Start Your Seeds
OK, so now you've figured out what kinds of plants you want to grow this year and you've
ordered your seeds. After they arrive, the fun begins. If you live in a warm climate you'll want to start your seeds in February. As you work your way up to cooler climates you'll want to start a little later, but everyone should certainly have them started by April. The rule of thumb that I use is to start them 45 days before you are able to put them outside (temperatures consistently above 65 degrees).
Planning
Get yourself a 12-peat mini greenhouse to start your seeds. You can pick them up at any home improvement center in the gardening section or you can
order online.
Next, label the front of your greenhouse so you can lay out where each variety will be planted. Print out my
greenhouse planner to make it easier to figure things out.
Prepare the Seeds
For best results, it's advisable to soak your seeds in warm water over night before planting them. You'll want to soak 2 - 3 seeds per each plant you intend to grow just in case some don't germinate. I generally just soak 2 per plant as the seeds I get from Pepper Joe tend to 100% germinate.
Soaking them gives them a head start when they get into the peat. The easiest way I've found to do this is to use a shot glass for each variety. You can then arrange the shot glasses on your greenhouse planner so you know which ones go where, like this:
Plant the Seeds
The next day, your seeds are ready to be planted. Open up your mini greenhouse to get started planting and make sure the peats are seated properly. It should look like this:
This is a good time to label the front of it so it matches up with your greenhouse planner sheet.
Add warm water to the tray and allow the peats to soak up the water. Keep gradually adding the warm water until all of the peats have expanded. Once everything has expanded, the peats will be a dark (wet) color and be ready for planting.
Break out your gardening tool (a toothpick) and use it to loosen and level the top of each peat. If there is excess netting, just peel it back and snip it off with scissors to expose the top of the peat.
Now, just put your seeds in each peat and lightly cover them with the loosened peat. No need to plant them deeply, just enough to cover the seeds.
After all of the seeds have been planted, place the dome on top and then put the mini greenhouse in a warm location that is not in direct sunlight (on top of the fridge works pretty well).
Wait
As Tom Petty would say, the waiting is the hardest part. Some seeds germinate quickly (a matter of days) and others can take weeks.
Once you see sprouts, hit the Germination & Hardening page for more info.