Once you know how to grow something from a seed, you'll be unstoppable! Or at least that's what it feels like. 😏 The first flower seeds I ever planted never grew because I simply didn't know what I needed to know to be successful in starting seeds. For a time I even gave up the idea of ever trying to grow flowers from seed because I thought it was going to be too hard. Thankfully I eventually caught the hope to grow again and once I found the right resources and gained basic knowledge for seed starting, I realized how easy it actually is to grow flowers from seed!
1. Soil
As with everything, your cut flower garden needs a strong foundation. The difference between gardens and everything else is that a garden's foundation is made up of good, healthy, and loose dirt. Seed starting soil is going to be a bit different than regular potting or garden soil. It will provide the most ideal environment your flowers need to boost their initial growth. There are a lot of flower farmers who mix their own seed starting mixes but it works just as well to purchase a pre-mixed soil from your local department store or from an online garden supplier.
Whether you decide to make your own or buy a pre-mixed starting soil, here's what you should look for:
- Light & Airy Consistency -- When your starting soil is prepared for planiting, it should remain light and loft when it's watered. Light soil allows for plenty of oxygen to reach the new roots being pushed out of the seed. It also makes it much easier for a tiny seedling to push through the soil and into the light. Most seed mixes use perlite to retain aeration in the soil (the tiny, white, styrofoam-looking things you see in potting soils).
- Retains Moisture -- A good seed starting mix also needs to retain enough water to hydrate your new little plants without making the soil too heavy. Vermiculite is a common ingredient used to maintain oxygen flow while still holding moisuture for your growing flowers.
- Just a Few Ingredients -- Many seed starting mixes have 4 or less ingredients. Along with perlite and vermiculite, the third base ingredient to seed starting mix is either peat moss or coconut coir. Coco coir is my preferred seed starting ingredient because it has better pH balance and is more sustainable than peat moss. In fact, my first year flower farming, I used straight coconut coir for starting seeds!
2. Seeds
Seeds are incredible little pieces of creation. And choosing which flowers you're going to add to your garden each year is always a tough decision. I always seem to have a few envelopes of flower seeds that make it into my collection but never into the dirt. Choosing which seeds to buy is going to be different for everyone. You have to decide what's important to you. Do you want flowers that are easy to grow? Do you want a variety of color? Are you choosing only focal flowers or will you want different types of filler flowers? There are plenty of questions to ask yourself but taking the time to write this all down will help you save time and money in the long run.
Next you'll have to decide where you want to buy your flower seeds from. I started out by shopping at Walmart and Lowes. Now it makes more sense to me to purchase my seeds from different specialty seed providers. It helps me to find the specific varieties of flowers I'm looking for and it also allows me to support different farms and farmers around the country. I buy most of my seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds but you can see my top 5 favorite places to buy seeds here. If you're interested in checking some of these specialty companies, most have catalogs you can request. I always look forward to skimming through the seed catalogs, even though it requires a lot of self control. :)
3. Containing
Choosing what to grow your seeds in can be a straightforward or creative decision. Much like choosing what seeds to buy and where to buy them, you have to decide what is imporatnt to you. If you're looking to get quick, easy access to seedling containers, you can buy classic seedling trays online or from your local department store. Depending on your budget and how many trays you'll need, the cost can add up pretty quickly. That's why I opt for some different solutions.
One way to start your flower seedlings is by using recycled products. You can gather used or unwanted planters and pots from friends and family for your seed starting. Just make sure they are nice and clean before you plant your seeds to avoid fungus and disease. Another option is using toilet paper and paper towel rolls. I use these for seedlings that I know will be larger and need more root space. For all my smaller flower seedlings, I start them in soil blocks I make with my soil block maker from Johnny's. Soil blocks are great because they save space and don't restrict root growth. It's also a much more affordable way to start a lot of seedlings!
4. The Process
Seeing your seeds germinate is so exciting! Those little green sprouts bring the first joys of successful gardening and they set you off into a world of abundant growth. There are three key factors to ensuring germination for your newly planted seeds: light, warmth, and moisture.
Light is crucial to all plant growth and is especially important when seeds are aiming their their seedlings for the surface. Many hobbyist and professional gardeners use grow lights to promote the growth of their seedlings. I do use growth lights now because I'm usually starting hundreds of seeds at once so having a designated place where all the seeds can get a good amount of light is the most productive. However, if you're just starting out or if you're trying to keep your growing process simple, you can set your seedlings in front of a window that has good light exposure. South facing windows are going to give you the most sun, but when I started out with the bare minimum of knowledge, my flower seedlings grew just fine in front of our large, east facing window. Just be sure to rotate your seedling trays or pots daily so they don't stretch and bend too far in one direction.
Warmth is also a necessity for most flower seeds to trigger germination. Something many avid gardeners purchase to give a consistent amount of warmth for their seedlings are heat mats. Though they can be helpful, I've found it to be just as effective to put my seedling trays on a table over our heating vents. Others place their trays on radiators. As long as those seed babies are getting a little toasty, you should see a great rate of successful germination.
Moisture is the last important key for starting your baby flowers. Using a plastic covering or even plastic wrap to cover your pots and trays before germination is going to increase your success of germination and speed it up as well. By covering your seedlings, you're trapping warmth and moisture to their environment much like the effects a greenhouse gives. It stabilizes the temperature of their environment giving them the best chance to grow and thrive. Just remember that once most of your seeds have sprouted, it's time to remove that covering and let them grow tall and strong!
Do you have any questions or tips on starting flowers from seed? Make sure to comment below!
