight- close the lid tightly and put the bin an area that receives a constant cool temperature, away from drafts and direct sunlight
Step nine- use a piece of masking tape to identify the seeds, the date, and the expected number of days to germination.
Step ten- once the seeds have sprung up and sprouted leaves remove the lid to prevent fungus or damping off.

After seeds are a few weeks old, you can plant them directly into bigger containers, or into the ground, weather permitting. The cardboard will disintegrate with time. The earthworms in my garden love munching the cardboard I put out as a mulch and weed inhibitor.

Time to think of spring

The yard has sat quietly the last 2 months as the winter crops finished up. The broccoli bolted without forming much in the way of edible heads. Everything was started much too late. Then we had the warmest January on record. The parsnips still have their baby leaves. The turnips are the right size for edible baby greens, but that's about it.

Which is fine, because the middle of March is the time to start the spring/summer garden.

Seeds started today:

bush beans
tomatoes
sugar pie pumpkins

Tomorrow I'll start dill, basil and scallions.